I’ll admit it; I’m no artist when it comes to drawing images on cookies.

I’m sure I could learn how to improve my drawing skills, but to be perfectly honest it’s not what I want to spend my time doing.

I love being able to create icing art, and I love being able to create it relatively quickly.

It is for this reason and others that the Kopykake drawing projector has been so invaluable to me – I can easily create sugar art without being able to draw images freehand.

If you are somewhat ‘drawing-challenged’ shall we say, or if you’d like to speed up your cake or cookie decorating process, you’ll probably enjoy the Kopykake projector.

You should know that I’m not sponsored by Kopykake in any way but do have affiliate links to Amazon and Ultimate Baker, although Amazon is sold out of the models I’ll be reviewing. I sincerely enjoy the projector and have had many questions regarding using it so am sharing my experience and answers here.

A big thank you to Rowell Photography for taking the cookie pics with the pink background.  I stumbled on their site and got lost in their gorgeous photos. - Erika and Ryan know how to take awesome pics!  Check out their site here.

I’ll begin with some questions, move on to a tutorial and finish off with more questions.

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What is a Kopykake projector?

The Kopykake projects an image downwards, sideways etc. so that cakes, cookies or any item can be easily traced onto. It is unique in that the light isn’t underneath the baked goods, but hangs above so as not to melt the icing etc.

Why use a Kopykake projector?

It is an invaluable tool for those who need help with drawing skills, and for those who may be able to draw freehand but would like to do if faster.

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Who would benefit from using a Kopykake projector?

Having the projector won’t improve your piping, but will certainly improve your drawing capabilities. One of my best tips for improving piping would be to let your icing fall onto the cookie. This is demonstrated in the upcoming slide show.

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Is it easy to set up, where do you store it and can it be dismantled?

It’s obvious, the Kopykake is not a pretty tool; in fact, as a ‘cookie’ friend, Catherine once mentioned, it looks like it belongs in a Star Wars movie! It is easy to set up but I wouldn’t recommend dismantling it; too much of a pain and too much wear and tear in my opinion. I store it exactly as is. The Kopykake can be moved around and transported – it is sturdy.

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How do you like the Kopykake with a baseboard instead of the table clamp? Do you feel it restricts you to working next to a wall so that it does not tip over and fall?

Not at all. It is solid and does not tip over. I use the baseboard rather than the table clamp because I like to move the projector around if I need to while I’m decorating. The projector is quite large (38″ high, baseboard is 20″ by 14″ wide/97cm high by 51cm by 36cm wide), so I put it away in another room when it’s not in use.

The table clamp is great if you’d like to project onto a larger surface area than the size of the baseboard, for example onto your desk. Most baked goods aren’t large enough to need a desk surface area though.

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There are more questions to come, but for those unfamiliar with the Kopykake projector, the questions will make more sense after the tutorial.

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This tutorial refers to the Kopykake K1000-G model. I will compare the Kopykake 300XK and the K1000-G at the end of this tutorial. There are some slight differences between the two projectors which I will briefly review, however both projectors operate similarly.

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How to Use a Kopykake Projector

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Instructions on Using the Kopykake Projector

1. Inserting Image

Flip open the top box of the Kopykake projector and attach your image using clear tape. You could also use the rotating clamps provided to hold the image down. I find that the clamps get hot very quickly and can be awkward depending on the size of the image though.

Make sure the image is fastened upside down so that it projects ‘right side up’ and is also placed in the middle of the Kopykake lid.

Example One:

Example Two:

2. Lighting

Close lid and turn on projector (power button on side of projector box). In order to see the image better, it can help to turn the lights off for this model. The K1000 doesn’t require you to turn out lights though as it has 500 watts of illumination.

Kopykake K1000-G turned on in a lit room:

Kopykake K1000-G turned on in a darker room (It would of course help to also have curtains on the window nearby):

Resulting image projected onto surface:

Example One

Example Two

Example One – Resulting image projected onto cookie:

I’m jumping a bit ahead with this picture, but here this finished cookie. (Missing steps coming up).

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3. Royal Icing Base or Not?

Assuming you already have your cookies baked (click here for sugar cookie recipe if you need one), and icing made (click here for royal icing recipe), you’ll need to decide whether or not you’d like a base of icing or if you’d like to pipe right onto your cookie.

For some examples of cookies with an icing base, such as the tea pot above, click on the following:

Valentine Cookies

Easter Cookies

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For some examples of cookies without a royal icing base, click on the following:

Princess Cookies

Olympic Mascot Cookies

Tea Party Cookies

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Avoid piping a very dark base such as black royal icing as it would then be difficult to see the projected lines. It is fine, however, to pipe on a darker base than just white; projecting onto a brown gingerbread cookie, for example, works well.

If you decide you’d like a base of icing, you’ll need to pipe that and let it dry for a minimum of 6-12 hours. The more humidity there is in your environment, the longer you’ll need to let it dry.

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4. Piping the Outline

Trace the outline of the image onto your cookie. My preferred piping tip size (and the one I’m using here), is # 2. If you need to pipe very fine details tip # 1 or even # 00 work well. If you’re using a fine tip like the #00 though, you might want to check out these ‘piping clogging’ hints.

I usually sit somewhat to the left of the cookie as I’m right-handed, which means my piping tip/hand ends up directly in front of the cookie, and I usually pipe beginning on the left side of the image. I’m sure if you’re left-handed you could do the opposite or just find what is comfortable for you.

