Did you know that over 50 million roses are given on Valentine’s Day worldwide every year?

Why not make the roses you give to your loved ones this year a little bit different (and sweet!), with stencilled decorated cookies?

They may look difficult to make, but with a few pointers, you’ll  easily be able to create these sweet Valentines! It’s not a technique I use often, but I think I’m hooked! Stencilling on cookies is such a quick and easy way of adding a pretty design, and if you’re worried about piping letters or monograms on cookies, this would be a perfect solution! And if you can do this on walls or on paper, you’ll be able to do it on cookies as well!

Video – Stencilling on Cookies with Royal Icing

If you can’t see the video, click here.

To make these, you’ll need:

• Sugar Cookie Recipe here or Gingerbread Recipe here.
• Royal Icing Recipe here.
• Heart Cookie Cutters
• Piping Tips (#1, #4)
• Couplers
• Piping Bags
• Food Gel Colourings (pink, red, brown)
• Rose Stencil (You can find many different kinds of rose stencils online besides this link, for example, Golda’s Kitchen, or visit your local hardware or art store for stencils as well).
• Leaf Cutter Set
• Offset Spatula
• Toothpicks

If you need some more guidance, a good place to start is with this Cookie Decorating Tutorial, and two videos on Icing Consistency and How to Pipe Icing Lines. For a tutorial on how to make gumpaste or fondant leaves, click here. (These are just a little smaller and have a different line pattern in the leaf. Please see list above for leaf cutter set).

How to Stencil on Cookies with Royal Icing

1a) Flood your heart cookies with pink royal icing. Let them dry overnight. If you’d like some more information on how to flood cookies, click here; How to Flood Cookies with Royal Icing.

Make your red stencilling icing a little bit thicker than flood icing by adding some icing sugar. When you drag a knife through the surface of the icing, it will basically still hold it’s shape.

1c) Place your stencil on the base of dry royal icing. (See pictorial below).

2) Try to hold the stencil still and pipe your icing onto the rose using a #4 piping tip (other sizes are fine too). You could also just put a little bit of icing on the rose with a palette knife or spatula.

3) Cover only the rose with the red icing.

4) Using an offset palette knife, lightly scrape the icing off the stencil.

5) Lift the stencil away from the cookie. For best results, every 2-3 applications, clean the stencil with warm water and dry thoroughly.

6) Pipe alternating coloured dots around the perimeter of the heart with a #1 piping tip. If your dots have pointed tips on them, push them down with a toothpick or a damp paintbrush.

7) Once the rose is dry, place the stencil back on the cookie, and add the brown icing for the stem.

8) Using an offset spatula, lightly scrape the icing off the stencil.

9) Add two dots of brown icing for the leaves. For a tutorial on how to make gumpaste or fondant leaves, click here. (These are just a little smaller and have a different line pattern in the leaf. Please see list above for leaf cutter set).

10) Add the leaves and press in place with a toothpick.

11) If you’d like to add a little more detail, pipe lines on the edges of the rose shape. Let your cookies dry and enjoy!

A few things to mention about stencils…

• You don’t need limit yourself to buying stencils from a cake decorating supply store. Although the small stencils specifically made for cookies are definitely easy to use, if you can’t find a design you’re looking for, check out your local hardware store (paint/wallpaper etc. section), or arts and crafts store to see what’s available.
• Some sort of an off-set spatula is easier to use than a straight one for stencilling. The angle makes it easier to smooth the icing.
• If you can stencil on walls or paper with paint, you can do this too. It’s essentially the same process, except it’s sweet and edible!
• You could technically make your own stencils. I’ve tried in the past using inexpensive, thin, plastic cutting boards from the local Dollar Store. It’s a bit of an effort to cut them but for a simple shape, works. I’m sure you could use other materials as well. Let me know in the comment section what you use, or what you might try using, to make your own stencils.

Have fun decorating and Happy (early) Valentine’s Day to you!

xo,

Marian