As decorators, we know how frustrating bleeding icing can be… I remember it being one of my biggest pet peeves when I first began. It turns out that learning some tips and tricks on piping is only one step to having an enjoyable cookie decorating experience. If you don’t know the following 7 tips already, I hope they help you eliminate bleeding icing on your cookies.
First, what exactly is bleeding when it comes to decorating cookies?
Basically, it’s when one icing runs or spreads into another. Take a look at these flood work butterflies as an example here; you can see the brown starting to diffuse into the light yellow.
Whenever an intense color such as red or black is beside a light one, such as white or yellow, bleeding seems to happen more. The red and white mushroom cookie above has none happening though. Here’s how you can do it too:
How to stop your colors from bleeding into each other:
1. The consistency of your icing is key – If it’s too runny, your colors will tend to seep more. Especially if you’re layering a dark color onto a light one. A good rule of thumb is to follow the ‘10 second rule’. See #2 of Top 10 Decorating Tips or detailed info. at the cookie tutorial here. To be safest, your icing should gloss over closer to 10 seconds than to 5.
2. The icing recipe is also important. I use Antonia 74 or Peggy Porshen’s
3. Americolor
4. Tint your icing at least a few hours in advance as the colors usually deepen with time. That way you’re not necessarily adding as much food paste coloring as you can adjust your color later.
5. Let your outline or first layer of icing dry for 12-24 hours; again especially if your two colors are a stark contrast between light and dark. You can try less time depending on the humidity… Maybe 4-5 hours for a first layer, and 15 minutes to an hour for an outline, however, it is riskier.
I have to say; I usually err on the safe side. Preferably 24 hours for me!
If you have a few extra cookies, you can test if it’s dry by touching the surface (does it make a dent?), or even by biting into a test cookie.
Putting your cookies in an oven with the light on can help dry them faster, according to Colette Peter’s in her book, Colette’s Birthday Cakes
6. Never store your decorated cookies in the fridge or freezer as they can absorb moisture there. Some people say they have luck with it – If you have I’d love to hear from you in an email or a comment at the bottom of this post. Maybe the cookies are exceptionally well sealed?
7. If it’s really humid outside, use a dehumidifier in the room you’re decorating in. A climate controlled or air-conditioned room works too! Too much humidity can make the colors bleed, no matter how hard you’ve tried to do everything else right.
These have worked for me so far but I’m always happy to learn more; if you have any tips which you’d like to share you’re welcome to leave a comment below.
Happy cookie decorating!
xo,
Marian
p.s. Here are the rest of the fall cookies I made along with ones above. They’re sugar cookies decorated with royal icing and edged with copper-colored disco dust.
p.s.s. Since I’ve posted this I’ve had a few emails about the leaf and acorn cookie cutters. They’re from a Wilton Leaves and Acorn Cookie Cutter set.
@ Marian:
Its just something I have seen online and wondered if it would work to keep the cookies from bleeding while adding a nice sheen. It says it works well in humid conditions.
Awesome, thanks. I’ll have to try it out!
I stumbled upon your blog for the first time this evening, and of course your work is phenomenal! I’ve been doing cookies for almost 4 years now, and I’m very excited to try some of the very helpful tips from you/your readers. I’ve always being using the whisk attachment to make cookies, and I’m looking forward to going with the paddle. I get holes in my icing as well, usually in small areas. Have you ever tried using coloured white chocolate or candy wafers for those small spots, or would the fat affect the royal icing? Also, if I’m doing outlines, I tend to do them in brown, but use icing which has been mixed with cocoa. That way, I get nice flavour (especially if I’m putting orange rind in my cookies), and less chance of colours running. Just takes time to get the consistency right with the addition of the cocoa to the prepared icing – just make sure to sift to avoid lumps. Also, are disco dust and luster dust one in the same? Doesn’t appear so – any links for ordering disco dust? Can’t wait to spend the next few evenings browsing your archives!
Hi Michelle: Glad to ‘meet’ you here!
I haven’t tried using coloured white chocolate or candy wafers; I’d be concerned that the heat and the fat, like you said, would affect the icing. Still, it’d be interesting to experiment. If you get to it before I do, I’d love to hear your results.
Thanks for the cocoa tip! I’ve tried it once before and got a little more clogging than usual. Maybe I used too much. May I ask how much cocoa you put in please?
Disco dust is more like a glitter, whereas luster dust is like a fine powder, although it can have a sheen to it.
If you click on my disco dust post here, when you see the word disco dust highlighted pink, it’s a link to where you can buy it.
Hope that helps and hope to see you ‘around’!
Hi Marian; Thanks for the quick response!