Here’s a slow-motion slide show for you to see how I outline my cookies:

One of my favorite tips for improving your piping is to let the icing just fall into place by guiding it. About a centimetre (about a quarter inch), after you’ve begun your outline, start lifting the piping bag away from the cookie, so that the icing just falls onto the cookie. Start coming back closer to the cookie when approaching another corner. If the cookie is more intricate, or has more corners, you may not be able to just let the icing fall as there won’t really be room to. Also start to apply less pressure as you approach the corners.

The consistency of the icing is also key for me. I often use the same batch of icing to outline and fill in my cookies. For a detailed explanation of the 10 second rule for icing thickness and more cookie decorating tips please check out Cookie Decorating Tutorial or my Top 10 Tips for a quick overview.

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5. Flood Cookie

Fill in or flood your cookie once the outline has dried and let that layer dry for a minimum of 6-12 hours.

If you don’t like the look of a distinct outline, you could just pipe/trace the shape and fill in with the same color icing right away. For example, for my yellow duck I could have outlined him in a yellow icing and filled in the outline with yellow right away.

Again, for more decorating tips, please see my Cookie Decorating Tutorial.

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6. Finishing Touches

Add finishing details such as eyes etc. once the flooded base has dried.

That’s pretty much it!

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Below are some more cookie images from this batch as well as answers to your questions on this Kopykake and other Kopykake projectors.

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Answers to Your Questions and More

Choosing Your Image

As long as you can project the image, you can use it in this projector. That means photographs, coloring book images, stickers, printed images of any kind. For this tutorial I photocopied images from the book, Treasure Hunt for Girls by Priddy books.

I like to chose images which already have a dark outline because they’re easier to see and trace onto the cookie, however you could just draw dark lines right on your image if it doesn’t already have a distinct outline.

How transparent the paper your image is on, also affects how well the image projects. For example, if I’m using a sticker which is printed on a thick paper, I may need to either photocopy or print the image onto thinner paper or even a transparency. The transparency isn’t usually necessary, however I do sometimes choose this option.

This Olympic mascot was photocopied onto a transparency and put in the projector for my Olympic Cookies.

Once you’ve got the image (paper, sticker, transparency etc.), it’s as simple as inserting it into the Kopykake and projecting it.

One point to note; you can buy ‘printable’ transparencies – meaning your printer can print right onto them. You don’t need to trace onto them.

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Image Sizing

Adjust the clarity and size of the image by sliding the projection lens up or down and/or turning it. This projector enlarges up to 400% or reduces up to 70%. I still find that there isn’t a lot of give when it comes to adjusting size and sharpness though.

To make sure the image is the size I need it to be, I check to see how large the image will project by putting it into the projector first and adjusting the lens. If the image is still too large or too small I scanthe image into my computer and play around with the dimensions (reduce or enlarge), in Photoshop or even Microsoft Word for lettering. I test by printing a copy and inserting it into the projector until I’m happy with the measurements.

Another option for image size is to reduce or enlarge the image using a photocopier. If you’re not near the Kopykake to test the image size out, photocopy various sizes to ensure one works. In terms of how much to reduce or enlarge, I experiment and try numerous sizes and just see which ones work. It’s difficult to be specific and say, for example, “Reduce by 25%”, because each image will be different.

Another manual way to make your projected image a bit smaller is to bring your cookie closer to the projection lens. Translation; pile a bunch of books on top of the projector stand, lay a piece of parchment paper and your cookie on top. The closer the lens is to the cookie, the smaller the image is. I don’t usually do it this way because I’m used to decorating cookies at table height, not higher up on a pile of books.

Overall, playing with the sizes either with a scanner /computer or a photocopier is a little more effort but it has worked for me in the past. Using the reduction lens might make the process easier (information on reduction lens below), however you may still have to play around with image size manually.

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Reduction Lens

As images on cookies need to be smaller than on cakes, the reduction lens is an accessory which can be slipped onto the existing projector lens as a way to help project smaller images with both the K1000-G and the 300XK model. The lens which comes with the projectors reduces up to 70% and the reduction lens reduces an additional 50%.  To buy one, I find the official Kopykake site more expensive than other sites so recommend searching for the lens on ebay or elsewhere.

I don’t use the reduction lens. Again, even for the K1000-G, if I need different image sizes I just play with dimensions either in Photoshop or with a photocopier.

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Extension Tube

An extension tube is essentially a rod which lengthens the height of only the 300XK projector so that your image projects larger.  It is not really needed for cookie decorating since those images typically need to be smaller, but it could be useful for larger images on cakes etc.  This accessory is not for the K1000-G, as the head of this model can be raised or lowered if you’d like to enlarge images even more, and the lens on this model has more sizing capabilities than the 300XK.

Choosing Cookie Shapes/Sizes

I love geometric, fluted or plain edged cookie cutters; especially circles, squares and ovals. All I do is choose the image size I like and then find a cookie cutter which suits that size. I usually have the luxury of choosing whatever size I like because my cookies are gifts rather than orders, however if you need to make a certain size cookie you just need to play around with the image in photoshop or with a photocopier.

Instead of using geometric cookies cutters you could also just project the image, lay your cold dough (on parchment) underneath the projected design and use a pizza wheel to cut out your customized shape. See these Halloween cookies for customized shape examples.

Another option is to project the image onto white paper, draw the outline you like, cut that shape out, place it onto your dough and use the pizza wheel to cut out the cookie shape.

Do you project one cookie at a time?

