Different Ways to Decorate Cookies

 

 

Baking cookies is one of the most calming activities that could have you hours in the kitchen having fun. The act of baking cookies can be much more difficult than baking bread or cakes because getting the right consistency is a bit harder. After you finally get the texture and flavor of the cookie right, it’s time to think of the icing and decoration of your cookies. You can also use very different methods to decorate your cookies, but the ultimate best one is cookie icing.

 

Dipping and swiping icing

Royal icing, which is the most commonly used to decorate cookies to give them an even and thin look, sometimes can be very tricky to apply. For this method, you’ll need to pour the royal icing in a shallow bowl and attach a rubber band or ribbon to the top of the bowl, a little near from the middle part of the bowl. Dip the cookie face down on the icing and, right after you take it out, swipe it over the rubber band in order to remove the excess icing to give it an even look.

 

Squeezing the icing

If you consider yourself as an amateur or a beginner in the cookie baking game, this is probably the best method for you. While piping bags are the most common tools used among expert bakers, squeeze bottles are cleaner and can give you better results. Simply pour your royal icing on a small squeeze bottle with a thin pouring tube. Squirt the icing directly over the cookie, starting from the center of the cookie and slowly spreading it to the sides and borders until you cover it completely.

 

Dipping and dripping the icing

This is a decorating method that requires a bit of ability from you, but it can get pretty good results. Similar to the “drip and swipe” method, you’ll need a shallow bowl to dip cookies face-down in a thin-texture icing. Once you dip the cookies on the icing, turn it to one side and hold it there for a few seconds until the excess icing drips onto the bowl. When you notice the icing has finally stopped dripping, turn it face up and place it carefully on a cooling rack so the icing hardens.

 

Using a piping bag to pour the icing

As we mentioned before, pipes are one of the most common tools among bakers to decorate cookies and cupcakes. A piping bag is like a big plastic bag with the shape of a cone, that ends in a small nozzle or whole where the icing will come out from. Simply make sure to create the right texture for your icing and start pouring it directly onto the cookie. This piping bag will give you the ability to decorate the cookie as you want, using different textures and even volumes.

 

Contour with piping bag and fill

If you’ve started using the piping bag and you feel like you’re ready to take the next step, you can create different textures for the icing to create the perfect sleek, smooth icing. Prepare a thicker icing that’s called “border icing”, which you’ll use to contour the borders of the cookie, then use a thinner icing to fill out the space and smooth it out evenly.

 

These decorating methods are all very popular. Some of them are easier to make and some of them require a bit more expertise, but all of them will leave your cookies looking sleek and perfect to be served as dessert or to give as gifts to friends and family.