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Dear Yankee Girl - How Would You Cookie This?

This edition of "How Would You Cookie This?" is being brought to you by Dana (aka Dana’s Daydreaming Cookies on Cookie Connection)!

 

Just a little background info for all of you who are new to my blog – this fun segment is based on ideas (art, images, etc.) that people have emailed to me. I then take the idea and cookie it! It will probably run every other month or so, depending on participation. Click here for more details about submitting an idea. You never know, I may even send you the cookies!

Now back to the tutorial!

Dana emailed me images of some of her amazing artwork prior to Easter (huge thank you to Dana!). As much as I wanted to, I just couldn’t work on these cookies until recently. I think that the bunny is perfectly sweet for springtime and the flowers . . . well, they work for any time of the year! I wanted to take this opportunity to cookie a flower from a slightly different perspective. A side view!

Here is Dana’s artwork that she asked me to cookie:


Dana's Drawing

 

Super cute, right?! And then the flowers that we are going to make:

BES Flower

 

 

What you are going to need:

  • Cupcake cookie cutter
  • Bib cookie cutter
  • Knife
  • Royal icing (20-second and stiff piping) in yellow and brown
  • Airbrush with yellow sheen and orange colors (optional)
  • Glad Press'n Seal cling wrap (only if airbrushing; you can also use regular plastic wrap, but I prefer this type because it's more clingy)

Let’s start with cutting the dough and getting the right shape.

CC BES Flower

 

I decided to start with a cupcake shape. The top of the cupcake had the same petal shape that I was looking for. Then, I used a small bib cookie cutter (that I widened a bit) to get the round center of the flower.

 

BES Tutorial 1

 

The bib cutter wasn’t quite wide enough, but with a knife, I was able to easily trim off the excess. If you don’t have a bib cookie cutter, you can use anything that will give you that pretty, round shape. Even hand-cutting would work. Use what you have.

BES Tutorial 2
Then bake it up, let it cool, and get ready to have some fun!

BES Tutorial 3

 

Now, this next part I did using a space heater. I (almost) always use it when decorating. The only exception is flooding cookies – then I use a dehumidifier in the room. I find that my icing craters less and is "puffier". Is that a word?? Probably right up there with "cookier". 

Start at the top center of the flower. Flood in the brown and allow it to set. I used a thicker (20-second) icing, so that craters are less likely.

BES Tutorial 4

 

Once the center of the flower (brown part) is set, add the center petal – using a thick 20-second icing. Think puffy! Don’t forget to use your space heater in between adding petals. It’ll speed up your drying time and you’ll be able to work faster.

BES Tutorial 5

 

Once that center petal is dry, add the petals on either side.

BES Tutorial 6

 

Let those petals set and then add two more. Give your petals time to set or dry before adding the next one. This gives your petals definition. You should have seven petals total when complete. Then allow the cookie to dry overnight. Get some sleep! You deserve it.

BES Tutorial 7

 

Onto Day Two.

I started by remixing my brown and yellow icing, making it thicker. Make it piping consistency and use the smallest tip that you can muster. Add some details onto your petals.

BES tutorial 8

 

Once your petal details are dry, you can do one of two things. I decided to use my airbrush. BUT if you do not have an airbrush, you could just paint on some color. Again, use what you have. If you are going to airbrush, let’s start by covering up the center of the flower with Press'n Seal cling wrap - 'cause guess what? I don’t want it yellow!


BES Tutorial 9

 

Once the brown is covered, get ready to spray all of the cookies! For colors, I mixed up some yellow sheen airbrush color and added a tiny touch of orange airbrush color to it. You’re going to airbrush the cookies in three steps, allowing them to dry in between (which is actually fairly quick).

  • Step 1: Airbrush all of the petals, evenly.
  • Step 2: Add a second coat, starting from the middle and going up toward the center of the flower.
  • Step 3: Add a third coat to the petals, but just where the petals meet the center of the flower. This is where the Press'n Seal really comes in handy!

BES Tutorial 10

 

Take off your Press'n Seal. Commend yourself on your fantastic airbrushing! You didn’t even spray the ceiling, did you?!

Now for the final step. Just take your brown icing that you’ve already made nice and thick, and add some details onto the center portion of the flower. I just added tiny dots to it, spacing the dots more as I reached the top of the flower. Why? I googled Black-eyed Susan flowers and that’s how they appeared to look . . . and I went with it.

BES Tutorial 11

 

Let them dry and then you’re ready to dazzle your family, friends, and customers with your awesomeness!

Flower Bunny 2

 

Many thanks to Dana for submitting her artwork. I had a great time cookie-ing that sweet bunny!  [EDITOR'S NOTE: Dear Yankee Girl, I'd like to see a tutorial for that bunny next! Wow!]

Please feel free to email me with questions or submissions for the next Dear Yankee Girl!

Photo and cookie credits: Kari Arroyo

Original bunny and flower artwork by: Dana at Dana's Daydreaming Cookies

 

 

Kari ArroyoKari Arroyo started decorating cookies in 2011 after deciding to take a break from nursing, and learned the ways of royal icing by reading tutorials and LOTS of trial and error. When she’s not decorating cookies, you can find her chasing after two busy boys! Check her out on Facebook or her site, and email her your cookie questions at yankeegirlyummies@gmail.com.

 

Photo credit: Kari Arroyo

 

 

 

Note: Dear Yankee Girl is a regular Cookie Connection blog feature, written by Kari Arroyo, which allows you to get all your critical cookie technique questions answered, Dear Abby-style! Its content expresses the views of the author and not necessarily those of this site, its owners, its administrators, or its employees. To catch up on all of Kari's past posts, click here.