Yes, I project on one cookie at a time and pipe one cookie at a time. Since I’m not worrying about freehand drawing, the process goes quickly.

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Do your images get warped from the heat of the projector lamp?

If the images are on paper, no. If I use a sticker, yes, it gets somewhat warm even though the K1000-G has a 40cfm fan. (As does the 300XK). The sticker doesn’t warp enough to ruin it or make it ‘unprojectable’, however you can see some slight bending. If you’re using an actual photo, I would recommend using a copy of the photo in the projector in case of heat damage.

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What kind of light bulb do you buy when one burns out?

The projectors take true color, color corrected 250W bulbs, which you can find in any photography store. I have used a 150W household bulb in a pinch though. It isn’t as bright but still works!

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Do I trace the image from the original onto transparency material and then project the transparency image on to the cookie?

You don’t need to use a transparency if the image you’re using is on thin paper. The Kopykake can then project the image no problem.

If however, your image is on very thick paper, the Kopykake won’t project the image as well. That’s when I scan or photocopy the image onto a transparency paper or regular white paper. I then stick that paper into the projector and it projects the image downwards onto my cookie.

If you don’t have access to a scanner or photocopier, you could trace your image onto the transparency or paper.

Does your hand’s shadow get in the way while you’re piping?

You can’t completely avoid the overlapping of your hand or piping tip and the shadow at some points while you’re tracing the image; there a few seconds where my piping tip’s shadow is right over the line I’m trying to trace. I find that following the flow that my piping/my hand is already going and guiding it towards the part of the image that you can see, helps me bridge that gap. Also try compensating by changing the angle of your hand. There might be a few seconds of ‘blockage’ but it’s doable in terms of judging where to pipe because your hand is already ‘on the way’, if you know what I mean.

Basically, keep your eye on the line you can see and trust your hand to follow the direction it’s already going.

It’s not as complicated as it may sound, but if you’re concerned about shadows, the K1000-G model has a tilting projector head which may help alleviate the shadows getting in the way a bit while you’re piping. I never bother to angle mine as I just do what I’ve explained above.

If you like to see visuals, watching the slideshow of the duck cookie being outlined (above), may help. Here is another link where I’ve included a slide show of piping using the Kopykake projector. (I know, I have to get into video!)

Easter Cookies

Do you trace the image using an edible ink pen or do you use icing to draw the image outline?

I use icing to trace right onto the cookie, as using a food decorating pen would be an extra step and more time consuming, however it is a great idea if you have difficulty with the shadows. You’d have more time to draw the image right onto the cookie.

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Are there any other options to help with drawing besides using the Kopykake projector?

There are a few ideas you could use if you have difficulty free-handing. They are:

a) Royal Icing Transfers:

Involves putting your image under parchment or a transparency paper and tracing/piping right onto the paper. Smearing a tiny bit of shortening onto the parchment or transparency will help the transfer come off with more ease. When the icing dries, carefully peel it off and adhere it to your cookie (with small dabs of royal icing).

Advantages:

• Inexpensive
• Simple to do

Disadvantages:

• Transfers break easily
• Once you’ve got your base coat of icing you can not trace the details of the image. For example, if you were tracing these owl cookies you would not be able to trace the eyes etc. once the brown base coat was done.

b) Pin pricking:

Take the image, lay it on the cookie and, using a pin, poke little dots through the paper into your cookie, to create an outline.

Advantages:

• Inexpensive

Disadvantages:

• Time-consuming
• Dots or pin pricks difficult to see

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c) Tracing and Edible Ink Pen:

Page 57 of the book Planet Cake, goes over how to trace letters onto a cake. You could follow the same process for uncomplicated images onto cookies.

Roughly based on ‘Tracing Letters’ in Planet Cake; trace the image with 2B pencil onto parchment paper, turn the parchment over and trace the back of the same image. Place the parchment right side up onto the cookie. Lightly shade the parchment paper with the 2B pencil, so that an impression is left on the cookie.

I would recommend trying this method with an food decorator marker.

Advantages:

• Great for uncomplicated images
• Inexpensive

Disadvantages:

• Time-consuming
• May not leave a distinct impression/difficult to see lines

Would you / do you use stencils or does having the Kopykake eliminate the need for them?

Using a stencil does have a different, flatter look. It doesn’t always turn out perfectly because the icing sometimes creeps under the stencil hole and smudges. You would also need a stencil for every shape you’re doing. On the positive side, the stencils can be used over and over, it is quick, fairly easy and when done correctly does look pretty. (Sorry no pics, I rarely use stencils).

Where did you buy your Kopykake projector?

I bought the K1000-G model on Amazon.com, however they’re sold out at the moment. The 300XK model from school was from Ultimate Baker. Shipping was quick and customer service was good. You can also find the Kopykake by searching on ebay or other sites (just search on Google). www.madisonartshop.com seems to be the best price right now, although one thing I noticed is that they did not return any of my phone calls when I tried to contact their customer service. If you have no questions (mine were regarding shipping), it might be the best place to buy one right now. Canadians; I haven’t found it in Canada yet. If you find it please share your info. in the comment section below. 

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Which Kopykake projector model should I buy?

There are a two KopyKake projector models suitable for cookie and cake decorating. They are the K1000-G and the 300XK. I have the K1000-G at home but have also used the 300XK model at work. The following overview of both projectors should help you get a better idea of which one meets your needs best.

