Every Little Detail with Aproned Artist: 3-D Mushroom Cookies

These fly agaric mushroom cookies were inspired by the gorgeous paper mushrooms of artist Ann Wood. The realism and intricacy of Ann’s paper mushrooms and other flora are nothing short of stunning. At first glance, you’d think her paper sculptures were real. Upon closer inspection, you realize the sheer amount of work and intention behind every little sliver of paper - a thousand little pieces meticulously placed to create a perfect illusion from an unlikely medium.

Supplies:

• Royal icing (I used AmeriColor gel paste coloring to tint the icing):
  • Extra stiff-consistency* white
  • Dipping-consistency** red (Super Red)
  • Stiff-consistency dark brown (Espresso)
• Tips:
  • Ateco #7, 44, 127, optional 264 (or equivalents)
  • PME #0, 3, 1.5 (or equivalents)
• Molds:
  • 1/2-in (1.3-cm) silicone hemisphere mold
  • 1-in (2.5-cm) silicone hemisphere mold
  • 2 1/2-in (6.4-cm) silicone hemisphere mold
• Paint brushes:
  • Small flat angled paint brush
  • Tiny liner paint brush
  • Medium flat paint brush
• Kitchen shears
• Wafer paper
• AmeriColor (or equivalent) gel paste colorings for painting: Warm Brown, Bright White, Taupe, Ivory, Espresso, Burnt Umber, Dijon, Apricot, Super Red
• 1 tablespoon dark cookie crumbs (I mixed 3 parts Oreo Thins with 1 part gingerbread)
• 1/4 teaspoon corn syrup
• Cookie dough that bakes with minimal spread (I used Julia’s gingerbread recipe)
• 2 1/2-in (6.4-cm) round cookie cutter
• Food-safe file
• Small cookie cutter or large piping tip with opening less than 1 in (2.5 cm)
• Small cookie cutter with opening less than 2 in (5.1 cm)
• Scribe tool (or equivalent)
• Sculpting tool with curved head (or equivalent)
• Food-safe marker
• Mushroom Gill Template (located in “Files” in “Attachments” at the end of this post)
• Craft knife
• Edible glue
• 2 (1 1/8-in/2.9-cm) round cookies

*For extra stiff-consistency icing, add powdered sugar to your regular stiff-consistency icing until it is just barely tacky. The icing will be slightly grainy. Extra stiff-consistency icing will be easier to manipulate without risk of it sticking to tools.

**For dipping-consistency icing, I used 4-second icing (meaning it took about four seconds for the icing to settle completely after a knife or spatula was drawn through it).

Step 1: Pipe snail transfer

a. Using extra stiff-consistency white royal icing and an Ateco #7 tip (or equivalent), pipe a swirl on top of a 1/2-inch (1.3-centimeter) silicone hemisphere mold. The rounded top of the mold will help to give the shell a more three-dimensional shape. Use a damp, small flat angled paint brush to define the creases between the swirls and refine the shape of the shell. Allow the icing to dry completely (in my arid climate, drying took one day).

b. Depress the mold around the dried shell transfer until the shell pops off. Flip it over so that you can pipe on the back face (where it was in contact with the mold). Use the same icing and tip to pipe a semicircle of icing to fill out the back of the shell (i). Use a damp, small flat paint brush to smooth the wet icing into the dried icing so that it looks like a single piece (ii). Using the same icing and a PME #0 tip (or equivalent), pipe a thin rim around the “opening” of the snail shell (iii). (I’ve highlighted the rim in the photo below so it is easier to see.) Allow the icing to dry completely.

c. Using extra stiff-consistency white royal icing and a PME #3 tip (or equivalent), pipe the snail’s body on top of a 1-inch (2.5-centimeter) silicone hemisphere mold. Begin by piping the tail, and end at the neck by lifting your piping bag so that the icing lifts off the mold (i). Press the snail shell transfer into the wet icing, and shape the body with a dry, small flat paint brush (ii).

