It is finally December, and I’m just beginning to start the whole cookie decorating adventure. I decorate cakes all the time, through my Cakeberry Bake Shop, but decorating cookies is something that I have always wanted to try, and one day, hopefully master.
I love to look at all of the beautiful decorated cookies by the professionals who share their masterpieces on Pinterest and Instagram. Looking at these intricate designs, just put me in a trance, and then I wonder if I could do that. I wanted to try sugar cookies with a bit of a twist. I have made sugar cookies before, but ginger spiced sugar cookies, was just the ticket to said twist.
The ginger, just makes the house smell wonderful, and really bring in the season of the holidays! Freezing cut cookies, right before baking them, really helps them keep there shape. Actually, I heard from a fellow baker named Sweet Bake Shop, that they can be cut into shapes, then frozen, by wrapping up the whole baking sheet in a few layers of plastic wrap, and freezing the whole tray for a few weeks, then when you are ready to bake, just quickly unwrap and place baking sheet in preheated oven.
This recipe has Royal Icing as the decorating icing, but you can use just a mixture of powdered sugar and milk, like I have here in my Summer Sunshine Sugar Cookies, and just tint it to your preferred color or colors, and pipe them as you would with Royal icing.
Both icings should have ample drying time, to keep decorations dry. I use different kind of candies and sprinkles as decorations, and you can find them at any craft store.
I also found these awesome Mickey Mouse shaped cookie cutters by Wilton here!
The Christmas cookie cutters, were found at my local craft store Michaels. Or you can get them below. I love Michaels! I could spend my whole day there!
Just take your time, and enjoy the process of decorating cookies. I placed newspaper down on my table, so that my kids, and husband, could have fun and go nuts without worrying about the table getting messed up.
My husband made the cookie below. I don’t know what to call him, but he’s cute. I’m not talking about my husband, of course-I’m talking about the cookie!! My husband is pretty cute though. I think I’ll call him Clown Mickey!! Not my husband. The cookie!
My Husband is really trying to learn decorating skills, because he wants to help out with our bakery business. What a sweetheart!
My Son made the Darth Vader cookie, from a hand cut cookie, in the shape of a Christmas hat! Good job Bobby! We also made R2-D2, and Yoda! We are big Star Wars fans, as you can see!
My daughter made the star! I think she did wonderfully! I am hoping that she will want to be in the bakery business like her mom. We shall see!
I made this mitten cookie. I was going for dots and green swirls, but they look like radishes! I’d call it a kitchen oven mitt, more than a mitten. Lol!
The Christmas tree came out so pretty, using a star tip to give it texture. Then just add some Nonpareils or candies as the ornaments.
The Mickey Mouse Cookies were my absolute favorite! I saw the design on Pinterest, of course, and that led me to the Cookie Connection. I saw them there first, and I just had to try it out myself! They came out so pretty! I almost did not want to eat them. Almost!
Here are my tips for decorating cookies!
1: pipe the boarders first, then flood the middle with icing, and use toothpicks to gently spread icing evenly.
2: Gently shake cookies to help even out icing.
3: use toothpick to gently pop any bubbles that show up, then gently shake to spread evenly again.
4: Place any drages or nonpareils, or sanding sugar, sprinkles, etc. when icing is not wet, but still a little tacky.
Let cookies dry throughly, like 12 hours or so, and place on a platter. They can be left out for a week or two.
These Ginger Sugar Cookies are so delicious, and I could talk about them forever. Here is the delicious recipe!
Ingredients
- Ginger Sugar Cookies
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Royal icing
- 16 oz box confectioners sugar
- 2 tablespoons meringue powder
- 5-6 tablespoons water
- Assorted gel food coloring
Instructions
- Directions for cookies:
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, salt, ginger, and baking powder. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and granulated sugar, on medium-high speed until well combined, and fluffy. About 5 minutes.
- Add the egg and mix until combined.
- Reduce the speed of the mixer to low, and add the flour mixture little by little, and mix together until incorporated.
- Divide dough into 2 balls, and shape into disks.
- Wrap them in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 4 hours.
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, and set aside.
- Lightly flour a dough disk, and your work surface. And roll out dough to 1/8 of an inch thick. Cut out desired shapes using cookie cutters, and place them 1 inch apart on baking sheets.
- Repeat process with remaining disk of dough.
- Place both baking sheets in freezer for 30 minutes, to firm up. This will prevent spreading of dough when baking.
- Bake in the oven for 18-22 minutes, until cookies are light golden around the edges.
- Remove baking sheets from oven, and let cookies cool for 2 minutes on baking sheets, then transfer to cooling racks, to cool completely.
- When ready to decorate, mix icing ingredients together. It should have the consistency of a runny, yet thick glue. Think elmers glue. Cover bowl with damp towel, to prevent icing from drying. When ready to use, divide icing into separate bowls, and tint to desired colors. I then pour the icing into small icing bags, fitted with couplers, and a #4 tip, or you can use squeeze bottles.
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