Flooding* cookies with icing can be a messy affair. That's why I love squeeze bottles! *{Flooding is just a fancy term for filling in a cookie with thinned icing.}
For piping outlines and details in royal icing, I use pastry bags. When I'm ready to fill in the cookie outline, I thin the icing and transfer the (flood) icing into squeeze bottles
.
Not pretty! Plus, those drips out of the top of the bag can plop down right on an already decorated cookie!!!
{I know, I used to do it this way!}Now, I use these...(they come in a larger size, too)
...and I'm left with this....I like that. Much less messy!
Squeeze bottles can be found in the candy making section of most craft stores and sometimes in the craft section of WalMart.Spend a few minutes (or an hour or two) checking out all of the great Works For Me Wednesday tips at We Are THAT Family.
My previous WFMW posts:
I LOVE-LOVE squeeze bottles... I never use pastry bags... small squeeze bottles that you can change tips to are great, too... Have you tried them, Bridget?
ReplyDeleteDontcha just love Wilton?
ReplyDeleteYes, I have one of those, too. Actually, the bottle is not all that small, but the tip can be changed. I like it for getting into those tiny areas. :)
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful idea!!! I'm completely in awe of your amazing cookies! I'm a total dunce with cookies, unfortunately. :)
ReplyDeleteGreat idea! I only make sugar cookies once per year, because they are such a pain to frost. Now I will have to try this!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great tip. I linked to this post in my WFMW blog post. visit anytime.
ReplyDeleteSqeeze bottles are great. I've even seen them used to make epoxy jewelery lately.
ReplyDeleteGreat tip, no more doing it the hard way for me.
Bridget, do you use a funnel to transfer the icing from a bowl to the squeeze bottle?
ReplyDeleteMelissa...
ReplyDeleteI just pour it from the container I mixed it in....very slowly! ;) Sometimes I miss and have to wipe down the bottle with a damp papertowel.
Oh what a PERFECT idea!! I'll have to pick some up!!
ReplyDelete~TidyMom
I do this too! I've never actually used them for melted chocolate...I am scared that they would be hard to clean. Icing is easy to clean out!
ReplyDeleteI have been decorating cookies for awhile and love to use squeeze bottles too. Love your cookies. You do amazing work. I would love to get involve in the baking for the troops. Let me know how.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great tip! I'm going to have to try it out next time.
ReplyDeleteGreat tip... I often still try to use the pastry bag, although I often cheat and use one of those twisty-ties to secure the top of the bag so it doesn't leak. I'll have to find some of these bottles!
ReplyDeleteHey Betsy!
ReplyDeleteCheck with "Operation Baking Gals." :)
LOVING This Idea! Not that I am a great or frequent baker, I just drool over all your photos and pretend we are eating them:) But I am SO writing down this tip!
ReplyDeleteLove this idea! Especially since I seem to be pastry-bag-challenged.
ReplyDelete~Kate
"Which Proverbs 14:1 Woman?"
http://proverbs14-1.blogspot.com
Cool, thanks for the tip!
ReplyDeleteWow! Now we know how you make beautifully, perfect cookies. What a wonderful idea.
ReplyDeleteThese look good and easy for little hands to use too.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Jamie
At least the green icing matched your tablecloth :)
ReplyDeleteI love me some plastic bottles. I like to use them to zig-zag warm chocolate over cakes, cookies, and especially caramel apples. It just gives you better control over the medium.
Buying squeeze bottles this weekend, and making the flood icing! :) Thanks for the tip yesterday too!
ReplyDeleteSUCH A SMART TIP :)!
ReplyDeleteWhat a good idea! Of course, I don't decorate many cookies...yours are gorgeous though!
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting my blog :)
These are great! I was recently using a pastry bag for some plating decorations while taking pictures in our dining room and it was pretty messy :) I would love to get one of those bottles!
ReplyDeleteYes, squeeze bottles are a lifesaver!
ReplyDeleteMac asked if you were painting!!!
ReplyDeleteI love love love love this tip. I could never get the hang of those pastry bags and avoided them like the plague and now, I may be able to actually ice something!
ReplyDeleteThank you, thank you!
I had no idea there was such a thing. I need to move on from cut and bake. At some point :D
ReplyDeleteI can't believe that you can get such great detail on your cookies with a squeeze bottle!
ReplyDeleteI'm used to the bags and found a source for sturdier, cheaper and larger bags than the Wilton ones.
I find that after 6 years and about 100,000 cookies made using pastry bags, I don't have the messy spill issue.
Try using a wet cloth at the bottom of your cup too, it prevents the tip from drying out AND stops the icing from flowing out of the bag.
Laura (adozeneggs)...now I am even more amazed with your work! You used those bags and don't make a mess?!?! Wow! Do you have to fish out the couplers from all of them? Thanks for the tip about the paper towels! I never thought about using them for the flood icing.
ReplyDeleteI have a bunch of those squeeze bottles. They're great for all kinds of things. I use tiny ones filled with melted candy for filling molds.
ReplyDelete~ingrid
Thanks - I've tried the bags and they have never worked.
ReplyDeleteOf course I had to open my big mouth about the no-mess bags.
ReplyDeleteToday, while filling a bag with thin purple, I looked away for a second and started pouring the icing on the table!!
Ugh.
Laura (ADE)...you were probably cursing me for jinxing you! ;)
ReplyDeleteOh great idea, thanks!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip. When you are finished with "a flood", do you toss the bottle or is there an easy way to clean it for future use?
ReplyDeleteHi saj....oh yes, I wash them and use them over and over and over again! Just dump out what you can, add some dish soap and water and shake, pour it out and do the same thing again until all of the icing is gone. Now rinse with plain water until completely rinsed. :)
ReplyDeleteFYI - I bought a dozen squeeze bottles at Sam's Club for about $2.00. They are red (for ketchup) and larger than the Wilton ones, but are a great value and work the same!
ReplyDeleteDo you know where you can get the squeeze bottles that the couplers fit? Are these good for outlining or is there an advantage to sticking with the bags for outlining? Thanks!
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ReplyDelete