Royal Icing Cookie Paint Food

PAINTED SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• In a small bowl mix together the gel food coloring and water until well combined. Set aside until ready to use.
• In a small bowl mix together the cocoa powder and water until mixture is smooth.
• Prepare your workstation by laying a large sheet of wax paper on the counter, and placing the cookies upon it. Have ready your cookie paint and brushes.
• Before making brush strokes on the cookies, dip the brush into the food coloring mixture and press the brush against the sides of the bowl to rid of any excess liquid.
• Gently make brush strokes on the cookies as desired. Set aside until completely dry, 4-5 hours.

PAINTED SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Start with cookies that have been flooded with royal icing and the royal icing is completely hard & dry.
• Add a few drops vodka to a small bowl or dish and then add a drop or two of gel food coloring.
• Mix with your brush and blot off the excess paint. You're ready to start painting!
• Allow the cookies to dry for an hour or so after painting, before packaging.
• Start by adding a few drops of the Moss Green food coloring into the dish and dilute it slightly with a few drops of vodka.
• Using a flat/wide brush, create several tree trunks. You want to try and make the color a bit deeper for the trunks to give the trees a sturdy center.
• Using the corners of the brush, lightly dab branches on either side of the center. If you repeat some dabs on top of the branches you already made, it gives the tree more depth. Be sure to blot your paintbrush on a paper towel along the way!
• With the darkest trees made, dilute the food coloring with a few more drops of vodka to lighten the color. Make a few more trees at different heights behind the darker ones.
• If you have other shades of green (the Silver Spruce color is gorgeous and works wonderfully for this design), add a drop to the green color you've already made or into a new bowl/cavity. It helps to mix up the shades/tones of greens to give the trees a more of a woodsy, forest look.
• Lastly, add a little dab of color to the bottom of the cookie and thin it out with a bit of pure vodka. Add a different shade of green and swirl it on top for contrast.
• Allow to dry before packaging (about 1 hour or so).

ROYAL ICING

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, water, meringue powder and cream of tartar; beat on low speed just until combined. Beat on high for 4-5 minutes or until stiff peaks form. Tint with food coloring if desired. Keep unused icing covered at all times with a damp cloth. If necessary, beat again on high speed to restore texture., To decorate, place icing in a pastry bag. For border decorations and dots, use a #3 round pastry tip. For small detailed decorations, use a #1 or #2 round pastry tip.

ROYAL ICING COOKIE PAINT

Steps:

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a bowl using a handheld mixer, begin to beat the egg whites and sugar on low speed. Be sure the bowl and beaters are free of any fat and that there is no egg yolk in the whites. After 30 seconds or so, scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula and gradually increase the speed of the mixer to medium. Beat until the mixer thickens and stiffens, about 3 minutes.
• STORING ICING: Keep Royal Icing in an airtight container. To prevent a crust from forming while using the icing, keep the container covered with a damp towel or plastic wrap. Royal Icing will keep refrigerated for up to 2 days. Before reusing, lightly beat with a whisk or fork.
• Yield: 2 1/2 cups icing to cover about 4 to 6 dozen 3-inch cookies
• *RAW EGG WARNING
• Food Network Kitchens suggest caution in consuming raw and lightly-cooked eggs due to the slight risk of Salmonella or other food-borne illness. To reduce this risk, we recommend you use only fresh, properly-refrigerated, clean, grade A or AA eggs with intact shells, and avoid contact between the yolks or whites and the shell.