Last month, when I made some fun lollipop cookies as cupcake toppers for my daughter’s candy party I started thinking of all the other cute mini cookies I could make for cupcake toppers all year round. Since we’re right in the middle of spring here in California, I thought some little flowers would be the perfect way to celebrate the season.
I’ve had lots of questions as to how I made the little lollipop toppers, so I’ll start with a little how-to.
First, prepare the cookie dough then chill and roll out the dough (recipe and instructions HERE).
It is important that the dough is nice and cool and firm.
For the lollipop cookies I used a 1 1/2 inch circle (from this set
). For the flower shapes, I used cutters from the Wilton Easter 12pc Mini Metal Cookie Cutter Set
.
When I’m making mini cookies to use as cupcake toppers, I use Wilton(R) 4 Inch Lollipop Sticks
(also available at Michael’s and Hobby Lobby).
Once you have your dough chilled, rolled out and have cut your shapes…
Transfer to a cooling rack, and as soon as they are cool they are ready to decorate.
These cookies also keep very well, so you can bake them one day, then keep them covered (on a plate covered with plastic wrap, or in a large Ziplock type bag) for a couple days before you decorate them.
Anatomy of a cookie decorating table
Once you’re ready to decorate, prepare Royal Icing (recipe below).
Royal Icing Recipe
4 Tablespoons Meringue Powder (I use Wilton Brand)
4 cups (about 1 pound) powdered sugar
6 Tablespoons warm water (to start, see additional notes below)
Beat all ingredients until stiff peaks form.
*Make sure all bowls and utensils are totally grease-free or your icing will never reach proper consistency.
Spoon some of the thick white icing into individual bowls and add coloring (I use Americolor.
)
Add additional water, about 1 teaspoon at a time until you’ve reached the consistency you need.
For these cookies you can used one consistency of icing for the whole design. Thin the icing with warm water until the icing is about the consistency of corn sryup, or slighly thicker. It should be thick enough that it does not run off the edge of the cookie, but thin enough that it will flow and fill in as you pipe.
Gather supplies and prepare a work area (as pictured above).
For these cookies, I wanted to create a two toned effect, like some varieties of real-life tulips. You could skip this step and have single color cookies.
For other cookie designs, this would be the time to use of another color of flood consistency icing and add little drops onto the cookie, creating perfect polka-dots.
This technique is call “wet on wet”.
Set the cookie on a tray to dry. Depending on the temperature and humidity level in your home, the icing will take 2-12 hours to dry. Do not attempt to wrap up the cookies until the icing is completely dry. To speed up drying time a bit, set up a fan to gently blow on the cookies.
Once the icing is dry, add a ribbon around the stick (if you like), and insert into frosted cupcakes.
It’s a cookie and a cupcake… what more could you want in life? Well, what more could you want in a treat at least?
For the centers of the daisy shapes I added a mini M&M; when the icing was still wet (and before I sprinkled on the the sanding sugar).
Happy Spring
and
Happy Baking!
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/royal-icing-recipe-1941917
Royal icing with liquid egg whites
Hi from South Africa…..
I would like to make royal icing for the flower cookies. I would need to use egg white for real and not the powder what would the ratio for egg whites be for this recipe.
Love your blog
Hi Iris,
I have not experimented much at all with making royal icing with raw eggs, although I know it can be done. I might suggest using google to find a “recipe for royal icing with fresh egg whites”. Happy baking!
This is a great tutorial! Thanks for sharing. I was wondering if there is anything that you can use instead of the meringue powder. I live in South Africa and have searched for a while but I don’t think they sell it here. Thank you!
Hi Glory, I LOVE your recipes and your website. Your work is GORGEOUS and tasty! I just spent 6 hours making a batch of sugar cookies and decorating (yield 44 cookies waaaah)….and of course they look like something you probably did when you were a toddler, there are sprinkles and frosting everywhere, my hands are dyed green and my husband says i have hardened frosting in my hair. I hope I will get neater with practice…but I was hoping you could help me with the process of coloring the frosting. I find the most time consuming part of the cookies is after the icing is made, I make a huge mess in coloring the icing in separate bowls…and really they look better when i color them and thin them in the kitchenaid but then its alot of cleaning the bowl and tools etc. Can you share how you separate the white icing into colors, and then varying consistency? I made green, white and red frosting but holy moly, it was so much mess and work! THANK YOU. YOU ARE SO TALENTED!
Hi Trish, I’m so glad you’re giving cookie decorating a try! The entire process can be quite time consuming, and a lot of patience is required! =) The mixing of the icing is often one of the most time consuming parts. I don’t have any real secrets to suggest other than to have a nice clean work space and try to keep your space a bit organized as you go. You can also color the icing a day ahead, cover and keep in the fridge, and thin it the following day. Breaking up the work can sometimes make things a bit more manageable. Happy decorating!
Hi Glory,
Thankyou for your rolled sugar cookie recipe, they went down a treat at my daughters first birthday party at the beginning of the year. I was wondering however whether you know of a substitute for meringue powder which you’ve used in the royal icing? I’m from Perth Western Australia and am finding it vertually impossible to find over here. Can you help?
Thanks Sarah
Hi Sarah, Yes, I believe you can use powdered eggs whites or even fresh egg whites. I might suggest using google to see what substitutions you can find. Best of luck!
Hi Sarah,
I always use fresh egg whites in my Royal Icing. I’m in New Zealand and we don’t have meringue powder here. We do have powered egg white but it’s expensive and not readily available.
If I’m making lots of meringues, 800 ish, I buy a bag of pasteurised egg whites from the supermarket but not worth it for a bit of icing as it doesn’t keep long.
Just found you – WOW what a talent you are. Thanks for the tutorial and also the recipes. Love all your designs.
Glory!! Your recipe is FABULOUS! Everyone loved my sugar cookies (with the royal icing) thank you sooo much for sharing your secrets with us.
I just discovered your blog today and when I saw the photo of these adorable cupcakes, I just had to read more about them. Quick question–did you have to do anything to the sticks to keep them from burning or getting singe marks in the oven? Thanks so much!
Where do you buy your meringue powder? I’ve been looking for it for years since first seeing your blog, but have never been able to find any in stores!
Hi Ashley, You can find meringue powder in the cake decorating section at Michael’s, JoAnns, Hobby Lobby and Wal-Mart. At the stores I just listed you will likely find just the Wilton brand. You find CK brand from Karenscookies.net I like both brands.
Hi, I love your work! My cookies always end up drying dull. How can I get a shiny finish after they dry..is corn syrup an option?
Thanks!