Royal Icing For Lovebug And One Piece Cookies Recipes

Steps:

• Sift the cake flour, baking powder and salt onto a piece of parchment paper or into a medium bowl; set aside. Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until incorporated. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the flour mixture in 2 batches until just incorporated. Divide between 2 pieces of plastic wrap; shape into disks. Wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour. (The dough can be frozen for up to 1 month; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling.)
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Working with 1 disk at a time, roll out the dough on a floured surface, dusting with flour as needed, until about 1/8 inch thick. Cut out shapes with 2-to-4-inch cookie cutters; arrange 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. (If the dough becomes too soft as you work, return to the refrigerator until firm.) Gather the scraps and refrigerate until firm; reroll once to cut out more cookies. Chill the cutouts 30 minutes.
• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until the cookies are slightly puffed and just golden, 13 to 15 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely before icing.
• Whisk one 1-pound box confectioners' sugar and 2 tablespoons meringue powder in a large bowl. Add 5 tablespoons water and beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until soft glossy peaks form, adding up to 1 more tablespoon water if necessary. Cover the bowl with a damp paper towel and plastic wrap until ready to use to prevent the icing from drying out.

Steps:

• Mix together 1 cup royal icing with the pink or green food coloring until desired shade is reached. Transfer to a small squirt bottle fitted with a thick tip. Outline cookie with pink or green icing. Draw several zigzags across entire surface of the outlined area. If necessary, use a toothpick to spread evenly.
• Mix together 1/2 cup royal icing with the lavender or yellow food coloring until desired shade is reached. Transfer to a small squirt bottle fitted with a thin tip. To create details on the one-piece, draw lines using the lavender or yellow icing to create neck, sleeves, and leg holes. Using tweezers, add silver dragees to create snaps and a sugar candy to center of one-piece. Let cookie dry completely before serving, wrapping, or using as an ornament.

Steps:

• Mix together 1/2 cup royal icing with the black or brown food coloring until desired shade is reached. Transfer to a small squirt bottle. To create the head of the ladybug, outline the area with black or brown icing (see template). Draw several zigzags across entire surface of the outlined area. If necessary, use a toothpick to spread evenly. Using tweezers, add silver dragees to create eyes. Sprinkle head with black or brown sanding sugar. Let dry.
• Mix together 1 cup royal icing with the red or pink food coloring until desired shade is reached. Set aside 1/4 cup red or pink icing and transfer remaining red or pink icing to a small squirt bottle. To create body, outline the area with red or pink icing (see template). Draw several zigzags across entire surface of the outlined area. If necessary, use a toothpick or offset spatula to spread evenly. Using tweezers, add white dragees to create spots. Let dry.
• To create black or brown spots on cookie, squeeze two 1/2-inch dots of black or brown icing about 1/2-inch apart from one another in the center of the body (see template). If necessary, use a toothpick to spread evenly. Using tweezers, add a heart candy to each spot. To create remaining black or brown spots on cookie, squeeze dots of black or brown icing about the same size as the white dragees over body (see template). If necessary, use a toothpick to spread evenly. Let dry.
• Add more red or pink food coloring to reserved 1/4 cup red or pink icing to create a darker shade of red or pink. Transfer to a small squirt bottle. Using dark red or pink icing, make an outline around the body of the ladybug and down the center (see template). Let dry.

Steps:

• Sift flour and salt into a bowl; set aside.
• Put butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Mix in eggs and lemon juice. Reduce speed to low. Gradually mix in flour mixture. Divide dough in half; flatten each half into a disk. Wrap each in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees with racks in upper and lower thirds. Let one disk of dough stand at room temperature just until soft enough to roll, about 10 minutes. Place dough on a nonstick baking mat; place a piece of plastic wrap over dough. Roll out dough between baking mat and plastic wrap to 1/4 inch thick. Remove plastic wrap. Cut out cookies with a 5-inch butterfly- or dragonfly-shaped cookie cutter; cut out negative space in the wings using both sides of a small heart-shaped cookie cutter to create a mirror image (see Butterfly or Dragonfly templates). Use a drinking straw to create a hanging hole at top of cookie, if desired. Transfer baking mat to a baking sheet. Transfer baking sheet to freezer, freeze until very firm, about 15 minutes. Remove baking sheet from freezer; remove scraps and reposition cookies so that they are at least 1 inch apart. Roll out scraps, and repeat. Repeat with remaining disk of dough.
• Transfer to oven and bake for 8 minutes. Let cool and sprinkle candy in a single layer in negative space of each cookie. Return to oven and bake until lightly golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks; carefully remove with a metal spatula.
• Mix together some of the royal icing with food coloring until desired shade is reached for wings. Transfer to a small squirt bottle. Outline wings (see Butterfly or Dragonfly templates) with colored icing. Draw several zigzags across entire surface of the outlined area. If necessary, use a toothpick to spread evenly. Using tweezers, add candy decor to wing edges, if desired (see Butterfly or Dragonfly templates). Let dry.
• Mix together some of the royal icing with food coloring until desired shade is reached for bodies. Transfer to a small squirt bottle. Outline body (see Butterfly or Dragonfly templates) with colored icing. Draw several zigzags across entire surface of the outlined area. If necessary, use a toothpick to spread evenly. Using tweezers, add dragees or candy eyes to create eyes (see Butterfly or Dragonfly templates). Let dry.

Steps:

• On a clean surface, roll out fondant. Using small letter-shaped cookie cutters, cut out desired letters; set aside until dried, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, mix together half of the royal icing with the red or pink food coloring until desired shade is reached. Transfer to a small squirt bottle with a wide tip. Leaving 1/4-inch border, outline the heart shaped cookie with colored icing. Draw several zigzags across entire surface of the outlined area. If necessary, use a toothpick to spread evenly. Add letters and sprinkle with sanding sugar, if desired. Let dry.
• Mix together remaining royal icing with white food coloring. Transfer to a small squirt bottle. Outline colored area of heart with white icing. Add candy-coated chocolates, mini marshmallows, gumdrops, or Red Hots. Let dry.

Steps:

• Mix together some of the royal icing with the flesh-tone food coloring until desired shade is reached. Transfer to a small squirt bottle. To create face and hands on the cookie, outline the area with flesh-tone icing (see template). Draw several zigzags across entire surface of the outlined area. If necessary, use a toothpick to spread evenly. Using tweezers, add nonpareils to create eyes. Let dry.
• Mix together some of the royal icing with the red food coloring until desired shade is reached. Transfer to a small squirt bottle. To create hat, jacket, and pants on the cookie, outline the area with red icing (see template). Draw several zigzags across entire surface of the outlined area. If necessary, use a toothpick to spread evenly. Using tweezers, add gumdrops to create buttons on jacket.
• Mix together some of the royal icing with the black food coloring until desired shade is reached. Transfer to a small squirt bottle. To create boots on the cookie, outline the area with black icing (see template). Draw several zigzags across entire surface of the outlined area. If necessary, use a toothpick to spread evenly. Let dry.
• Mix together some of the royal icing with the white food coloring until desired shade is reached. Transfer to a small squirt bottle. To create trim on hat, jacket, and pants, outline the area with white icing (see template). Draw several zigzags across entire surface of the outlined area. If necessary, use a toothpick to spread evenly. Sprinkle trim with sanding sugar. Using tweezers, add a mini marshmallow to top of hat to create a tassel. Let dry.
• To create beard on cookie, outline the area with white icing (see template). Draw several zigzags across entire surface of the outlined area. If necessary, use a toothpick to spread evenly. Using tweezers, add red hot candy to create a nose. Sprinkle beard with white sprinkles. Let dry.