Secrets of a Cookie Decorator – What the recipe books don’t tell you!
I’m here to share them with you, in no particular order, because that would take way more time for me to do than is worthwhile when I could be cookie decorating instead! Here are some secrets you may or may not know about cookie decorating, cookie decorators, and me… I’d love to hear your sweet little secrets too if you’d like to share them. Join me in the comment section below.
Quick side note – these cookie cookies above, are from a plate I bought at the Hallmark store. More on them in another post soon.
1. My cookies didn’t look as pretty when I began.
2. Practice does help. That being said, knowing the right decorating tips will get you on the road to creating pretty cookies, quickly. (Practice helps with photography too – still learning lots about that!).
3. Figuring out icing consistency made the biggest difference in improving my cookie decorating.
4. I have almost all cookie decorating books I can get my hands on. Who says you need to share the bookshelf with your husband?
5. The cookie books are beautiful, but I learned through trial and error. For some reason it just didn’t click when I read, “Your pastry-bag tip shouldn’t touch the cookie surface but rather should hover just above it…” (pg. 104 of Cookie Craft – an awesome book btw. I’m just a hands-on learner! Translation – I’m a little slow). With practice, one day I just did it, and had an ‘ah-ha’ moment. I learn well with video or photos. There weren’t very many videos or step by step photos on decorating cookies when I first learned how to.
6. My hand did want to use a piping bag like a pen when I first began. After all, that’s what my hand knew. It can be re-trained. 😉
7. It does get easier easy.
8. I see the world in cookies. I don’t come up with pretty designs all on my own. I copy many designs with permission and/or attribution to the artists. The world is my inspiration…. Fabric, stickers, scrapbooking paper, ads, nature, holidays, paint palettes, books, art… it all has cookie potential!
9. The Kopykake projector. {I can’t really draw, unless doodles qualify as drawing}. I use a kopykake projector.
10. Alternatives to the kopykake projector. {If you can’t draw, and can’t buy a projector}.
11. Bigger cookies are easier to decorate in terms of detail.
12. I had no real interest in baking until 2003, at age, ahem, never mind, until 2003.
13. Don’t be afraid to “fail”. Sometimes I make cookie designs I don’t really like… and I don’t post them. Like the postcard cookie below – I wasn’t thrilled with my piping there, so I didn’t even end up taking photos of it, hence the screen shot of the video they briefly appear in. Experiment, have fun with it, and if you don’t end up liking a cookie, that’s okay!
13. I’ve stopped talking about cookie decorating with my off-line friends, family, and colleagues. I know the eyes-glazing-over-look now, and just save the cookie talk for you. (Thank you! Mwah!)
14. Truly, my hands are shaky. I don’t even drink coffee. (But generally eat large amounts of chocolate). Resting my arms/wrists on the table when I decorate helps.
15. I once had to ask a friend to change her request for 100 motorcycle cookies to another theme, when I realized I wouldn’t be able to make a nice looking cookie (didn’t have the projector then).
16. When someone gives me a gift, I’m looking at the design of the wrapping paper and wondering how I can make it into a cookie.
17. One of my first cookie decorating heros was Nancy’s Fancy Cookies & Cakes. Her cookies were real works of art. She no longer has a web page. If she ever comes back, and she doesn’t mind of course, I will direct you to her right away. With her permission it would not be considered stalking (I think…LOL).
18. I love love love decorating with all my heart. New cookie designs make me excited and happy to get out of bed in the morning. (Most days).
19. Decorating cookies can be a zen experience in that you focus on nothing else than what you’re doing, so stress and worries fall away, and pretty cookies are the result.
20. Giving away the cookies is so much fun. People (who don’t decorate cookies), think they’re amazing.
21. Cookie decorating makes you feel good.
22. Sometimes, cookie decorating can be frustrating… Spots form on cookies due to humidity, colours bleed, you feel time pressured…
23. But, that can be fixed…. Here’s what to do about humidity , bleeding, and a schedule to help you out.
24. I make mistakes… and I cover them up. One example – The icing ran over on one yellow owl below, so I covered the area later with leaves.
25. I am forever stocking up on icing sugar, butter, meringue powder, and cream of tartar.
26. Meringue powder is expensive – you can’t get around it; except…
27. Michael’s has an awesome 40% off one regular item coupon. That’s how I buy my meringue powder.
28. I don’t like cleaning piping tips. I need a ‘house elf’.
29. I don’t like preparing piping bags. Again, a ‘house elf’ would be helpful.
30. Sometimes, my husband cleans the piping tips. =) He does not want to be considered a ‘house elf’!
31. If I ever do watch TV, you might find me making piping bags at the same time.
32. I have 75 couplers, so that I can make lots of piping bags ready ahead of time.
33. I have a zillion piping tips between the sizes #00-#10 (Okay maybe not a zillion – 57).
34. Cookie cutter addiction is possible – I have over 400 cookie cutters and won’t take the time to count exactly how many. (Really though, over 400).