d. To create the antennae, use kitchen shears to cut a thin sliver of wafer paper, about 1 1/2 inches (3.8 centimeters) long and 1/16 inch (0.2 centimeter) wide. Mix one drop Warm Brown gel paste coloring, one drop Bright White gel paste coloring, and a small dab of Taupe gel paste coloring (or equivalents) to make a tan paint. Paint both sides of the sliver, using just enough paint to make the wafer paper flexible but not so much that it becomes stretchy.

e. Pinch and roll the painted sliver between your fingers until it becomes a thin rope. If the sliver dries out and feels brittle, add a little more paint. Cut two small sections from the rope, each about 1/4 inch (0.6 centimeter) long.

f. Using extra stiff-consistency white royal icing and a PME #3 tip (or equivalent), pipe a head on the end of the snail’s neck. Insert the two antennae into the top of the head. Allow the icing to dry completely.

Note: At this point, I felt like my snail’s body was a little too small, so I went back and added a bit more width to it beneath the shell.

Step 2: Paint snail transfer

a. Mix a drop of Ivory gel paste coloring with a dab of Bright White gel paste coloring (or equivalents), and use a small flat paint brush to paint the entire shell except for the rim at the mouth of the opening. Allow the paint to dry a few minutes.

b. Using a tiny liner paint brush and undiluted Espresso gel paste coloring (or equivalent), pipe a stripe to outline the shell’s swirl.

c. Dilute a drop of Burnt Umber gel paste coloring (or equivalent) until it is no longer opaque but thicker than watercolor paint. Use a tiny liner paint brush to paint short lines perpendicular to the dark stripe painted in Step 2b.

d. Using undiluted Warm Brown gel paste coloring (or equivalent) and a tiny liner paint brush, paint short lines in between the reddish lines painted in Step 2c.

e. Mix one drop Warm Brown gel paste coloring, one drop Bright White gel paste coloring, and a small dab of Taupe gel paste coloring (or equivalents). Use a small paint brush to paint the body of the snail. Allow the paint to dry a few minutes.

f. Using undiluted Bright White gel paste coloring (or equivalent) and a tiny liner paint brush, paint tiny dots all over the body.

g. If any errant paint has run onto the thin rim of the shell’s opening, paint over it with a tiny liner paint brush and undiluted Bright White gel paste coloring (or equivalent).

Step 3: Create dirt

a. To create shredded bark for the base, cut about 10 (2-inch/5.1-centimeter) strips of wafer paper, ranging in width from 1/8 inch (0.3 centimeter) to 3/8 inch (1 centimeter) (i). Paint both sides of a wafer paper strip with Warm Brown gel paste coloring (or equivalent) (ii). Use the tip of your finger to roll the wafer paper strip into a rope (iii). The rope can be inconsistent, wider in some parts than others, or flat, etc. Pinch the rope to cut it into four or five irregular segments. Repeat with the remaining strips of wafer paper (iv).

b. Use a fork to mix one tablespoon of dark cookie crumbs with 1/4 teaspoon of corn syrup to make crumbly, wet-looking dirt. Allow the mixture to dry overnight before stirring in the shredded bark pieces.

Step 4: Bake mushroom cookies

a. Generously flour your work surface, and roll a small hunk of cookie dough to a thickness of 1/8 inch (0.3 centimeter). Use a 2 1/2-inch (6.4-centimeter) round cookie cutter to cut a circle from the dough. Transfer the circle to the convex side of a 2 1/2-inch (6.4-centimeter) silicone hemisphere mold, and gently use your palm to shape the dough around the mold. This cookie will be the cap of the larger mushroom.

b. Press another small hunk of cookie dough into the cavity of a 1-inch (2.5-centimeter) silicone hemisphere mold. This cookie will be the cap of the smaller mushroom.

c. For the small mushroom’s stem, roll a small hunk of cookie dough into a log about 1 1/2 inches (3.8 centimeters) long and 1/2 inch (1.3 centimeters) thick. For the large mushroom’s stem, roll a log of dough about 3 inches (7.6 centimeters) long and 1/2 inch (1.3 centimeters) thick.

d. Bake all of the cookies until crisp. Once the stem cookies are cool, use a food-safe file to flatten their bottoms so they stand vertically.

