Test Kitchen Tips
9 Easy Christmas Cookie Decorating Ideas
December 20, 2018Need a quick and easy Christmas cookie decorating idea? Try these simple decorating techniques to create holiday cookies that will come together in no time.
Instead of baking several varieties of mouth-watering morsels, make just one kind of cutout cookie. Then add a little finesse with frosting!
Our Test Kitchen made one batch of tried-and-true Vanilla Butter Cutouts, which yields 7 dozen. The rich, buttery morsels were transformed into edible works of art with the decorating techniques found on the next slides.
Glazing and Decorating
Spread Confectioners’ Sugar Glaze over cookies; let dry. Pipe designs onto cookies using a contrasting color of Royal Icing.
Don’t have piping bags on hand? Here’s a handy set, including bags, tips, a spatula and more, that will help get you started.
Edible Ink
Skip piping and draw your favorite design or pattern. Simply coat cookies with an even layer of Royal Icing, allow to dry, and sketch a holiday scene with edible ink markers.
Want to see how it’s done? Here’s a video that will give you the step-by-step.
Flocking
Prepare Buttercream Frosting. Combine 1 cup frosting and 1-1/2 teaspoons water; stir until smooth. Place in a pastry bag or resealable plastic bag; cut a small hole in corner of bag. Pipe desired designs onto cookies. Immediately sprinkle with colored sugar. Gently shake off excess sugar. Let dry.
Stenciling
Spread Buttercream Frosting over cookies. Place stencil over cookies; sprinkle colored sugar over cutout area. Carefully lift off the stencil.
Make a stencil by tracing your chosen shape or design on a piece of parchment and cutting it out. Or utilize a lever punch of your favorite shape.
Color Mist
For a colorful look, consider color mist. Cover cookies in an even layer of Royal Icing, let dry. Spray color mist over cookies; either in a single layer, overlapping colors or blend several colors.
Marbling
Spread Confectioners’ Sugar Glaze over cookies; let dry. For each desired color, stir 1/2 teaspoon water into 1/4 cup glaze until smooth; tint with food coloring. Tightly crumble a 12-inch square piece of waxed paper into a ball; lightly dip into colored glaze. Press onto cookies; repeat until the desired pattern is achieved. Let dry completely.
Drizzling
Place cookies on waxed paper or a wire rack over waxed paper. Prepare Confectioners’ Sugar Glaze; stir in 1-1/2 teaspoons water until smooth. Using a spoon, drizzle over cookies. Let dry completely.
Cookie Cutters
Have your gingerbread man cookie cutter pull a double-duty. Use the cookie cutter as normal, bake cookies and allow to cool. To decorate, pipe antlers with Royal Icing along the arms and legs, create eyes with mini chocolate chips and nose with a Red Hots candy.
Dipping
Prepare Confectioners’ Sugar Glaze; stir in 1 teaspoon water until smooth. Dip cookies halfway into glaze, allowing excess to drip off. Place on a wire rack over waxed paper. Let dry completely.
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