By far, I've gotten the most emails and comments and "how'd you do that" about the Texas map cookies. The cookies that I took approximately zero pictures of while I was making them. Don't worry, they're easy.
- You'll need an icing printer, or access to one. Many grocery stores and baking supply shops have them and will print images for you. I bought a compatible printer recommended by Icing Images and their edible ink cartridges. I also used Icing Images frosting sheets and I recommend them highly.
- No matter if you print them yourself, or have the sheets printed, you'll need an image. You can either find one online or scan an image.
- Once you have a digital image, view it at 100% and hold your cookie cutter up to the screen. I know it sounds silly. Scale your image to be just a bit smaller than your cutter. You'll see that the Texas cookie image doesn't line up exactly with my cookie cutter, but I was ok with that.
- Print the image, or save to a flash drive and have printed. Put as many images on one sheet as you can.
- Cover the cookie with thinned royal icing and gently press the image onto the icing, making sure the edges are pressed down.
- Allow 24 hours to dry. Add a border to finish the cookie. Here, I outlined the image in black to coordinate with the rest of the set and added a star for Jim's hometown.
- More tips for working with images printed on frosting sheets are here. (Note: this is an older post...the tips are the same, but I now have a different printer, inks and paper. See #1 above.)
The hats, boots and stars were just simple outline and fill cookies with a little details added at the end.
To make them, you'll need:
- sugar cookies in hat, boot and star shapes.
- royal icing, divided and tinted with AmeriColor Super Black, Chocolate Brown, Bright White, and Egg Yellow
- disposable icing bags
- coupler and tips: #2, #1
- squeeze bottles
- toothpicks
- silver luster dust
- vodka
- small (clean) paintbrush
- small ramekin
Thin the brown, yellow and black icings with water, a bit at a time, stirring with a silicone spatula, until it is the consistency of a thick syrup. (Reserve some of the blue icing for piping details later.) You'll want to drop a "ribbon" of icing back into the bowl and have it disappear in a count of "one thousand one, one thousand two." Four is too thick, one is too thin. Count of 2-3 is good. Cover with a damp dishcloth and let sit for several minutes.
Stir gently with a silicone spatula to pop and large air bubbles that have formed. Pour into squeeze bottles as needed.
Add details:
- Pipe a star on the cowboy hat in yellow with a #1 or #2 tip,
- use a #1 tip to add a star and spur on the boots in white,
- use a #2 tip to add black detailing to the boots,
- use a #1 tip to add lines to make a "Texas Star" on the yellow.
The next day, mix a bit of luster dust with vodka. Brush onto the star and spur on the boots. The alcohol will evaporate, just leaving the silver...and it will dry very quickly.
Sing it with me now...
"The stars and night are big and bright
deep in the heart of Texas!
The prairie sky is wide and high
deep in the heart of Texas!"
♥
♥
so cute!! as always :) and finally get to be the first one to comment!
ReplyDeleteI love you cookies, blog and your book! I might even be border line obsessed :P
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I envy your patience to make these cookies. I bought your book, but still haven't made anything. I think the work is overwhelming me before I even start. I also think I need some small tips to do the outlining.
ReplyDeleteLove these cookies, they look beautiful. I think with my lack of drawing skills I might not ever accomplish cookies like this, but I can dream!
ReplyDeleteThose icing printers are awesome! I remember having those store bought birthday cakes with a picture on it. I was never a fan of the frosting, but I would gobble up that sugar paper stuff like no tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteThese cookies are so cute!
You are so stinkin awesome!!! Love this. I have never seen anything like them!
ReplyDeleteI need to make those cookies, they are my most favorite ever.
ReplyDeleteBridget, you make it look SO EASY.
ReplyDeleteI know they are not though. LOL.
It looks great. All of them. I loved the first part, but this one is even cuter.
ReplyDeleteNice work pardner :)
ReplyDeleteToo adorable for words - and makes me even more excited to be down in Austin in June!! Hope to see your smiling face there!
ReplyDeleteThese are just so amazing - I love looking at them so much I don't know that I'd ever be able to eat one! You do Texas PROUD!
ReplyDeleteThese are adorable! I rarely have the patience to attempt anything like this - I'm impressed!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tutorials for these super cool cookies, Bridget! And thanks for the heads up about getting grocery stores or bakery supply stores to print edible images. I had no idea that they do that, but will definitely keep that in mind.
ReplyDeleteThey are all so cute!
ReplyDeleteThose map cookies. AAAACK!!! Love.
ReplyDeleteUgh. It was soooo hard to get through reading your tutorial because the entire time I kept thinking that Jim Parsons ate your cookies!!!! these are so gorgeous though and I love them.
ReplyDeletePretty Awesome cookies!
ReplyDeleteSo happy to see some lovely Texas pride! :) Our reputation precedes us, and I wouldn't have it any other way! Love Texas & LOVE cookies! These are beautiful :)
ReplyDeleteThey look so cute and nice.
ReplyDeleteCan I have one cookie?
Regards
Olguis.
Wow, this is incredible!!! Amazing piping skills.
ReplyDeleteTrisha x
These are awesome. You're incredible! I hope to make it perfect when I have my version. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDelete-KatzGlutenFree.com
These are beautiful! You inspired me to make the red, white, & blue Texas cookies for our Relay For Life Bake Sale today. I placed a yellow star where our city would fall on the map (North of Dallas). I received a lot of wonderful comments and they sold out quickly. Thank you! Terri
ReplyDeleteThe hats, boots and stars were just simple outline and fill cookies with ... icowgirlhat.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteIt is not a cookie by first look but by first bite it is. How can I make this one?
ReplyDeleteIt's nice that you write about it, it's helpful.
ReplyDelete