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Overview of the Kopykake Projectors K1000-G and the 300XK

Kopykake Projector K1000-G

• Has two, 250W bulbs which help project your image brightly so that you don’t need work in a dark room. It was actually designed for commercial use (i.e. In a bakery where turning out the lights wouldn’t be practical).

• You can adjust image size and clarity more than the 300XK with the projector lens. K1000-G enlarges up to 400% or reduces up to 70%. Using a computer program, photocopier or the reduction lens accessory can also be added to further reduce image dimensions.

• The head of the projector can be raised or lowered if you’d like to enlarge images even more.

• The head of the projector can be angled left or right to help reduce shadows while decorating. (Or even to project on the wall for other uses).

• More expensive than the 300XK.

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Kopykake Projector 300XK

• Same mirror and lens as K1000-G, however only has one 250W bulb. Works fine if you can and don’t mind turning off the background lights though. (A dimly lit part of the room works as well).

• Less sizing and clarity options than the K1000-G; 300XK enlarges up to 300% or reduces up to 70%. Sizing images can be done with a computer program, photocopier or by using the reduction lens accessory though.

• Extension tube to extend lenth of projector ‘neck’ can be purchased if you’d like to enlarge images.

• Less expensive than the K1000-G

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Is it worth the cost?

I love using the Kopykake projector as I’m not a skilled artist, so it takes the worry and frustration out of drawing. I definitely wouldn’t have the same cookie results without it! If it’s worth it for you; I really can’t say. It’s a matter of personal opinion. Do you need help in the drawing department? Are you a good artist but would like to speed the process up? If your answer is yes to either of the latter questions you’ll probably like the projector.

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I hope you’ve enjoyed my tutorial.  Please feel free to drop me a line or ask a question in the comment section – I love hearing your input!

If you’ve tried cookies like these before you know how simple they are to make, and if you haven’t, you’re about to find out just how easy they are to create.

It’s called marbling, feathering or swirling, which is basically when one or more colors of icing are applied to a base coat of icing, and then a toothpick, cake tester, pin or skewer is dragged through the icing to create a marbled or swirly effect.

Each combination of colors creates another look.

Just by changing the way you set up your lines and drag the toothpick, completely different designs emerge.

You can incorporate the swirled icing into your design, like these feathered cookie friends:

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How to Make Marbled, Swirled or Feathered Decorated Cookies

If you’d like to try the marbled effect, the most important thing for your success is the consistency of the icing.  To help you with that, my cookie decorating tutorial goes over some tips and the 10-second rule here.

Once you have your cookies baked and icing made, it’s time to begin by piping your outline.  I like to use a piping bag fitted with a coupler and #2 tip.

Fill or flood your cookie with royal icing right away.  You could leave the outline to set to create a solid dam, but you’ll be able to see the border when the icing dries.

Once you’ve filled the whole cookie in, shake it gently left to right on your work surface, to help smooth the icing out.

Add your second (or more), layers or colors of icing.  Work as quickly as you can before the icing sets.

Take a toothpick, pin, skewer or dough tester (hey, whatever works!), and drag it through the icing.  In this case I drew S-like shapes.  The image below shows which direction I dragged the toothpick in.

Finish off the edges with dots or another design of your choice and you’re done!

The hearts are made by piping dots and dragging the toothpick through the center of each dot.

Let your cookies dry, package and ribbon.

Simple, easy, fun and impressive!

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I’d also like to send out a big thanks agian to Bridget at Bake at 350 for having me as a guest contributor for her blog a few weeks ago.  In case you didn’t see the post, it’s what I’ve shared with you here today, and if you haven’t seen Bridget’s eye-candy cookies and baked goods of all kinds yet, check them out by clicking here!

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Happy marbling!

xo,

Marian

p.s.  Update – I’ve received so many emails asking where I got my square, fluted cookie cutter, so here’s the link for you.

]]> http://sweetopia.net/2010/04/how-to-marble-royal-icing/feed/ 44 http://sweetopia.net/2010/03/easy-easter-decorated-cookies/ http://sweetopia.net/2010/03/easy-easter-decorated-cookies/#comments Mon, 29 Mar 2010 02:28:22 +0000 marian http://www.sweetopia.net/?p=6073 Want to make some simple decorated Easter cookies?

Try these marbled Easter eggs and chicks or these bunnies covered in sanding sugar.

Love that sanding sugar!  It actually looks kind of sparkly in some lighting.

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If you’d like to try these Bunny Cookies, you’ll need:

Sugar Cookie Recipe

Royal Icing Recipe

Gel Paste Food Colors

Sanding Sugar

Pastry Bags

Couplers

Piping Tips

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How to Make Easy Easter Bunny Cookies:

After you’ve baked your cookies and let them cool, it’s time to decorate!  For tips and hints on making royal icing  and an in-depth cookie decorating tutorial, click here.

1.  Pipe the outline of your cookies.

2.  Fill or flood the outline.

3.  Gently shake the cookie from left to right to help settle the bumps if there are any.

4.  Add the pink detail on the bunny’s ear.

5.  Gently shake the cookie again to smooth the icing.

5.  Place your cookie on a plate and pour sanding sugar over it when the cookie icing is wet.

6.  Tilt cooke above the plate to remove the excess sanding sugar, and leave cookies to dry.

7.  Add any details such as eyes, nose, tail etc.

8.  When the icing has dried, bag (if you like), and serve!

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To make the following Easter eggs and chick cookies, please see the marbling technique in my Cookie Decorating Tutorial – General Tips and Butterfly Cookies.

