It’s finally here!
The Fall & Winter issue of Weddingbells magazine!
Why am I excited? After all, I’ve already had my wedding.
Speaking of which, here’s a photo I thought I’d share for fun. I love this one because it captured everyone’s expression as a few of my relatives from Switzerland surprised us all by throwing traditional Swiss ‘wedding candy’ into the crowd. If you’ve never seen it, each candy has a sweet saying for the couple inside, and the candy itself was actually kind of hard (It’s a bit bigger than a starburst), when it hit us. So funny to see everyone’s reaction!
Anyways, as I was saying, I’m so thrilled to see the magazine, because I was asked to create place card cookies for this issue!
The nice thing about the place card setting cookies, is that they could double as a favor too.
If you’d like to try making them, here’s the ‘how-to’:
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How to Make Place Card Cookies
If you’re making decorated cookies for the first time, I suggest you check out my Cookie Decorating Tutorial and Top 10 Cookie Decorating Tips here. If you like video, my YouTube channel here may be helpful for you as well.
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For the Cookies, you’ll need:
- Sugar Cookie Dough (click here for recipe)
- Royal Icing (click here for recipe)
- Fluted Cookie Cutter
- Food Gel Coloring (Americolor Teal)
- Piping Tips (Size #2)
- Piping Bags
- Couplers
- Disco Dust (Rainbow or Pale Yellow)
- Paintbrush (Only used for food purposes)
- For a vlog on my favourite cookie decorating tools, click here
- Optional – border template from Peggy Porschen’s Cake Chic, a.k.a. Simply Spectacular Cakes, p. 142
- Optional – Kopykake Projector
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For the Roses and Leaves, you’ll need:
- Shortening
- Cornstarch
- Gumpaste
- Fondant Rolling Pin
- Wilton Leaf Cutter
- Food Gel Coloring (Yellow & Teal)
Instructions for Decorating:
Once you’ve made your cookies and they’re ready to decorate:
Step One: The Base
Make the base of the design by flooding the cookie with royal icing. Let dry for 24 hours. The icing acts as sealant for freshness, so it’s okay to let the cookie dry uncovered.
Step 2: Piping the Border
I used the base template from p. 142 of Peggy Porschen’s Cake Chic, a.k.a. Simply Spectacular Cakes and changed it up a bit:
Pipe the border and dots with a #2 piping tip, and let dry for approximately 3-6 hours.
I needed help to make sure my loops were even, so I used my Kopykake projector to trace the image onto the cookie. Click here to see how to use the projector and if you don’t own one, to see other possible options.
Keep in mind that even a simple border, such as dots around the perimeter, is also sweet (and faster too!).
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Step 3: Adding the Name
Option A: If you’re comfortable piping freehand, pipe the name right onto the cookie, sprinkle the cookie with disco dust and let dry.
Option B: If you’d prefer a template; chose a font you like (I used Nelly Script), print out the names you need, and project the name onto the cookie, so that you can just trace the icing on. Again, I used my Kopykake to help me project the image. If you need help using one, or if you’d like to see other options, click here.
Sprinkle the cookie with disco dust and let dry.
Let the icing dry for approximately 3-6 hours and then lightly dust off the excess disco dust with a paintbrush.
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Step 4: Making the Roses
Depending on what look you like, the roses and leaves are an optional step. You could even decorate the female name tag cookies with roses, and the male ones, without.
To make the roses, I used Peggy Porschen’s method from her book, Cake Chic, a.k.a. Simply Spectacular Cakes, p. 62, which I can’t post here due to copyright infringements. I highly recommend any of her books (the small rose method is in each of them), and/or checking out YouTube for rose tutorials.
I dried these in egg cartons and Celformers.
Dip the roses in disco dust if you’d like some added glimmer.
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Step 5: Making the Leaves
- Massage food gel colour into your gumpaste. If the gumpaste gets too sticky, add a little bit of shortening
- Sprinkle a light layer of cornstarch onto workspace
- Roll the gumpaste out using a small fondant rolling pin (Thickness is your choice. If you’d like finer roses, roll the gumpaste out thinner)
- Using the smallest Wilton leaf cutter, cut out a few leaves at a time, making sure the rest of your gumpaste is covered with saran wrap, to prevent it from drying out
- Pinch the base of the leaf together
- Let dry for 24 hours
For a more detailed explanation on making gumpaste leaves, click here.
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Step 6: Adhering the Roses and Leaves
To prepare the roses for placement, trim off the bottom of each rose, by cutting with scissors, so that it will sit flat.
