Admittedly, its been years since I’ve picked up a paint brush, so when I decided to paint some cookies I was doubtful that they would turn out to my liking. I was expecting them to be disasters. But I’m so pleased with the results, something that doesn’t always come easily for me because I have a tendency to be hypercritical about my work. Of course, I do see some mistakes and sloppy strokes, but I’m learning to silence perfection more and more as I get older.
And luckily painting is something that I get totally lost in once I start. Now that I’ve discovered painting on royal icing, expect a few more hand painted goodies to come your way soon.
To keep things simple I used Callye’s sugar cookie recipe from here because it requires no chilling and her 20-second royal icing because I have no patience for mixing two types of royal icing consistencies (outlining and flooding). If you need a quick prep for how to decorate sugar cookies, check out the link here when she guest posted a few years back.
To achieve the colors you see in the picture, I mixed a combination of Americolor food gels. Below is the combination of food gels I used to achieve the color I wanted. You’ll see that white and gold is in almost each color combination. The white of course is used as a mixer and lightener, while the gold is used to desaturate for warmer undertones.
For the flowers
Pink: Deep pink + white + gold
Peach: Electic pink + red + yellow + white + gold
Light green: Electric green + white + gold
Dark green: Leaf green + white + gold
Turquioise: Turquoise + gold
Electric yellow: Electric yellow + white + gold
Brown: Brown + white
Ingredients:
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
- 1 egg
- 3 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup warm water
- 2 -3 teaspoon oil-free extract or flavoring
- 2 lbs. confectioner’s sugar
- 1/3 cup meringue powder
Directions:
HAND PAINTED SUGAR COOKIES
For the leaves
Sugar Cookies
Royal Icing
To make sugar cookies: In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. In a small bowl, lightly whisk together egg and vanilla extract; set aside.
In a stand mixer bowl fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together softened butter and confectioner’s sugar. With mixer running add in egg mixture and beat to combine; then add flour mixture little by little. Beat just until dough sticks to paddle and cookie dough gives slightly when gently pressed and dough does not stick to fingers.
Roll out dough between two sheets of parchment paper to 1/4 inch thickness. Use preferred cookie cutter and stamp out cookies; bake at 400 degrees F for 7-8 minutes.
To make royal icing: In a small cup, whisk together water and extract; set aside. In a stand mixer bowl fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together sugar and meringue powder. With the mixer running on low, slowly add liquid mixture. Turn mixer speed to medium-high and beat until mixture is fluffy and stiff peaks form, about 7-10 minutes. Icing is ready when mixture is stiff.
Recipes from Sweet Sugarbelle
http://www.bakersroyale.com/hand-painted-sugar-cookies/
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