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Happy Easter Decorating!

xo,

Marian

I can’t wait to use it for these two:

My brother Norm proposed to my future sister-in-law Stefanie last week!  Yay!  I’m so happy and proud of you both!  CONGRATULATIONS!!

Stefanie’s sister Jenny is getting married in May, so I’m of course delighted to be making cookies for her wedding and made cookies a few weeks ago for her shower.

Her overall them is love (Mais oui, of course!), and she completely fell for a line of LOVE cookies (below) by Zoë Lukas of the Whipped Bakeshop.  You should see her cakes, cupcakes and cookies – they’re all absolutely stunning!

A huge thank you to Zoë for granting me permission to use her signature image for Jenny’s cookies.

The LOVE graphic can be printed as an edible image.  For an explanation of what edible ink and edible paper are, see Sweetopia’s Sugarcrafting Glossary here.

Jenny’s wedding colours are silver, white and plum, so, here are the results… Not as well-executed as Zoë’s, and please excuse the poor quality photos; these were taken at night.

If you’d like to make edible image cookies, you can; {a} visit a bakery in your area which has and Edible Ink Printer and pay per page or {b} you can buy the whole kit-and-kaboodle yourself.

If you’re going to do it infrequently, definitely choose option {a}.

Buying everything is kind of expensive.  In the past I’ve gone to our local grocery store, Sobey’s, and paid $10.00 per page.  (Even that is pricey, I know, but the ink and wafer paper costs a pretty penny… annnnd I didn’t really have a choice).

Option {b}.

I went for it!  I bought the Canon PIXMA MP560 Wireless Inkjet All-In-One Photo Printer (3747B002) (what a mouthful, but there you have it if you’re interested), as well as the frosting sheets and edible ink cartridges from Icing Images.

The neat thing is that you can buy almost any Canon or Epson printer (of course, never using it with real ink), and just use the edible ink cartridges and frosting paper.

Rice or Wafer Paper can be used with it as well.

The people at Icing Images can help you figure out what you need, depending on which printer you buy.

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There are a few ways to apply an edible ink image to a cookie though.  You can put it on the icing when it’s wet, and in the case of royal icing, you can also add it when it’s dry.  I prefer this method because the image seems to go on smoother and the edges don’t curl up.

If you’d like to try this way out, here’s the recipe I use for Royal Icing.

And my Sugar Cookie Recipe.

Here’s the way I do it:*

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How to Put an Edible Ink Image onto a Cookie:

I wasn’t exactly thinking about writing this post when I made Jenny’s cookies, so I don’t have step by step pics of that, but I can demonstrate next time.

Happy decorating!

xo,

Marian

Anyways, how can you avoid icing clogging in your piping tip?

You can use squeeze bottles instead; many people swear by them, but if you want to use a smaller hole for finer details, piping or pastry tips are ideal.

I should mention that the clogging usually happens with smaller tips anyways. For example tips #000, #00 and tip#1.

I should also mention that I’ve spoken to a few people who use parchment cones (Peggy Porschen for example), who say that the clogging generally doesn’t happen with them.  I’m not a huge fan of the parchment cone though (in fact I think I’m still afraid of them), so I’m going to have to stick with piping tips.

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So, here are my top 6 tips for avoiding clogging in piping tips.

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How to Prevent Royal Icing from Clogging Your Piping Tips

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1. Use a sieve to sift your royal icing when you’re making it.

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2. If your royal icing has meringue powderor cream of tartar like one of the recipes I use (click here), make sure the little bits and balls of meringue are all dissolved before you add the icing sugar.

3.  It’s best to use fresh icing.  The longer it sits, the more time it has to separate.

The water and icing sugar separate; meaning that you can be left with a somewhat dry layer of icing sugar and a watery layer.  You’ll have to mix it up again to use it, and it’s difficult to make sure it’s perfectly smooth.

If you do end up keeping your icing for a few days or more, I’d recommend putting it back in your mixer quickly before you use it, to try and ensure all ‘lumps’ are out.

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4.  Gently paddle the icing with a spatula to ensure or double-check that all lumps or bumps are gone.  This can easily be done with smaller batches of icing you’re coloring.  If you’ve followed the previous steps there are usually none.

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5. Use a nylon to ’sift’ the icing.  Yes, a clean, never-been-used-before stocking or nylon!

I’d heard of the tip from my talented cookie decorator friend, TracyLH, before and saw it demonstrated at a piping class I took at the Bonnie Gordon School.  Jenny Maw, our instructor showed us how:

a) Begin by putting the icing into the nylon, but don’t push it down all the way to the end (or the foot).  Keep it about mid-way.  Hold on to the nylon by the ‘foot’ and the ‘opening’.  Here’s what that looks like:

b) Put the ‘nylon ball of icing’  into the opening of your piping bag, close the opening by squeezing your hand shut over it, and pull on the nylon so that the icing squeezes through the nylon and into the bag.

Voila!  Ready to go!

Now, I don’t do this for all my icing – it would take way too long!  It’s great for the tiny tips; #000, #00and #1 and was perfect for the finer piping we were doing in the Bonnie Gordon School Piping Class.

Here’s an example of royal icing lacework I made there.

Last but not least:

6. Rest your decorating tips in a damp cloth or damp paper towel between uses to prevent the icing in the tip from crusting over.  Alternatively, use coupler covers, or, if using squeeze bottles, remember to seal the opening with the lid.

