Categories: | Cookies, Brownies & Bars
SweetAmbs® shares her secrets for using royal icing, edible ink markers and color dust to polish your baking skills and take your cookies to the next level.
Amber's Tips
Here are some of the tools Amber used in making the Cozy Hot Chocolate Sugar Cookies:
- Mug templates
- Paring knife to cut cookies
- 15-second count royal icing in light blue, light purple, white, and black (Test the consistency by taking a spoonful of icing out of the bowl and dropping it back in. It should take about 15 seconds for the icing to be completely smooth.)
- Soft peak royal icing in light blue, bright pink, teal, and white
- 12” decorating bags
- Decorating tip numbers 1, 2, and 3 with couplers
- Toothpick
- Edible pink color dust
- Black edible ink marker
- Decorator brush
Try Domino® Sugar’s Chocolate Sugar Cookie and Icing recipes for making your own Cozy Hot Chocolate Sugar Cookies:
Chocolate Sugar Cookies
1 cup firmly packed Domino® Light Brown Sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ounces (2 squares) bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease cookie sheets.
Beat brown sugar and butter in large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat until creamy. Add chocolate; beat well. Stir together flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to chocolate mixture.
On well-floured surface, roll out half of dough at a time to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into shapes with floured cookie cutters; place on prepared cookie sheets.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack.
For drop cookies, add 3 tablespoons of milk, alternately with dry ingredients. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto prepared cookie sheet. Bake 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack.
QUICK TIP
To melt chocolate, place in heavy saucepan on very low heat; stir constantly until just melted.
Royal Icing
2 cups Domino® Powdered Sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons meringue powder
3 tablespoons warm water
Assorted food coloring
Instructions
In a bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat powdered sugar, meringue powder and warm water until stiff peaks form, about 5 - 7 minutes. If icing is too thick, add a couple of drops of water. If icing is too thin, add additional powdered sugar; continue beating until desired consistency. Tint icing with desired food coloring. Using a pastry bag with decorator tip, decorate as desired.
QUICK TIPS
Meringue powder is available in specialty stores wherever cake-decorating equipment is sold.
Use icing immediately. Keep covered with a damp cloth or plastic wrap to prevent drying.
Cookie Making/Decorating Instructions
From a chilled sheet of chocolate sugar cookie dough, using the mug templates as a guide, cut the cookies with a paring knife. Bake and cool the cookies according to the recipe instructions.
Ice one mug with light blue 15-second count royal icing and a decorating tip 3. Use a toothpick to evenly distribute the icing. Add reflections with white 15-second count royal icing and a decorating tip 1. Repeat the process on the other mug cookie with light purple 15-second count royal icing. Allow the icing to dry about 1 hour.
Ice the whipped cream dollop and marshmallows with white 15-second count royal icing and a decorating tip 2. Use the toothpick to help shape the icing. Allow the icing to dry 6 to 8 hours.
Add eyes with white 15-second count royal icing and a decorating tip 1. Use the toothpick to help shape the icing. Immediately pipe pupils with black 15-second count royal icing and a decorating tip 1, then add reflections in the eyes by placing a small amount of white 15-second count royal icing with the toothpick on each one.
Pipe a mouth with black 15-second count royal icing and a decorating tip 1. Shape the icing with the toothpick.
Pipe an outline around the whipped cream dollop and marshmallows with light blue soft peak royal icing and a decorating tip 1. Draw a face with a black edible ink marker.
Draw eyebrows and eyelashes on the mugs with the black edible ink marker.
Apply edible pink color dust with a decorator brush to create rosy cheeks.
Add scarves with pink and teal soft peak royal icing and a decorating tip 1. Create a knit fabric effect by piping a series of wavy lines and tassels.
Pipe snowflakes on the scarves with white soft peak royal icing and a decorating tip 1.
