Hello and Happy Valentine’s Day!
Today’s cookies would be perfect for Valentine’s Day or a wedding theme, and in my case, I was happy to make these for CakeCentral.com, who asked me to create a tutorial based on the photo given to me above, which was published in their latest magazine issue. Pretty in pink and elegant silhouettes… Had me thinking about when I could make them again. Imagine making personalized versions of these, like the ones of Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds on Martha Stewart’s site here – so sweet!
If you’d like to make these, here’s a little how to for you…
*
How to Make Cameo or Silhouette Cookies
Items You’ll Need:
Cookie Recipe (Shortbread, Gingerbread or recipe of your choice)
Oval Cookie Cutter (size is personal choice)
Food Gel Colorings (pink, white, black)
Piping Tips (#’s 1, 2, & 3)
Piping Bags
Couplers
Parchment Paper or Transparency Sheet
Shortening
Cameo Template (use your own personalized ones or purchase stock image here).*
Decorating Instructions:
Once your cookies have been baked, you’re ready to decorate. Using a #3 piping tip and pale pink royal icing, outline and flood the base of your cookie.
*Make a personalized cameo for your recipients, such as this example on Martha Stewart’s site here, or use a stock photo, like this one cakecentral.com provided me.
While your cookies bases are drying, make your royal icing cameo transfers. The transfers are a nice option as they can be piped while the cookie bases are drying, and make the ‘drawing’ portion of these cookies easy, as the shape is traced.
Use the cameo template as is, or resize it in a photo editing program, in the print options or even with a photocopier, to match the oval cookie cutter you’d like to use.
Cut the transparency (or parchment paper) out larger than the size of cameo image you’ll be piping. Lightly coat the transparency with a small amount of shortening using some paper towel. This helps make the royal icing shape easier to remove when it’s dry. Place the cameo image on a flat surface, such as the back of baking sheet or a book, and tape the transparency over it. (I’ve also taped a white sheet of paper under my transparency, so that the details are easier to see in photos).
Using a #1 piping tip, trace the outline of the cameo shape, and flood with black royal icing. Make extras as royal icing transfers can break easily. Let the icing dry for at least 24 hours.
In the meantime, using a #2 piping tip, pipe larger dots evenly spaced around the perimeter of your pink base.
Let those dry for approximately 15 minutes so that the dots set, and then pipe the smaller dots in between. Use the same piping bag fitted with a #2 tip, just use less pressure and less icing for the smaller dots.
Once the cameo transfer is dry, gently remove it by peeling the backing away, and pipe a small amount of black royal icing on the back of it.
Place it face up on the cookie and gently press so that the transfer adheres to the cookie.
Pipe the white royal icing details (necklace and dress). Let those details dry and you’re done!
Happy decorating!
xo,
Marian
Holly says
These are beautiful! I have never tried royal icing transfers before, but have always wanted to. Your instructions make it easy to understand, so thank you! I will have to try vey soon. 🙂
Zoe Smith says
Absolutely stunning, your work is immaculate xx
marjorie dormer says
I was wondering how to make this design. thanks for the tutorial Great for my wedding favors.
Roshini says
Wow, the facial features are so sharp & perfect
rosie says
I love to try it..looks easy but the real is quite difficult to get it smooth and clean
Elizabeth says
Your work is amazing! Thank you!
Pauline says
All I can say is WOW!!! These are beautiful!!! Would love to learn how to do these!!!
Patti Gramza says
Hello Marian CookieQueen Extraordinaire!!!!!
These are delicate and stunning! Just perfect and precious for different events! Love them!
Hugs,Patti
Sandra Forbes says
Beautiful! Wondering about the man… Did you put white shirt and then the coat as another layer? All before you transferred to cookie? It seems coat is on top of shirt. Is that correct?
sue @ cakeballs, cookies and more says
aw so pretty!
Helga says
These are perfect! So beautiful and flawless, but this is no
surprise, your cookies are always beautiful and flawless. Thanks to your instructions I’ve made royal icing transfers before and they were perfect. With the instructions for these cookies they almost seem doable to my begginer level skills. Thanks for the tutorial 🙂
Ps. BTW I can’t get enough of your shortbread cookies! They are delicious and now a family favorite! Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Maria Theresia says
oh wow.. that is all I can say…
Love all you do, you are soo talented.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
ML
Andrea says
How did you get the mouth and nose details so perfect, and yet still use a flooding consistency icing?
Wenderly says
I am so utterly in LOVE with these! I simply adore cameos!!! These are simply stunning! You are so talented love!
Katia says
Great tutorial!Elegant cookies!Congratulations Marian!
Elaina B. says
Gorgeous!
Maria Helena says
Lindas…great work
marian says
Thanks for the comments everyone!
@ Sandra Forbes: I piped the black icing first (head and torso), and piped the little tie, in 2 pieces, separately on the transparency. Once that was dry I placed the body pieces on the cookie, piped the white, let that dry, and added the tie pieces. I didn’t have time to put him in the tutorial, but will put one together and send it out with my next newsletter.
@ Helga: I’m so glad to hear that the tutorials help and that you like the cookie recipe! xo
Hi @ Andrea: I have some videos which show how I find the icing consistency and how I pipe and flood. You can find them on my YouTube page or by clicking on videos, in the Category title at the top of the blog.