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What To Do If Your Piping Tip Has Clogged

Okay, so it’s happened – you’re piping tip is clogged.  What should you do to fix the problem?  Here are 4 quick tips:

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One more quick note; avoid trying to just squeeze and force the icing out.  The piping bag can pop, especially if you’re using a disposable bag.

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I hope you liked these!  Let me know what you think or drop me a line sharing some of your own tips in the comment section.  Would love to hear from you!

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Happy piping!

xo,

Marian

Little craters in royal icing have always been a bit problematic for me.  There doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of information on them out there.

It’s been a bit of an experimental journey, but my main theory was that air in the royal icing was causing the indents.

When it began to dry the icing would settle and air trapped underneath would ‘pop’ open, leaving a little crater.

On the off chance you hadn’t noticed them:

Before I go on, I have to mention that following the tips to avoiding air bubbles is good practice when decorating cookies with royal icing (for tips click here).

There might be something more to these little indents in the icing though.  The only thing I can’t figure out is why it usually happens in smaller flooded areas. I’m no scientist, but guess there must be some physical/chemical reason behind it.

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I emailed the extremely talented Cookie Swap author Julia Usher, just before I posted my Valentine cookies, in the hopes of finding the definitive answer.  Here is her reply:

… Funny you should ask about the crater issue – that’s one problem with icing that I haven’t figured out how to reliably correct. I have most trouble with it when, as you said, trying to flood a particularly small area.  I actually don’t think it’s an issue of air bubbles, though, but one of surface tension. When wet, the icing looks fine; but as it dries, more surface tension and pressure on the drying skin causes the icing to sort of collapse into itself. The smaller the area, the more concentrated the surface tension – if you will – and the more likely the icing is to collapse. That’s my theory anyway. I can sometimes minimize the cratering effect by thinning the icing and applying less – using a toothpick to spread a smaller amount within the same area. The more I heavily flood a small area, the more it seems to collapse. If you come up with a better solution, let me know!!

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So, to experiment, when making these decorated Easter cookies I filled many areas with a little less icing.

The beak, because of its small size, would be a typical place where a hole might occur.

 No craters!  Hurray!  Thank you Julia!

This is going to sound ungrateful, and I don’t mean it to be!  I’m just thinking more experimentation might be in order because I still prefer the look of a ‘full’ flooded cookie.

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Since I last posted about how to prevent air bubbles some feedback was also provided by Noelle and Nancy in the comment section of the Valentine post, who seem to be thinking somewhat along the same lines as Julia.

Besides using less icing to fill in an area here’s what Noelle offered as a solution:

… My mentor finally decided that it helped to use a hand mixer on the royal icing that was being used in the small space. She would whip it for 5-10 minutes and use it immediately. She swore that it cuts down on the holes but I could never really tell a difference.

I recently tried a royal icing recipe out of one of the Cookie Craft books and it used lemon juice for the flavoring. I did not get any bubbles like these when I used it. It had a really nice flavor too, but I noticed that it separates much more quickly than traditional royal icing. I wonder if there’s something with the lemon juice that reduced the incidence of bubbles? Anyone else have a similar experience with that?

Interesting!  In my response I wondered if the acidity of the lemon and/or the amount of liquid in the icing had anything to do with it.

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I’d also like to know why the craters occcur in some areas covered with a thick layer of royal icing and not others?

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Lots of ideas and questions.  It would be great to hear your feedback on this issue.  What do you think?  Has anyone else tried the tips mentioned here with success?  Any new ideas, theories or information to build on what we have here?  Would love to hear from you in the comment section!

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Just a side note for you too… I’m happy to share with you that Julia Usher of Cookie Swap will be sponsoring a giveaway for her book on Sweetopia!  That’s coming soon. 

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I usually get emails regarding how to make cookies I post (if I haven’t explained it), so for anyone interested in a visual guide on making these Easter cookies, below are some step-by-step pictures:

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Easter Cookies – Decorating Steps

If you’d like to make these, you’ll need:

1.  Sugar Cookie Recipe

2.  Royal Icing Recipe

4.  Decorating Bag/Piping Bag – (I use disposables which can be washed and re-used)

5.  Couplers

6.  Decorating Tips (#’s 1-4)

7.  Food Gel Coloring

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For an in-depth Cookie Decorating Tutorial see here, and for my Top 10 Decorating Tips see here.

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This is the order in which I piped the details of each cookie:

1.  Base of Royal Icing

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2.  Outline Shapes

Of course I made these using a Kopykake Projectorand some cute Easter stickers.  You can freehand if you’re able to.

3.  Flood Cookie

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4.  Bag and ribbon

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Hoppy decorating!

xo,

Marian

p.s.  Thank you for your emails; I love hearing from you!  I’m a little behind though; if you’re waiting for a response I haven’t forgotten you and will reply soon.

p.s.s.  I dusted the Easter bunny ears and cheeks using a paintbrush and pink luster dust

I was going to just wish you a Happy Valentine’s but thought I’d turn this post into something helpful for you too. 

You may have noticed the air bubbles in these cookie pics already. 

My Sweetopia fairy cookies were a bit rushed… Because I was hurrying I ended up making a few blunders.  Check out the air bubbles in the icing above and below.

So, here’s how not to get these air bubbles in your icing when you’re decorating cookies.

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How to Prevent Air Bubbles in Royal Icing

1.  When you’re making your royal icing, mix it on a very low speed so less air gets incorporated into it.

2.  Leave the icing sitting for a while until the air bubbles rise to the surface, where you can pop them by gently ’stirring’ just a little before you add the icing to the piping bags.

