Easter Cookies 2023


This year I made several dozen Decorated Sugar Cookies, some for us to enjoy and some to send to my family and friends in the Caribbean. When I send them baked goods I always try to mail the package on a Monday, in hopes they will arrive by the following Saturday at latest, and avoid an overnight in a post office somewhere.

I made one batch of Chocolate Sugar Cookies and one batch Vanilla. I used an egg shaped cutter, a large bunny head cutter, and a bunny cutter.  I always use this royal icing recipe from Sallys Bake Blog and although I'm not the biggest fan of royal icing, I think it does have a pretty good taste and never fails to dry no matter how much water I end up adding.  I do recommend this recipe.  I made five colors: a blue, a pink, a green, a yellow, and a purple.  Pretty basic! I flooded the bunnies in pink and the eggs in blue.  My original idea was to do a floral design, inspired by this tutorial from the amazing cookie decorator Haniela. But it didn't work out because my icing was a bit too runny and I was using piping tips instead of directly cutting the tip of the bag. Even with a #1 Wilton tip, my lines were too thick.  So, I just tried different designs freehand, and although much simpler they still look nice.  

Years ago when I first started decorating cookies I used to spend a lot of time making different icing consistencies in the same color, one for outlining and detail work, one just for flooding. Over time I've developed a preference for wet-on-wet decorating with just one consistency because it saves time and effort and although not quite as "extra" the end result is still nice. I usually use a pretty wet consistency of 10 seconds or less, even.  Yes there is less control, but it's also more forgiving and as long as it dries not tacky, I call it a success!


                                              

Undecorated cookies waiting for icing.


The colors were much more charming in person!



Boho look bunnies!










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