Joan says
Hi Marian: These silhouettes are beautifully done. I’ve wanted to make these for some time. With your detailed tutorial I’ll give it a try. Thanks for sharing your cookie decorating lessons and tips. P.S. I hope the kitchen redo is going well and I would love to see photos of the finished project.
Gaby says
so adorable!! I wish I had some of these for tonight – they are such a sweet treat!
Maria says
STUNNING cookies!
Julie @ Table for Two says
Wow, as always SO stunning, Marian. They’re simply perfect!!
niner bakes // ninerbakes.com says
Ohmy Marian,
those are SOOO adorable.
I get that feeling on your blog exclusively that I just LOVE to see those how to photos..you make them so professional and it is just fun to see how a cookie comes together.
Thanks so much for sharing this awesome technique..
Silhouette cookies are definitely a lovely idea, not just for weddings.
Wishing you an awesome weekend!!
LOVE, xoxo..
niner 🙂
Maria in NJ says
they are really lovely…I had to make some cookies yesterday and I went with your royal icing…I LOVE the 10 second icing, it was wonderful and I loved that you could outline and flood with the same icing…I have a confession though, I did add some corn syrup to the icing and it had a nice shiny hue…and this morning I think it didn’t have as much of a crunch which I like better, but still hard…thank you Marion for sharing your icing with us…
brantcookies says
WOW stunning elegant cookies! I’m also in love with the border of the cookies. Can’t wait to try these cookies with my daughter’s ponytail silhouette! Thank you for sharing!
marla says
Oh my!! These are so beautiful ~ great how to.
Candi says
These are so pretty, is there a secret to get the flood to blend with the piping? On mine as a novice you can see the piping.
Sommer@ASpicyPerspective says
Those are SO STUNNING! Amazing work…
Chris @ TaylorMadeTreats says
Flawless as always! The alternating bead border is truly impressive!
Rose says
These look amazing! I’d like to make them for my daughter’s birthday. I have a question though if you don’t mind. What is the difference between eggwhite (egg albumen powder) and meringue powder. Can they be used interchangeably? Can I use eggwhite powder to make royal icing and if so, will the proportions still be the same? Thanks!
Rosie @ Sweetapolita says
These are absolutely amazing, Marian. Truly!
Deborah says
Simply stunning! I love your technique.
Victoria - Restoring our Victorian says
I’ve never said this about cookies, but those are AMAZING. Pinning to my “Crafty stuff I may try in my next life” board…
IFeelCook says
Wow, these cookies are so nice!!! I love them 😀
Kristine says
I dont know if this has been addressed in the comments already, but both links you provide “Make a personalized cameo for your recipients, such as this example on Martha Stewart’s site here, or use a stock photo, like this one cakecentral.com provided me.”…both click to the same place, ca.photos.com or something like that.
marian says
Thanks for the comments everyone! xo
@ Candi: I outline and flood with the same icing, and have a video on how I find the right consistency for the icing on my youtube channel, (yellow icon top right of blog), or you can find the video by clicking on the word “Categories” at the top of the site here, and then videos.
Hi @ Rose; As far as I know they are similar and all have an egg white base, but I’ve never tried using them interchangeably, so am not sure, sorry.
Thanks so much @ Kristine! I fixed the links.
Georganne says
These are SO PRETTY!! I love the pale pink with the black!
Mignon says
These are really pretty, I love how you did the edging.
JessieZ says
Hi Marian, I tried to make royal icing designs on grease proof paper for transfer, but the paper tend to wrinkle while the icing is drying, that caused the back of the design not flat & I couldn’t stick them properly onto the cookies… Have you come across something like this before? Was there too much moisture in my icing or did I use the wrong type of backing paper? Hope you could help. And you’re fabulous!! xx
marian says
Hi @ JessieZ: It sounds like it was the grease proof paper which was the issue, as I haven’t experienced that with transparency sheets. Parchment paper has worked for me in the past too, but I like transparencies for their sturdiness.
Asmita says
Your work is impeccable! I am just speechless. I wish I could learn from you. Do u take classes in the states? Please come to Fl.
marian says
@ Asmita: Thank you so much, you are so sweet! I recognize you from your gravatar and also thank you for visiting me here on Sweetopia. I do have YouTube videos and hope to do more when the kitchen renovation is complete. Happy decorating! xo
anna says
wowwww, really pretty, beautifull, amazing, spectacular…….I’ll never end to tell you how you are spectacular!!1( sorry for my english)!!!!!!!!
Mary says
This is lovely! I think I might use something like this at my wedding 🙂 Thank you for sharing
Quiltin Jenny says
These are beautiful! I think I’m going to make them for our post-prom breakfast. Thanks so much for all of your great tutorials and recipes!
Tartantula says
Me parecen preciososss, un trabajo super bien realizado.
marian says
Thanks for all your lovely comments!
nubeedeazuucar says
Hi!! I like it your cookies!! Can you give me the silhoutte of the man? Thanks!!
marian says
Hi @ nubeedeazuucar: In the list of things you need (in the post above), the last item has a link to the template. 🙂