3.  To ’stir’ your icing use a rubber spatula or offset spatula and slowly smooth the icing or paddle the icing gently left to right.  Another way of explaining it; write the letter S over and over in your icing using the flat part of your spatula.

4.  When you’ve put your icing into your piping bag, massage the royal icing a bit before you twist the top end of the piping bag closed.  Press the icing in the bag upwards, starting from the tip and working your way up, pushing out the air bubbles as you go.   Then push it back down towards the piping tip.

5.  After you’ve finished applying the icing to the cookie, shake it gently left to right.

6.  If you notice any small air bubbles, pop them with a toothpick or pin right away.  If you don’t, the air bubble usually pops on it’s own and leaves a hole in your icing.  (As in pictures above).

7.  If your cookies isn’t too breakable, gently lift and tap it on your work surface.  This may help pop existing air bubbles you haven’t noticed.

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I tried filling in the hole, crater, or indentation; whatever you call what was left behind, but even just a few minutes after the icing had been piped, it was already too dry for the patching not to be noticeable.

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And just in case you’d like to see a basic step by step of how I decorated these cookies:

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Visual Step by Step – How Cookies Were Decorated

1.  Ice the base of each cookie with white royal icing and let dry for 24 hours.  Oops, didn’t get a pic of that!

2.  Outline the shape using a Kopykake projector.  (Or freehand if you’re that talented!)  Let dry for 24 hours to be safe (To prevent bleeding; especially if you’re decorating in a humid environment).

3.  Flood or fill in lines with desired icing colors.  Let dry for 24 hours so facial features don’t bleed.

4.  Add facial features.

Finished!

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Wishing you a Happy Valentine’s Day!

In less than two weeks the Vancouver 2010 winter Olympics will begin!

I keep seeing the adorable mascots, Miga, Quatchi, Sumi and Muk Muk wherever I go and was inspired to make cookies of them.

If you get a chance, check out the Olympic Mascot website (A whole website with games, activities and videos - it’s  GREAT for kids!). 

The cuteness factor and fantastic attention to detail got me to wondering about the artists behind these animated creations. 

Michael and Vicki of Meomi are in the incredibly talented imaginations who dreamed up these characters inspired by British Columbia folklore of the forest, the mountain and the land.  Their own site is also charming and whimsical.   Definitely fun to check out!

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Here are the cookies I ended up with:

According to the artists, Miga is a young sea bear who lives in the ocean with her family pod.

Quatchi is a sasquatch who comes from the mysterious forests of Canada.

The Quatchi and Sumi cookies are actually quite large.  To give you an idea of size, Quatchi is approximately 9 by 8 inches, or 23 cm by 20 cm.  I’ve included the quarter in the pic to give you a visual idea. 

Sumi is an animal spirit who comes from the mountains of British Columbia.

Muk Muk is a friendly Vancouver Island marmot who cheers for his friends during games and races.

**Of course I used my Kopykake to help me pipe the mascots.

You can make the cookies without the projector of course!  If you’d like to try either freehanding them or with the Kopykake, I’ve included instructions below:

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How to Make the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Mascot Decorated Cookies:

If you’d like to make these, you’ll need:

1.  Sugar Cookie Recipe

2.  Royal Icing Recipe

3.  Round Cookie Cutters or a sharp knife to cut dough shapes

4.  Decorating Bag/Piping Bag - (I use disposables which can be washed and re-used)

5.  Couplers

6.  Decorating Tips (#’s 1-4)

7.  Food Gel Coloring

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To see some more ideas of what you’ll need to set-up your cookie decorating area, see this post here. 

For in-depth cookie decorating tips see here, and for my top 10 decorating tips see here.

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Here is  the order in which I piped the details of each cookie:

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Miga

1. **Pipe black outlines and let dry for 24 hours (Black bleeds easily so I like to make sure the icing has set).

2. **Pipe white details and let dry for 12 hours.  (Black on top of white likes to bleed too, so I wanted to make sure the white was dry).

3. **Finishing touches.

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Quatchi

1. 88Pipe brown base first and let dry for 24 hours (Although not as bad as black, brown can also bleed easily).

2. **Pipe details shown above and let dry for 12 hours. 

3. **Finishing touches.

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Sumi

1. **Pipe brown base face and let dry for 24 hours. 

2. **Pipe dark wings, some facial details and edge of Sumi’s hat, and let dry for 12 hours.

3. **Pipe hat and green neck detail and let dry for 2 hours.

4. **Finishing touches.

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 Muk Muk

1. 88Pipe brown base first and let dry for 24 hours (Although not as bad as black, brown can also bleed easily).

2. ** Marble cream and dark brown icing, add white snout and blue stripe and let dry for 12 hours. 

3. **Finishing touches.

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If you’re interested in buying the stuffed animal Miga, Quatchi and Sumi toys, they’re available on the official Olympic site in Canadian dollars here.

And in US dollars on Amazon here:
Miga
Quatchi
Sumi

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Have fun decorating to you, and good luck to all the Olympians all over the world competing soon!

xo,

Marian

If you’re interested in tips on the decorating process itself, I’ve got an in-depth tutorial here and my top 10 decorating tips here.

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Practical Ideas for Decorating Cookies – Top 10 Easy Tips

1. *Cloth – Keep a damp cloth nearby to wipe royal icing off your piping tip.  The key for me is to use a microfibre or lint-free cloth, otherwise little teensy fibres from other types of cloth get into the icing or onto my decorated cookie.

