Now that you have your design mapped out and approved by your client – how do you bring it to life? The tools I’ve mentioned in part 1 of my blog are going to come into play. You bake your cookies using the cutters you’ve ordered and while they’re cooling you start to prep your icing. Write out the colors you need – I like to start with the lightest color and work my way up. I almost always use two consistencies for each color – the outline/decorative consistency and the flood. You’ll always use way less of the outline consistency vs the flood. I haven’t mastered the art of “portion control” when it comes to mixing icing. Some big name cookiers have tips on how to weigh out icing so you make exactly the amount you need. Honestly – I’ve tried it twice and it didn’t work for me. I also didn’t put a ton of effort into it because I’m a creature of habit and my way works for me! Do I always make more than I need? Yes. Does it matter? No! I always freeze my extra icing and it gets re-mixed later down the road for other sets. Find a system that works for you and stick to it. I eyeball the amount I need and I’ve always 100% had more than I needed – but I’d rather that than run out of a color!
So you made all your icing, great! Let’s start decorating! For the designs that have multi layers – I tend to reach for those first. Things that require a full dry before I reach for my projector – those get done first as well. This is where your kitchen fan will come in handy. Once you’ve outlined and flooded a cookie you’ll want to start drying it out. If you live somewhere humid you may even need a dehumidifier for your counters! Let those cookies dry! If you have a design that requires edible marker designs – you’ll want those to dry as long as possible. Typically overnight. If you try to draw on them before they’ve completely dried out you run the risk of ruining your base and having to start all over again. For designs that have multi layers, it doesn’t take too long to crust over before you can begin the details. I typically start layering after 30 mins – 1 hour. It depends on the size of the cookie and how fast your fan is drying out the icing. All of this may seem daunting now – but over time you’ll get the hang of it! Once you have the base layer of your cookie set – this is where you’ll start working with your projector. Set up your projector to fit the image over your cookie. Trace the image with your icing and set in on the pan to dry. Here’s an example of a single cookie with lettering:
Once you’ve completed your designs in entirety, they’ll need to dry overnight. Leave them on the baking trays, uncovered, with the fan on! In the morning you can cover the pans with the lids until you’re ready to heat seal and package them.
And wah-lah! You’ve successfully made your first decorated cookies! Snap some photos, post to social media, grow your clientele and get back to work! Practice makes perfect and the only way to continue to get better is by practicing.