I usually use about 2 heaping tbsp of cocoa, sifted, for a full soup bowl of icing. (I find a full corelle soup bowl is just about right for a full icing bag – and I use cellophane cones for icing, which are quite cost effective, but sadly not re usable. And not good if icing is too thick…). I’m using the whisk-whipped icing, so not sure if that makes a difference vs the paddle whipped icing when using cocoa. Also, when adding cocoa, I find it darkens and thickens over time. So wait a few minutes before adding more, if the colour isn’t dark enough. Wait too long, and it will be too thick to pipe! It can be tricky. I’m also using a larger tip for outlining in chocolate icing, #2 or #3, but not #1. I once tried mixing the cocoa with warm water, then adding it to the icing, but it caused my icing to quickly ‘deflate’. I can also recall using melted chocolate to do some outlining a while back,when I was in a pinch, and I don’t recall it causing a problem, but maybe I wasn’t paying close enough attention at the time! Must try again. I think I persevere with the cocoa mainly because I like the taste.
Hi, Marian! This isn’t the first time I’m in awe of your work/ asking you for help concerning my cookies!
You said that you’ve used egg-white royal icing before. I’m wondering, because meringue powder is very hard to come by here (and expensive!), if you have some further tips on how to prevent bleeding when using egg-white RI?
Also, my egg-white RI dries to a rougher/stranger texture than your cookies, do you have any idea why this happened??
Thanks in advance!!
Hi Patricia,
Humidity is the main culprit for bleeding, whether it’s egg-white royal icing or meringue-based RI I apply the same tips for both.
I’d love to see a picture of your RI to see whether it’s just the fact that you’re using egg whites or if it’s another issue. Would you be able to send an image?
@ marian:
I’ve sent them already, hope this mystery will soon be solved. Thanks for being very helpful! xo
Hi Patricia; I just got them – how cute! I love the turtle design.
It looks like too much air was incorporated into the icing. Did you use a whisk attachment or a paddle attachment?
It could be the recipe as well; although no egg white recipe which I’ve used has had that result, so I don’t think it’s the egg whites specifically.
To figure this out I’ll need to you to share exactly how you made the icing… the recipe, the steps you took to make it etc. Also, did you use it right away or did you let it sit for a bit. Walk me through what you did and that’ll give me a better idea as to what happened.
I’ve sent you the e-mail with more details, and I hope it’s detailed enough! And I forgot to add the first time I asked for your help that I live in INDONESIA!
I love your website; I just recently discovered it. You have great ideas and good tutorials. You said that you wanted people to post if they stored their cookies in the fridge. That is what I always do and have never had any problems. I use a big container with lid to put them in (decorated and undecorated). It’s usually a batch of about 40 cookies and they last for awhile and stay fresh. I am very busy and can only decorate a few at a time, so that’s the main reason I store them in there. Thanks!
That’s great! Thank you so much Lisa!
I have problems using red as a base. I had a customer complain that the red cookies tasted ‘funny’ so I used the No-Taste red. Another problem is that it seems like the butter in the cookie ‘bleeds’ through the red causing a dark splotch. I’ve tried using different brands, even blending two different reds. I’ve also used a thin white base, letting it dry and then putting down another base of red. I have also layed them upside down on paper towels before icing. Do you have any suggestions? Thank you.
@ CindiLouWho:
Hmm, maybe making your cookies a little thinner so that there’s not as much ‘fat/grease/moisture’ inside the cookie. Maybe making the icing layer thicker? Not only that, but making the icing consistency thicker too. I think I’ll need to write a post on this one where we can all pool our knowledge.
Hi Marian: thank you for all of your expertise. I tried your posted sugar recipe today w/royal icing and had great results. My biggest concerns were getting all of the cookies the same thickness & smoothness on top: do you use the “2 slat method” for rolling? How many cookies can you roll out at one time? Lastly, is there a way to get the cookies to dry w/a sheen? The frosting is great, I just did the line & fill right away, but noticed they are all drying somewhat mat-looking…
Hi Suzanne,
I have ‘perfection strips’ (2 slat method), but hardly use them anymore. That doesn’t mean I always roll them out perfectly, but it’s gotten much easier with practice. I’ll be doing a video on it this summer so hopefully seeing it will be helpful. How many cookies do I roll at one time? That really of course depends on the size of the cookie, but if I had take a guess, it makes at least 30, 4 cm diameter cookies.
Cookies drying with a sheen; yes, the royal icing does dry with a matte finish, a few things I’ve heard have helped are; adding a small amount of corn syrup to the icing, or adding a small amount of glycerine to the icing. I’m currently experimenting with that exact topic, and will be writing a post on it soon.
Great questions b.t.w.!
Hopefully that helps somewhat for now!
thanks so much for your help, Marian, & for making my cookie experience so pleasurable. I look forward to viewing any video you might produce in the future! Happy Baking…
Hi Marian,
I am going to attempt the red & white mushrooms which are part of this post. Did you pipe / flood the red part (mushroom cap) first or the white stem? From a bleeding perspective, does it matter which color you start with? I am just a beginner and these look like a simple place to start! Thank you!
Hi @ Brooksley Williams: I did the red first, piped the dots right away, let the icing set for a few minutes and then did the white stems. HAVE FUN!!