I found these at the dollar store!

2. **Clear beading containers – I use these storage stacking containers to store my piping tips.  Originally used for beads, they’re great for all sorts of small objects.  The only drawback is that they can sometimes be finicky to close.

You can find them online or at any craft store (usually in the beading aisle).

3. **Piping tips and couplers – Having lots of piping tips and couplers available makes the decorating experience much easier because you can prepare many bags of icing at once and change tips easily without having to stop and wash them.

I keep my couplers in a box also found at the dollar store.

4. **Elastic bands – Have them handy to tie off the ends of your piping bags so that icing doesn’t escape when you aren’t paying attention!

5. **Clear disposable piping/pastry bags (See a few pics above) – Although they might not be as strong as polyeurthane piping bags, disposable ones are my favorite.  They’re clear so you can easily pick out the color you need and they’re washable and re-usable.  If you’re wondering about using parchment triangles; some people do swear by them, I however, am useless at shaping them and feel dread whenever we have to use them in a cake class. 

The squeeze bottles are another option, especially great for kids.  I find piping bags easier to fill so use those instead.

6. 88Toothpicks or pins – Always keep a toothpick or pin nearby; they’re great for popping air bubbles in piped icing, unclogging tips and marbling your icing.  (If you’re not sure what marbling is there’s a definition in this glossary).

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7. **Glass of water – Keep a glass of water near your sink so that you can drop piping tips in there to soak a bit until you’re ready to clean them.

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8. **Place for piping bags – Arrange as many glasses as you have piping bags with a damp paper towel or cloth at the bottom of each.  Rest your piping bags in them between uses.  Wilton has a special stand for this purpose but I still prefer using the glasses.

9. **Spatulas only for royal icing -  Grease (fat), from buttercream for example, can affect the texture of royal icing, so the spatulas I use with it are designated only for royal icing.  I also keep piping tips used for buttercream separate as well.  No worries if you can’t do this (I’m playing it extra safe); just wash utensils well with vinegar and then soap and water.

10. **Tip cleaning brush – The purchase of this tiny brush, specifically designed to clean out your tips, is one you won’t regret.  Cleaning tips kind of drives me crazy for some reason, and this little brush makes the job so much easier!

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Hopefully these tips help you.  I’d love to hear more ideas!  If you’d like to share, you’re welcome to leave a comment below.

xo,

Marian

I’ve had many questions regarding how to apply disco dust.  It’s no wonder why.  ;-)  I do use it a lot.  By no means am I an expert, but I’ll share with you how I go about putting disco dust on my cookies.  I hope you find my suggestions helpful.

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How to Apply Disco Dust on Cookies

1. Begin by cutting a small piece of parchment paper to work on.   Make a crease in it by folding the paper in half. Lay the paper flat again.

To give you an idea of the parchment size there’s a quarter in the photo, however how big you make it really just depends on the width of your cookies and your preference.

2. Put the cookie on the parchment paper and gently shake the disco dust from the container onto the desired area of the cookie.

The key is that the icing has to be wet; put the disco dust on right after you’ve piped the icing.

3. Shake off or dust off the excess disco dust when the icing has somewhat set or until it has completely dried (safer).  If you’re working in a humid environment though, gently shake them off right away.  The moisture in the air can make them stick.

Do this by gently lifting your cookie, holding it over the parchment and container, and tilt it so that the excess disco dust falls back into the container and on the paper.

4. Take a clean paintbrush only used for this purpose and dust off the excess.

I like using a flat, fairly short brush, which I have in 3 different sizes.  For small grooved areas use the smallest brush, for larger flat surfaces use the largest brush.

5. Remove the cookie and lift the edges of the paper together.

When the dust pools in the crease of the paper, pour the excess into another container.  My recycled disco dust is poured into a different marked container as it’s only used for decorative purposes.

Shaking the paper gently also helps the dust fall into the crease.

Some is lost, however, I found that it’s the best way to preserve most of the disco dust.

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That’s it!

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There is another way I’ve done it, but it’s no longer my preferred method.  I’ll share it with you anyways and you can try it if you like.

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Second Method – How to Apply Disco Dust

1. Cut out a piece of parchment paper a bit larger than the cookie (at least two inches larger all around), and then cut a hole in the center, about the size of the area you want to cover with disco dust.

No matter how you do it, those little flecks of glitter can be quite messy, so expect to have them stuck all over you for a while. 

* I should mention again that although it’s labelled as non-toxic and is sold as a food product, disco dust hasn’t been reviewed by the FDA.  Until recently I thought it would be like the gold flecks in Goldschlager, however those have actually been FDA approved.

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Hope that helps!  If you have any ideas you’d like to share I’d love to hear from you below in the comment section.

xo,
Marian

p.s.  If you’d like to see how the snowman cookies were made, here’s the step by step:

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How to Make Snowman Cookies

1. Make dough.  For a sugar cookie recipe see here.
2. Make and color icing.  For a royal icing recipe see here.

3. Pipe the body of the snowman.  I used my Kopykake Projector to help me trace the image (which is from scrapbooking paper by the way).  Let that dry for minimum 5 hours.

4. Pipe details on snowman such as face and buttons.  Let dry for a few hours.  (Since they’re only small bits of icing it doesn’t take long to dry).

5. Pipe the scarf of the snowman.  Add disco dust and shake off excess when the icing below has dried.

6. Put in bag with ribbon as desired.

Finished!