Step 5: Cover cookies with icing

a. Place the small mushroom cap cookie on top of a cookie cutter (or equivalent) with a smaller diameter so that the edges of the cookie overhang the edges of the cookie cutter. Using dipping-consistency red royal icing and a PME #3 tip (or equivalent), pipe icing to cover the the cookie (i). Allow the icing to drip off the bottom of the cookie. Use a scribe tool (or equivalent) to pop any air bubbles. Use the side of the scribe tool (or equivalent) to slice through the drips, dragging the excess icing inward, toward the cookie cutter (ii). Allow the icing to dry completely before popping the transfer off the cookie cutter. File any rough edges along the bottom of the small mushroom cap. Repeat this process to cover the large mushroom cap with icing, using a slightly larger cookie cutter to support the cap (iii).

b. For the next step, use a wooden sculpting tool with a slightly curved, spoon-like head (see the photo below). Alternatively, you could use your fingertip (or perhaps a silicone spatula) to achieve a similar effect.

Using extra-stiff consistency white royal icing and an Ateco #44 tip (or equivalent), pipe several adjacent bands of icing along the length of one stem cookie (i). Using the sculpting tool above (or equivalent), very gently run the convex head of the tool along the seams of the bands to flatten the icing and blend the bands together (ii). The resulting texture will have subtle bumps and ridges. Rotate the stem a quarter turn, and pipe and blend bands of icing along the next section of the stem. Continue this process until the entire stem is covered with icing. You may want to add some extra icing on the flat back of the cookie where it was in contact with the baking sheet to give it a uniformly round shape. Repeat this process to cover the other stem with icing (iii).

c. Using the same icing and an Ateco #127 tip (or any large petal tip), place the fat end of the piping tip about 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) below the top of the large mushroom stem with the narrow end of the piping tip pointing toward the bottom of the stem (i). Keeping the piping tip parallel to the stem, pipe a skirt of icing around the stem (ii). Use a sculpting tool (or equivalent) to gently push the top edge of the icing skirt upward, toward the top of the stem. If desired, insert the tip of your tool between the icing skirt and the stem to flare out the edges slightly (iii). Allow the icing to dry completely.

Step 6: Attach wafer paper gills

a. Flip over the large mushroom cap to expose the convex bowl of naked cookie. Hold the top of the large mushroom stem to the center of the mushroom cap, and use a food-safe marker to trace around the stem (i). Using undiluted Bright White gel paste coloring (or equivalent) and a flat angled paint brush, paint all of the naked cookie between the traced circle and the red icing of the mushroom cap (iii). Leaving the rim white, paint just the convex bowl of the mushroom cap with undiluted Taupe gel paste coloring (or equivalent) (iii).

b. Print the Mushroom Gill Template (located in “Files” in “Attachments” at the end of this post). Place a piece of wafer paper over the template, and use a craft knife to trace the shape. Before proceeding, check to see how the sample piece fits in the mushroom cap. Imagine the piece of wafer paper is a mouse (as I’ve illustrated in the photo below); insert the piece so that the tail of the mouse lines up with the edge of the unpainted circle. The mouse’s nose should just reach the taupe edge before the white rim. The mouse’s back should rest on the underside of the cap, and its flat bottom should face up. Modify the template as necessary to fit in your mushroom cap. Once you’re satisfied with the fit, use the template to cut out 100 gills.

c. Brush a small dab of edible glue on the “tail” of the wafer paper gill. Insert the piece so that the “tail” sits at the edge of the unpainted circle, the “nose” ends just before the white rim, and the piece sits vertically with the “back” against the convex bowl. Repeat with three more gills, placing them so that the mushroom cap is divided into quadrants (i). Attach another gill to either side of each of the first four gills. The newly added gills should touch at the “tails”, and their “noses” should sit just a few millimeters apart. Continue adding more gills, one adjacent to either side of each group of gills (ii) until the mushroom cap is completely filled (iii).

Note: If you’re looking for a speedier approach, try piping the gills with stiff-consistency white royal icing and an Ateco #264 tip (or equivalent small petal tip). Place the fat end of the tip against the traced unpainted circle with the narrow end of the tip pointing up, and pipe a line ending just before the white rim. Repeat to create the same spoke-like pattern of the paper gills (albeit with fewer lines).