Attachments

Images (15)
  • Dana's Drawing- Black-Eyed Susan Tutorial: Artwork by Dana's Daydreaming Cookies
  • Black-Eyed Susan Flower - Where We're Headed!: Cookies and Photo by Yankee Girl Yummies
  • Cutters Needed: Photo by Yankee Girl Yummies
  • Cutting The Shape: Cookie and Photo by Yankee Girl Yummies
  • Trimming Off Excess: Cookie and Photo by Yankee Girl Yummies
  • All Baked!: Cookie and Photo by Yankee Girl Yummies
  • Start With The Center: Cookie and Photo by Yankee Girl Yummies
  • Pipe On The Center Petal: Cookie and Photo by Yankee Girl Yummies
  • Wait And Then Add Adjacent Petals: Cookie and Photo by Yankee Girl Yummies
  • Repeat To Make Seven Petals: Cookie and Photo by Yankee Girl Yummies
  • Add Petal Details: Cookie and Photo by Yankee Girl Yummies
  • Cover The Center With Cling Wrap: Cookie and Photo by Yankee Girl Yummies
  • Airbrush!: Yankee Girl Yummies
  • Add Details To The Center: Cookie and Photo by Yankee Girl Yummies
  • Flower Bunny With Black-Eyed Susans: Cookies and Photo by Yankee Girl Yummies

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Comments (24)

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I do too! Great job again, Kari! And special thanks for Dana for jumping in with the idea - these tutorials wouldn't be possible without other members' contributions.

 

 

A couple of questions, Kari:

 

1. Why do you wait overnight to airbrush? Couldn't you just wait until the icing had crusted on the surface and gingerly mask the cookie center with cling wrap?

 

2. Why do you use the dehumidifier only with flooding and the space heater for drying other stuff? Wouldn't the space heater also work with flooded areas? 

 

3. How do you position the heater/dehumidifier relative to the cookies that you're drying?

 

THANKS!

Thanks for your questions Julia!!
 
Disclaimer: Non of my answers are scientifically proven! They are merely what I do. And sometimes it's just because I've always done it that way!
 
1. I don't always wait until the following day to airbrush BUT if I'm going to use the cling wrap, I do. Sometimes, you have to apply a bit of pressure in order to get the cling wrap to stay in place. I just don't want to chance cracking my not-totally-dry surface. 
 
2 & 3.  A space heater probably would work for flooded areas. But I don't want to leave that on overnight, unattended. I set my cookies on my dining room table, dehumidifier running (few feet away). Flood and forget! I use the space heater only for short periods of time - just until the icing sets and I know that they're not going to crater. As far as placement for that goes, I place the cookie sheet within a foot of the oncoming heat. 
 
I hope that makes some sense...
 
 
Originally Posted by Julia M. Usher:

A couple of questions, Kari:

 

1. Why do you wait overnight to airbrush? Couldn't you just wait until the icing had crusted on the surface and gingerly mask the cookie center with cling wrap?

 

2. Why do you use the dehumidifier only with flooding and the space heater for drying other stuff? Wouldn't the space heater also work with flooded areas? 

 

3. How do you position the heater/dehumidifier relative to the cookies that you're drying?

 

THANKS!

 

Thank you Kari, for choosing my art, as inspiration for this beautiful set of cookies! I feel honored! You did such a great job! I love your creative use of the cupcake and baby bib cookie cutters to create the shape needed for the side view of the black-eyed Susan flowers. Your icing is flawless. And the details, add just the right touch. The yellow sheen airbrush color shimmers beautifully on the flower petals! I wanted to add, if everyone shows enough interest, hint, hint! Maybe Kari, will consider doing a tutorial for the bunny cookie, also? (as mentioned in the Editor's note, at the end of the tutorial) Thank you Kari, for a great tutorial and for sharing your creative and inspiring talent here on Cookie Connection! I look forward to more of, Dear Yankee Girl - How Would You Cookie This?

  

Last edited by Dana ~ Dana's Daydreaming Cookies

These are unbelievably darling!  You really surprised me with the cutters you used.  At first glance, I really thought you'd used a bee cutter.  And I guess you could if you didn't want to take the time to "Frankenstein" the other.  I really must start playing with my airbrush...that just makes the sunflower!  Wonderfully detailed tutorial.  Thank you!  Blessings, Donna B.

I love the different perspective on the black eyed susans. Seeing them was one of those slap your forehead moments and think, of course we should cookie flowers that way! All the time! Fabulous tutorial, Kari! 

I just love this flower.  I just found this tutorial.  I tried to duplicated before I found this.  I wasnt to far off. o well practice makes perfect( oops thats a different blog).  Love all your tutorials. Thanks

Kari, Love the tutorial! I have a question about the space heater. How hot do you set it and how long do you leave the cookie in front of it?

I had cracks in my icing. Did I leave it to long or is that just something I did with my icing recipe?

Thanks again! I sincerely appreciate, being able to pick your brain!

GREAT question! Because, yes, if it's too close, it will crack your icing. I usually put my heater on 75 degrees. I place the cookies about a foot away. The other thing that I do, is make sure that the cookies are level with the heat that is coming off - meaning that I place the cookie sheet on top of my upside down lasagna pan! 
 
 
Originally Posted by Smurphy:

Kari, Love the tutorial! I have a question about the space heater. How hot do you set it and how long do you leave the cookie in front of it?

I had cracks in my icing. Did I leave it to long or is that just something I did with my icing recipe?

Thanks again! I sincerely appreciate, being able to pick your brain!

 

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