Squeeze some royal icing onto the base of the rose, and place it on your cookie.
Do the same for the leaves. Use tweezers if you need an easy way of handling them.
Voila! Finished!
If you’d like to package these, leave them at room temperature for 24 hours to dry. The icing acts as a sealant, and will keep the cookie tasting fresh.
Check out the Fall/Winter issue of Weddingbells and their website for creative, pretty and fun ideas!
If you have any questions or comments, please drop me a line below and come join me on facebook, twitter, or youtube.
Happy 4th of July to those of you in the USA! Hope you enjoy making these and have fun decorating!
xo,
Marian
niner from wechooseorganic.com says
Yayyyyy you’re in the magazine, how amazing and exciting that is!! Especially when you think about how many people will SEE this haha…
I am so happy for you.
Now off to your post though…
wow wow wow, so detailed again, what else will it be but still, it is SO helpful, Marian. And honestly this is SUCH a great idea!! So the guests do not have to wait until the buffet is officially “open”..just grab their OWN cookie..haha.. AWESOME.
This brightened my rainy Monday…
p.s. your wedding photo is SO SO cute, you look gorgeous, Gorgeous ;-)))
Thanks so much for sharing this with us.
xoxo…
niner
Tania says
I seriously doubt that I will be able to make something like this, but I am most definitely going to try 😉
Really lovely! thanks for sharing
Francesca says
Your works are always wonderful Marian!! Lovely idea, thank you! :))
yvette says
The wedding cookies are amazing as usual! I especially love the personalization! Please tell me what consistancy you are using for the intricate border and names! Whenever I attempt a border like this the lines just meld into eachother. Please help!
Amanda DaybyDay says
LOVE this.
Eftychia says
How beautiful!! Bravo, these cookies are perfect!
Jennifer Ferrell says
Everything you make is always absolute perfection!
Congratulations on being shown in the magazine!
Kindest regards,
Jennifer Ferrell
Jannett says
Lovely cookies….love your blog…so exciting to be in a magazine… ;o)
sweetsugarbelle says
Beautiful and perfect!!!
Suzanne says
As always, amazing and BEAUTIFUL.
Jenny says
stunning.
Vilma Short says
Hello Marian:
Can you tell me if the roses were made with gumpaste or piped with royal Icing?
I love the colour combo!!!
marian says
@ yvette: No problem – I use the 10 second rule to figure out the icing consistency. The icing should run together at or just over 10 seconds. See how I do it here on my youtube channel:
http://www.youtube.com/user/sweetopiautube?blend=9&ob=5#p/u/3/n7OwnTAbfvQ
@ Vilma Short: They were made with gumpaste.
Thank you everyone for your sweet comments!
Gina L. says
Beautiful!
AMANDA says
OH MY GOSH Marion!!!! That is FABULOUS!!! I am SOOOO proud of you and love these BEAUTIFUL cookies!!!
Renee -Kudos Kitchen says
They’re simply stunning Marian! Stunning! Congratulations to you for being featured in Weddingbells magazine. What an awesome accomplishment and so well deserved. I also simply loved the story and photo of the Swiss wedding candy that was thrown at you guys on your wedding day. Too funny and the look of surprise and pain on some of the faces is priceless. Great, great post!!!
Mari's Cakes says
Marian, these are so beautiful! I am so inspired by them, they will do perfect party favor for my 21 wedding anniversary in January, since I love blue something like this is perfect! Thanks for sharing. Congratulations for being featured in Weddingbells magazine!!!
Have a great week 🙂
sweetiepetitti says
What an honor to be in the magazine, but you so deserve it, your creativity is an inspiration! The cookies are gorgeous, makes me want to get married again….same guy of course!
Cristin (Pinkie) says
Beautifully done Marian and how exciting to have your cookies in a magazine! Great job and love your wedding photo!
Kim - The TomKat Studio says
Beautiful as always, Marian!
marian says
Thank you all for the lovely comments!! =)
Rowaida Flayhan says
Wow Marian beautiful and amazing as always xo
Linda V @ Bubble and Sweet says
So elegant and pretty. Thanks for sharing your wedding photo, it does look like a fun moment.
sandie says
Good for you!!! they are so lovely
bridget {bake at 350} says
Marian….they are GORGEOUS! GORGEOUS! Wow, oh, wow! And the magazine!!! Congrats! You so deserve it…you are *beyond* talented!
Yay!!!