35. I know Martha Stewart has tons more (cookie cutters) – I would really like to see her collection.
36. I would also like to see how hers are organized. Mine are half decent, but I know hers would be amazing. She must have a ‘house elf’, or two, or three… Here are some of mine… (Cutters, not house elves):
37. Every where I go, if there are cookie cutters, and I don’t have the shape, I usually buy it.
38. Turns out, the main shapes I use are geometric cookie cutters.
39. Here are my bins of geometric cutters. (Ahem). I was blessed to inherit many classic cutters from my father, who retired as a chef and professor of George Brown College after having taught there for 28 years. (Funny enough, he isn’t a pastry chef).
40. Favorite decorating medium – royal icing. Fondant is fun too, but I prefer the taste of R.I. on cookies.
41. I don’t like squeeze bottles (but that’s just me). I find them harder to fill than piping bags.
42. I can’t make a parchment paper triangle piping bag. Have developed a certain fear of them. 😉
43. Elastic bands and hair ties work in pinch, to tie the ends of your piping bags off, but I prefer the Wilton icing bag ties.
44. I listen to my iTunes while decorating.
45. Sometimes I watch listen to YouTube videos while I’m decorating.
46. My husband puts up with my cookie stuff in the kitchen quite often all the time. He is so supportive. (Mwah!).
47. I would like a bigger house so that I could have a ‘cookie decorating’ room.
48. My husband would like a bigger house so that I could have a ‘cookie decorating’ room.
49. Ribbons make a decorated cookie package look even prettier. My favorite ribbon is American Crafts. Or, ribbon at a store called Mokuba, in Toronto. Michael’s has pretty ribbon too.
50. I’m addicted to sugar tools. I have so many tools, I have lists of projects to do with them which would take years to make.
51. My husband came home one day, and I was hammering nails into our storage room wall, so that I could see my tools and get them easily when I need them. (My husband is an easy-going man). I am a very visual person. I need to see things to be inspired to create. Ahem. We were going to renovate that room some day anyways. 😉
52. I have a million ideas, and not enough time to make them all.
53. Besides online spots like Amazon, Ebay, and various other fabulous sites like CopperGifts and Fancy Flours, some my favorite places to shop in Toronto are the Bonnie Gordon College, Golda’s Kitchen and McCall’s Baker’s Warehouse. There are more super places – deserves it’s own blog post I think.
54. The only thing which has taken my attention away from decorating cookies is an addictive little site you may have heard of, called Pinterest.
55. I have dreamt of cookie designs.
56. I daydream about cookie designs.
57. I have found my bliss… Who knew it would take the form of royal icing! (Thank you John Snediker for the quote!)
58. I am a cookie nerd, and happy to be one.
59. My blog means the world to me. So do you. Thank you for visiting me here.
xo,
Marian
p.s.
bridget {bake at 350} says
I LOVE this post! Every single item! But let me give a special “YES!” to #’s: 16, 42, 47, 54 & 55. 🙂
Great post!
Stuti says
I am in love with your blog. I am a budding baker & need tons of practice and get really disheartened when things don’t turn out the way they should but u give me hope lots & lots of hope that I can actually make cakes I dream about.
Janna says
Hi Marian, first thank you so much for your absolutely beatiful and though through site!!! I have a quick question, have you ever used shimmery royal icing? Any info will be greatly appreciated!
Thank you again!
marian says
Hi @ Janna: Here is my post on discussing shiny royal icing:
https://sweetopia.net/2011/11/gluten-free-coconut-cupcakes-with-coconut-frosting-shiny-royal-icing/ Hope that helps!
Camilla says
Oh my goodness Marian, I am literally OBSESSED with your blog (and your associated social media outlets)!!!! I am making my way through all the beautiful posts and can’t believe how talented you are at what you do! I am over in London, U.K by the way, we don’t have nearly enough exposure to this kind of thing. I’m an avid baker and look forward to getting much better with your help. P.S. will you be posting any new videos any time soon?
A fan from across the pond!
🙂 xx
Jennifer says
Just found your site, love it so far. Getting ready to make my first “real” batch of decorated cookies for Easter and found many helpful tips on your site. THANK YOU!
Ahmed says
Your cookies are amazing. I have a question about the royal icing. When it’s dry on thecookies doesn’t it get really hard. Like you have to bite hard to eat it? Because I remember eating a cookie with royal icing that was lie that.
Also, since you are so creative do you have any ideas got a fairy tale? I’m 14 and have to do a project. Thanks for all your hard work.
