Happy Friday!
I’ve got a new cookie recipe for you today – a slight variation on my sugar cookies – Brown Sugar Cookies. I used brown sugar instead of white granulated, and changed the amount of butter to make the dough a bit easier to work with. A lesser amount of butter also lessens the buttery flavour of the cookie, but the rustic brown sugar flavour makes up for it, in my humble opinion.
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Baby Duck Cookie How-To
You can find the recipe for the dough below. Thanks to the The Cookie Cutter Company for the duck cookie cutter!
Royal Icing
You can find my favorite royal icing recipe here. The consistency of icing is key for easy decorating. Click here to see a YouTube video on finding the right icing thickness.
Decorating Steps
What you’ll need:
- Piping Tips #1.5
and #2 - Piping Bag
- Couplers
- Gel paste colors
Step One:
Outline the duck shape with royal icing. For detailed decorating tips, this tutorial may be helpful for you.
Step Two:
With the same icing, flood, or fill in your shape.
Step Three:
Shake the cookie gently to help the icing settle.
Let the base dry for at least a few hours.
Step Four:
Add the beak by outlining and filling in right away.
Step Five:
Add a small black dot of icing for the eye.
Step Six:
Using a #1.5
tip or size tip of your choice, pipe a bow at the duck’s neck. Let the beak, eye and bow dry for a minimum of 6-12 hours before packaging.
Other Options:
I asked you on Facebook and Instagram which bow you liked better, and it was actually split between a piped bow and the real bow (below). Thought I’d share the options for you to decide if you make them.
Another variation is to add marbled wings:
If you’d like a marbling tutorial {video} you can find it here.
One note about the recipe I’d like to mention… the next time I make these, I will might make sure my lumps are out of my brown sugar, as you can still see a few of them in the cookies. Not a huge deal (hence the “might”), as the icing covers them, but thought I’d mention it in case you don’t want to see little brown sugar spots in yours.
If you have any questions or comments, please drop me a line below or on Facebook, Pinterest, or Google+.
Happy decorating!
xo,
Marian
Brown Sugar Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups brown sugar, lightly packed
- 2 large eggs
- 3 tsp vanilla extract
- 5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Cream the butter and brown sugar together in the bowl of an electric mixer on low to medium speed. (Use the paddle attachment). Mix until thoroughly incorporated - for about one minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a plastic spatula and mix again for a few seconds more. Over mixing the butter and sugar in this step will cause too much air to be incorporated into the dough. If you'd like a light and fluffy cookie, that's ideal, however the dough will spread more during baking; not ideal if you'd like the cookie to hold its shape.
- Add eggs slowly and mix. Scrape down the bowl with your spatula at least once and mix again.
- Add vanilla to mixing bowl. Stir briefly.
- Sift your dry ingredients together. (Flour and salt).
- Add all of the flour mixture to the bowl. Place a large tea towel or two small tea towels between the edge of the bowl and the electric mixer so that the flour won't escape. Mix on low speed for 30 seconds. Remove the tea towels and observe the dough mixing; when it clumps around the paddle attachment it's ready. It's also important at this stage not to over mix the dough (the glutens in the flour develop and the dough can become tough).
- Roll the dough out between 2 large pieces of parchment paper. Place on a baking sheet and into the fridge for a minimum of 1 hour.
- Roll out the dough further if you need to, and cut out cookie shapes. Place on parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Re-roll scraps and repeat.
- Put cookie dough shapes back into the fridge for 10 minutes to 1 hour to chill again.They will then hold their shape better when baked.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F or 176°C.
- Bake cookies for 8-12 minutes or until the edges become golden brown. The baking time will depend on the size of your cookie.
- Let cookies cool to room temperature and decorate!
Hi Marian,
Love these cute ducks. Going to try this recipe out for sure. I wanted to know do you use kosher salt or regular salt when you make cookies?
Hi Asmita,
I use regular salt. You could definitely substitute for kosher if you like!
Super cute!
Have you tried this or your regular sugar cookie recipe with gluten free flour? I am looking for a GREAT gluten free cookie and cut-outs would be a plus.
Hi Lisa,
I haven’t tried it with a gluten free flour yet. I’m thinking it would work fine though! If you try it, please let me know how it goes.
Those ducks look amazing!
I’m thinking those little chunks of brown sugar = little chunks of goodness to bite into! Such cute cookies, going to try the recipe, they look yummy!
I love the sound of a brown sugar cookie, Marian. And I adore the piped bow. 😉
I appreciate your “lessons learned” comments in the recipe about overmixing, etc. I’m definitely going to make these cookies.
ahhh! these are so cute! i wish i could make them as pretty as yours so i can actually bring them to a baby shower, haha
It seems like this simple but adorable little duck hit quite a responsive cord with your avid fans, myself being one of them!
I’m going to try this recipe, I don’t have a duck cookie cutter but I’m sure I’ll find something as cute. Thanks for sharing this!!
You’re work never disappoints! Beautiful cookies!
Marian, those are the cutest, and you make it look so easy.
These duck cookies are very sweet. I like the piped bow on them.
thank you for sharing all your talent and time.
ML
These are so, so cute Marian! I just love them!
I like the royal icing bow on the duck.
Hi, just wondering what your cup measure equates to in grams. I have read there is a difference between US cup measures and European cup measures. Do you know if that is true?
Many thanks
Seema
Hi Seema,
I have a chart here if you like:
https://sweetopia.net/2013/06/weight-conversions-for-common-baking-ingredients-free-illustrated-printables/
and for liquids:
https://sweetopia.net/2013/05/liquid-measure-equivalents-illustration-kitchen-conversion-series/
Super-adorable cookies, Marian!
I always love to drop by and see your work. I find it so inspiring… thank you so much for sharing.
your designs are such an inspiration and I have learned so much from you….thanks….Kelly
Hi, I am a newbie. I am curious where/how you store the cookies while you are waiting for them to dry, prior to packaging? Thanks for your great site, BTW!
Hi Leslie
I put mine back in the oven with the light on overnight. ( as I have to deal with to much humidity and sometimes to many flies). And they always turn out great.
I hope this tip will help you. Greetings from Israel!
Super-cute ducky! Amazing tutorial. Thank you! : )
I have looked at your website for a long time now. I have decided to make some Christmas brown sugar cookies. Thank you for inspiring me!
Thanks Nancy and hope that went well! xo
Thanks everyone for your sweet comments!
Just wondering- this seems to be a long process; which I’m not afraid of, but if I need these for a baby shower on Saturday, when should/could I start them? I have more time earlier in the week, but don’t want them to dry out or get stale. Any suggestions for storing them completely finished?
I usually give them overnight to dry, then layer in airtight container with wax paper between. Box up on day needed.
Love these cookies – super cute! I was wondering, can I freeze the cookies after decorating them and letting them dry? I will be making quite a few and it would help out if I could make them in advance. Thanks!
I’m so excited to use this recipe! I’m going to use my small gingerbread man cookie cutter and I’m going to make mummies for Halloween! How many cookies does this recipe yield?
Fun! Approximately 35 medium sized cookies. Enjoy!
Hi, how long can I leave wrapped dough on fridge (not freezer) before needing to bake?
Hi Kim,
About 24 hours seems to work fine!