Paula says
Marian, congratulations on being featured in wedding bells magazine! How exciting for you! The recognition is so very well deserved and your wedding place setting cookies are stunning! I’m sure that there will be countless brides to be who are going to be clipping out the photograph and requesting these cookies be done for their weddings!
Thanks for sharing a photo from your own special day and the cute story behind the Swiss wedding tradition.
nikki says
Congrats marian, they are so lovely as usual. I always look forward to your posts.
Nilda says
Gorgeous, really beautiful…
love the color, the tiny roses, and the piping job is perfect!!
and your wedding photo is lovely.. thank you for sharing it with all of us.
Nancy says
Beautiful cookies and beautiful bride!
CuteEverything says
Congrats!! You did a fabulous job on those cookies. They just look gorgeous. Thank you so much for sharing the how-to!
marian says
Thank you everyone!
niner from wechooseorganic.com says
No problem, Marian. :DDDD
You deserve alllll the love!
Have a great daaaay..
xoxo
cherie says
You are uber talented! Such a beautiful and fun blog! Makes me wonder why I gave up blogging?!
marian says
@ niner from wechooseorganic.com: Thanks, sweetie!
@ cherie: Come back! Your desserts look so mouth-wateringly delicious and you definitely could teach (me) about photography!
Kimmie says
Yeah, yeah, yeah! Wedding Bells magazine what a wonderful accomplishment! They are beautiful as always. I hope to have something like this at my wedding one day! CONGRATULATIONS! ………………..ooops I am already married, I forgot. Well maybe at my son’s weddings 🙂
Rick says
@ Tania:Tania, you must have confidence in yourself. Practice, practice, practice! They may not come out looking all that great at first but, if you practice you’ll get better and one day you’ll be a pro!
Evan @swEEts says
This is a fantastic idea and the cookies are amazing looking.. I’m getting married in October but I can’t imagine doing this for 170 guests!!
Joanna @ Southern Daisy says
Thank you SO MUCH for posting this! I’m making place setting cookies for my wedding in a week and a half and I was originally going to do them in the shape of wedding cakes with the sugar cookie recipe, but my fiance decided that he wants them to be chocolate chip cookies. So I’m so happy to see a pretty design that I can do on a round cookie! I’ll definitely be referencing this!
Mary-Anne Thomasson says
Ah, I love your posts! I so wish I had a kopycake but I doubt I could make anything look half as polished as you do, even with one!
Well done 🙂
marian says
@ Mary-Anne Thomasson: It takes the right consistency of icing (I have a video on youtube which shows how I do it), and a little bit of practice piping, but you could do it! You may have ‘heard’ me talk about it already, but for piping, my favorite tip is to just let the icing fall, instead of keeping the tip near the surface of the cookie. It was the key in making the loops in these cookies.
@ Joanna @ Southern Daisy: Perfect! So glad it works out for you!
@ Kimmie: Thanks girl! Did you notice the ‘Kim’ cookie by the way? Guess who I had in mind? 😉
@ Rick: Agreed!
Marla says
Congrats for your feature in Wedding Bells magazine. Well deserved. These cookies are gorgeous!
maria says
beautiful as always….I’m so happy for you to be in the Wedding Bells Magazine,that is amazing just like you are… congratulation!
ML
meaghan (the decorated cookie) says
So super-gorgeous! Congratulations on the feature!!! I posted a link on EdibleCrafts.CraftGossip.com too 🙂
Edurne says
They’re absolutely beautiful, I love them, it’s a very good idea to do your place card with cookies, it couldn’t be more personalized and lovely! Adorables!
erin wilhelm says
Thanks for the beautiful inspiration! I was curious if you knew how to make the roses out of royal icing? I would love to makes cute little details, such as roses, out of icing and store them for when they are needed. I’m just not sure how to make them. Curious if you had a tutorial.
Again I love your cookies-they are just beautiful!
misbah says
very beutiful. Nice idea and love the colours. 🙂
jacque benson says
Beautifully done!
Tatyana says
Hi Marian,
I’m so glad to see your new post. I was missing you 😉
Congratulations on being featured in the magazine. I’m sure there will be many more…
Cookies look gorgeous!
P.S. I love your wedding photo, you look stunning!
marian says
@ Tatyana: Aw, thanks! (You already know I love your name right? 😉 It’s my middle name, and as a child always wished it was my first). Thanks for noticing I wasn’t around; busy time of the year! Hope you’re doing well!
Estibaliz says
Marian, congratulations!! As always, your job is awesome and gorgeous!!