Step 7: Paint mushrooms

a. Mix equal parts Bright White gel paste coloring and Dijon gel paste coloring (or equivalents). Using a medium flat paint brush, paint both mushroom stems with the light yellow paint (i). Allow the paint to set a few minutes. Lightly brush both mushrooms with undiluted Bright White gel paste coloring so that the brush just skims over the surface. The stems should look white with some yellow undertones in the recessed areas (ii).

b. Using a tiny liner paint brush, paint undiluted Dijon gel paste coloring (or equivalent) on the bottom frilly edge of the large mushroom’s skirt.

c. To paint the mushroom caps, mix equal parts Apricot gel paste coloring and Bright White gel paste coloring (or equivalents). Use a medium flat paint brush to paint an orange band around the bottom of the mushroom cap (i). Dilute a drop of Super Red gel paste coloring (or equivalent) until it is the consistency of watercolor paint. Brush the remainder of the mushroom cap with the red paint (ii). While the paints are still wet, use a clean, damp paint brush to blend the two paints together where they meet (iii). Repeat to paint the other mushroom cap.

Step 8: Add dots to mushroom caps

a. Using extra stiff-consistency white royal icing and a PME #3 tip (or equivalent), pipe a dab of icing on the underside of the snail and attach it to the small mushroom cap.

b. Use the same icing and tip to pipe irregular dots on the exposed portion of the small mushroom cap, leaving about 1/4 inch (0.6 centimeter) bare at the bottom edge. The white dots should have some noticeable height and irregular texture.

c. Using the same icing and a PME #1.5 tip (or equivalent), pipe tiny irregular dots in the empty space at the bottom edge of the mushroom cap.

d. Repeat Steps 8b and 8c to pipe dots on the large mushroom cap.

Step 9: Assemble mushroom cookies

a. Using stiff-consistency dark brown royal icing and an Ateco #7 tip (or equivalent), attach the bottom of the large mushroom stem to a 1 1/8-inch (2.9-centimeter) cookie (i). Pipe a dab of icing on top of the stem and insert the stem into the hole on the underside of the mushroom cap at the center of the gills (ii). (Note: I’ve taken the middle photo below with the mushroom upside down so that you can see where the stem is inserted, however, I recommend doing this step with the mushroom right side up so that you can tilt the cap on the stem to your liking while the icing dries.) Cover the base cookie with stiff-consistency dark brown royal icing, flattening it with a damp paint brush. While the brown icing is still wet, cover it with the dirt created in Step 3. Gently press down the dirt to help it adhere (iii).

Here is the fully assembled large mushroom cookie:

b. In the same fashion, attach the small mushroom stem to a 1 1/8-inch (2.9-centimeter) cookie. Attach the mushroom cap to the top of the stem with a small dab of icing. Cover the base cookie with brown icing, and apply dirt to the wet icing.

Finished!

The mushrooms were my inspiration for these cookies, but it’s the little snail that stole my heart. Here it is on a cupcake to show just how small it is:

Source: Ann Wood, woodlucker.com

Samantha Yacovetta is the author of Every Little Detail with Aproned Artist, a monthly Cookie Connection blog feature that focuses on the special little details that make big statements in cookie design. Samantha began cookie decorating in 2013. While working at a local bakery, she became captivated by cookie art when a customer requested princess-themed cookies. Attracted initially to the precision of cookie decorating, Samantha soon found that the limitless design opportunities turned it into her artistic passion. Samantha began regularly stocking the bakery case with decorated cookies and for several years sold cookies through her own company, Aproned Artist, a cottage food operation. Having retired from the business life, Samantha now enjoys making cookies just for fun from her home in San Jose, California, USA. She is known for her love of miniature 3-D cookie scenes and innovative sculpted royal icing techniques. In 2023, Samantha won the American Cake Awards Cookie Award. To learn more about Samantha, please check out her Cookie Connection portfolio, follow her on Instagram or Facebook, or dive into her past Every Little Detail tutorials on this site.

Photo and cookie credits: Samantha Yacovetta

Note: This article expresses the views of the author, and not necessarily those of this site, its owners, its administrators, or its employees. Again, to read all of Samantha's past Every Little Detail tutorials, click here. And to see all of Cookie Connection's tutorials, click here.