Marian (Sweetopia) says
Aw, thanks @ Camilla! I’m not sure exactly when I’ll be posting a video, but if you subscribe to my youtube channel, you’ll get it right to your inbox, even before I post it here. 😉 Thanks so much for watching! xo
Glad to hear it, @ Jennifer!
HI @ Ahmed: Yes, it dries somewhat hard, but the recipe I use isn’t rock hard, if you’d like to try it.
Fairytale ideas, so far I have one Cinderella cookie, Alice in Wonderland, and Frog Prince cookies. They’ll all be in my Decorated Cookies Category.
Have tons of fun decorating, and remember, don’t be too hard on yourself for your first ones. I would chose easy designs first. xo
Penny says
Hello Marian!!
I am laughing to myself (and outloud) reading this! I feel like we’re “soul sisters!” It would be so fun if you were my next door neighbor!! I don’t know if my family would think so. . the U.S. isn’t that far. . thank heavens for the internet! I just found your site tonight – I can’t stop reading and looking at your ideas! B E A U T I F U L. . inspriational and FUN!!! The owls caught my on on google images – I have two daughters (28 & 25) that LOVE owls! I’m not able to afford that Kopy thing yet so I’ll be drawing freehand 😉 Oh I wish I had a bigger kitchen – I’m contemplating taking a wall out! (who needs a 3 car garage if I could take the wall out between the kitchen and garage I think it’s a great idea!) The cars wouldn’t know the difference! Anyway, sorry to ramble but I just had to drop you a line. . thank you, thank you for ALL of your talent, sharing and sense of humor! Looking forward to the newsletter! The skies the limit. . Penny 🙂
Gaby says
Hi Marian!! I read your blog everyweek and I love it! I´m from Boston and currently live in Spain. Two years ago I started taking wilton courses as a Hobbie, then went to London for the first time and.. I lost it!! totally became an addict to decorating cookies, cupcakes (my favorite) and cakes. I´m a happy mom of 6, a professional International Finance Manager, whom just decided to venture (a little more than a month ago) on my own ¨sweetshop business¨, here in Spain. I wanted to write you, because today when I saw the Water Droplets I couldn´t stop thanking you enough!!! My husband´s b-day is coming soon, so as I started designing his cake I thought of decorating a company logo cake (he owns a water architecture company called Lumiartecnia.com) with little water drops and had no idea how to make it. My idea is comming all together thanks to your post. Thank you so much for sharing your love for sweets. Best of Everything! Gaby Landaverde.
suzanne says
Thanks so much for the amazing cookie tips. I really enjoy seeing what cookie your doing next. I’m having so much fun decorating cookies now, thanks to you.
Corinne says
Hello Marian,
Thank you for sharing your passion for cookies with us. I am from the other side of the earth and thank god for internet I don’t need to spend much for tutorials, hehe. Your site helped me a lot to my first decorated cookie journey. I love visiting your site. It’s very girly and so sweet, as always.
Jen says
I found this Canadian company where I get my baking supply from. I am in love with their vanilla beans. They have a lot of other baking ingredients incl. meringuepowder lol
http://www.vanillafoodcompany.ca/
Love your cookies!
Sarah says
Thank you for your generosity and honesty! And for the work you put into your blog. I’ve learned SO much and am so inspired by your work. It is so much fun to see someone doing something they love so much they want to share.
marian says
@ Penny: I feel like we could be ‘soul sisters’ too! Your comments made me smile. And you’re right, who needs a 3 car garage – perfect opportunity to extend your kitchen! =)
Hi @ Gaby: So cool! How did it go? (The cake for your husband). And how is your sweet shop business going? Do you have a site? I’d love to visit!
Yay @ suzanne: That makes me very happy to hear! Thanks!
Aw, thanks @ Corinne! Glad to know I can help, here on the other side of the earth. =) (Isn’t that so amazing?! I love the internet).
Great info., thanks @ Jen!
HI @ Sarah: I really appreciate you dropping by the blog and commenting! It’s lovely people like you who make it so much fun… thank you.
Nikki says
Im late in reading this but I absolutely adore this post!! I love how honest and funny it is. I was cracking up about the house elf! I used to decorate cakes and I’ve only done cookies a couple of times, but I love it and I’m really looking forward to doing it more regularly. Thank you for this wonderful post!! …Pinning it 😉
marian says
Hi @ Nikki: Thanks so much! Hope to see you around! =)
Alicia says
How can you get the discounts for Michael’s?
marian says
@ Alicia: In your weekly flyer, or if you live outside of their ‘flyer distribution area’, flyerland.ca or the Michael’s app.
Susie says
I was just reading the above post. I got this tip on keeping the decorator bags clean and it is amazing!
http://chefmommy-brandao.blogspot.com/2011/04/tip-best-tip-ever-for-filling-pastry.html
http://ako-mail.com/army-ako says
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Zina says
Thank you! I am going to bake my first sugar cookies and try my hand at your recipe and with your tips! Everything is so beautiful here. I’ll be stalking your site a lot! But I’ll be sure to leave comments and say “hey”! 🙂
Katie says
What are your suggestions or tips on icing cookies with buttercream frosting? I am having trouble making them smooth and uniform.
Thanks
marian says
Hi @ Katie: Buttercream frosting is generally thicker and doesn’t ‘act’ the same way as royal icing when thinned, so you won’t get that same smooth look. Buttercream tastes delicious though, and will work if you want to use a thicker icing for a different cookie look, like these lamb cookies: https://sweetopia.net/2012/03/easter-bunny-lamb-decorated-cookies/
Katie says
I am not trying to decorate but rather just ice the entire cookie surface. You know those lofthouse cookies from the grocery – I am trying to achieve that look.
Btw the sheep are too cute. I am not that fancy yet in my decorating skills!!
marian says
@ Katie: Oh okay! The nice thing about those is that they’re kind of rustic and not usually the smoothest. If your icing isn’t smoothing out at all though, try thinning it out with a little milk or water.
Marisa says
Hi your awesome! Just starting off and thanks to you Ive gotten a lot of helpful tips!
Pooja says
Hi Marian
I just loved what you have written above….I have exactly the same feelings about cookie making…. Your blog is so inspiring… And I surely have learnt a lot from it… I am in India where baking cookies and cupcakes isn’t so big… So getting the tools and ingredients is tough…nevertheless your blog gives that extra push to go ahead and create something pretty
marian says
Glad to be of some help, @ Marisa! Thanks for leaving me a comment.
Hi @ Pooja: Isn’t it great!? I’m glad you feel the same way, and it makes me happy to be of some help, thanks for sharing! xo
jen says
wow, I am in awe of your cookie cutter collection and it’s organisation. Your cookies are amazing too! 🙂
Donna says
OMG!!! I fell in love <3
Tamara Olliver says
I love all these secrets and am just about to start doing my first ever decorated cookies, so you’ve been extremely helpful. A bit of help from my end, your Pinterest button goes to pinterest.com/sweetopia_net/ which doesn’t work, I would change it to your working html of pinterest.com/sweetopia/ if I were you 😀
marian says
Thanks, @ jen and @ Donna!
@ Tamara Olliver: Thanks SO much for letting me know – just fixed it. 🙂
A.L. Designs Jewelry says
They just look so lovely!!!! 🙂
Irin Pandjaitan says
hai Marian..
you really inspire me!
i love bake.. i love making cookies, cake, cupcakes, anything sweets.. but i can’t draw either..
i almost gave up with this cookies decorating and just sell drop cookies like green tea, chocolate chip, or anything with no needs to be decorated..
this tips really make me feel “nothing is impossible”..
if we can’t draw, we could find another way to make the decorate looks great..
once again, thank you so much Marian..
you’re really inspiring.. 🙂
good luck for you..
Julie says
HI Marian,
I have the same cutter you have displayed on the storage room wall with the set of flowers on the right of the picture. I love it and HATE it. It’s so pretty,but I can’t get it to cut out the cookie successfully. It always loses petals. I’ve done better with fondant, but not cookie dough. Advice?
Do you have any other pointers on cutting out the cookies?
Julie
Marian (Sweetopia) says
Hi @ Julie:
In general, I dip the cutter in flour if I’m making cookies, and cornstarch or icing sugar if I’m using gumpaste or fondant.
If you mean the daisy cutter (I think), I’ve only used that one with fondant and gumpaste so far. I can imagine that it might be hard with cookie dough because it’s so small.
Hope that helps!
Minna says
Hi there,
I was wondering would you suggest getting cookie cutters. I’m looking for singular alphabet and number ones.
Thanks!
marian says
Hi @ Minna: Here’s an awesome site: http://www.cheapcookiecutters.com/
Laura Lee says
I just wanted to say that you’ve have inspired me with cookies I’ve made so many cookies for fundraising and to help support the hunger society for people who can’t afford food. I love all your cookie tutorials. Thank You Marion 🙂
marian says
Hi @ Laura Lee: Thanks so much for your comment. It made my day!!
Kacey Shoupe says
I like Cheap Cookie Cutters on Facebook
Kacey Shoupe says
@ Kacey Shoupe:
whoops, wrong post! Sorry. I love your cookies and this was a great post though. 🙂
Eva Freeman says
Thanks for this. I have been wanting to try cookies. BTW, meringue powder can be purchased at Walmart also. A little cheaper than michael’s
marian says
Hi Eva, thanks! Good to know. 🙂