Christmas is coming! My local grocery store started setting up the reindeer and fake snow in early September. The “holiday season” has become so lengthy that it lulls me into a false sense of calm. ("I have plenty of time to buy all of the presents and cook everything.") But then, suddenly, Thanksgiving is over, and I find myself scrambling to get it all done. The presents aren’t bought, and the goodies aren’t baked, but this little nutcracker cookie is ready to usher in the festivities.
Supplies:
- Cookie dough that bakes with minimal spread (I used Julia’s gingerbread recipe)
- 3 (1/2-in/1.3-cm) silicone hemisphere molds
- Tips:
- Food-safe file
- Royal icing (I used AmeriColor gel paste coloring to tint the icing):
- Dipping-consistency* peach (5 parts Ivory/1 part Peach)
- Stiff-consistency peach (5 parts Ivory/1 part Peach)
- Dipping-consistency* white
- Stiff-consistency black (Super Black)
- Stiff-consistency white
- Dipping-consistency* red (Super Red)
- Stiff-consistency gold (Gold)
- Stiff-consistency red (Super Red)
- Dipping-consistency* blue (Navy)
- Stiff-consistency blue (Navy)
- Scribe tool (or equivalent)
- Paint brushes:
- Small flat angled paint brush
- Tiny liner paint brush
- AmeriColor (or equivalent) gel paste colorings for painting: Sky Blue, Bright White, Super Black
- Parchment paper
- 3-in (7.6-cm) round cookie cutter (or equivalent)
- Small trowel or offset spatula
- Gold luster dust
- Alcohol
- Silicone straw (optional)
- Wafer paper
- Spice grinder
- Peppermint candy (or equivalent)
*For dipping-consistency icing, I used four-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: Shape and bake cookies
a. Roll a small hunk of cookie dough into a ball, and press it into the cavity of a 1/2-inch (1.3-centimeter) silicone hemisphere mold (i). Trim off any excess cookie dough to flatten the exposed top. Repeat twice more to shape three small hemisphere cookies. Bake the cookies until crisp (ii).
b. Roll more cookie dough to a thickness of 1/8 inch (0.3 centimeter). Use the small opening of an Ateco #808 tip (or equivalent) to cut out three 5/8-inch (1.6-centimeter) circles. Use the small opening of a Wilton #2A tip (or equivalent) to cut out five 7/16-inch (1.1-centimeter) circles. Bake the cookies until crisp.
Step 2: Decorate head
a. Use a food-safe file to flatten the rounded top of one hemisphere cookie (i). Place the cookie on top of a Wilton #2A tip (or any perch that has a smaller diameter than the bottom of the cookie). Using dipping-consistency peach royal icing and a PME #0 tip (or equivalent), pipe icing to cover the the cookie (ii). Allow the icing to drip off the base of the cookie. Use a scribe tool (or equivalent) to pop any air bubbles. Use the side of the scribe tool to slice through the drips, dragging the excess icing inward toward the piping tip (iii). Allow the icing to dry completely before removing the cookie from the piping tip. File any rough edges along the bottom of the cookie. File the rounded top of the flooded cookie so that it is flat again (iv).
b. Rest the flooded head sideways in the cavity of a clean 1/2-inch (1.3-centimeter) silicone hemisphere mold to keep it steady. To make the nose, use stiff-consistency peach royal icing and a PME #2 tip (or equivalent) to pipe a teardrop on the middle of the head with the narrow end of the teardrop pointing toward the narrower top of the head (i). Allow the icing to set for a moment until no longer tacky. Use the side of a dry flat angled paint brush to flatten the icing and square off the edges, creating a tall, blocky trapezoid (ii).
c. Using stiff-consistency peach royal icing and a PME #0 tip (or equivalent), pipe two wide “u”s for the lower eyelids (i). Fill the eyelids with a thin layer of dipping-consistency white royal icing (ii). Allow the icing to dry completely.
d. Mix equal parts Sky Blue gel paste coloring and Bright White gel paste coloring (or equivalents) to make a light blue paint. Use a tiny liner paint brush to paint a circle at the top of the white interior of each piped eye (i). Paint a smaller semicircle for the pupil with Super Black gel paste coloring (or equivalent) (ii).
e. Using stiff-consistency black royal icing and a PME #0 tip (or equivalent), pipe a line along the top of each eye for the eyelids.
f. Using stiff-consistency white royal icing and a PME #1.5 tip (or equivalent), pipe two eyebrows above the eyes. Use a small flat angled paint brush to flatten and shape the eyebrows.
g. Use the same icing and tip to pipe a curling teardrop for the mustache. Start the teardrop beneath the left half of the nose, and end the teardrop in the middle of the cheek (I). Use a small damp paint brush to flatten the teardrop and refine the shape of the curl (ii). Mirror the teardrop beneath the right half of the nose to complete the mustache (iii).
h. Use stiff-consistency white royal icing and an Ateco #44 tip (or equivalent) to pipe the hair as if you were piping a bead border. Start piping at the base of one side of the head. Apply extra pressure at first so that the icing folds over on itself, and then release the pressure as you pull up toward the middle of the head (i). Pipe a similar curl on the other side of the head so that the hair looks symmetrical (ii). Fill in the back of the head with more curls so that the entire lower half of the head is covered with hair. Repeat to pipe a second row of curls above the first (iii). Set aside the head for now.
Step 3: Decorate chest and lower torso cookies
a. To create the chest of the nutcracker, file the rounded top of one hemisphere cookie until it is flat. Flip over the hemisphere so that it sits on the flat top (with the larger flat bottom facing up). Use a dab of stiff-consistency white royal icing to attach one 5/8-inch (1.6-centimeter) round cookie on top of the hemisphere. Use another dab of icing to attach one 7/16-inch (1.1-centimeter) round cookie on top of the 5/8-inch (1.6-centimeter) cookie. Pipe icing to fill the seams between the cookies, and use a damp flat paint brush to smooth the icing.
b. Using stiff-consistency royal icing (any color will do) and a Wilton #10 tip (or equivalent), pipe a 3-inch (7.6-centimeter) line of icing on a piece of parchment paper (i). This transfer will serve as a temporary handle so it doesn’t need to look pretty. Allow the icing to dry completely. Break the transfer in half, and attach a piece to either end of the chest. Allow the icing to dry completely. Suspend the handles over a 3-inch (7.6-centimeter) round cookie cutter (or equivalent) (ii). Using dipping-consistency red royal icing and a PME #0 tip (or equivalent), pipe icing to cover the chest (iii). Allow the icing to drip over the sides. Pop any air bubbles with a scribe tool (or equivalent). Use a scribe tool to spread the drooping icing around the backside of the chest (iv). Allow the icing to dry completely. Once dry, pry off the handles with a small trowel or offset spatula (i). File any drips on the backside of the chest so that the layer of icing is smooth and consistently thick. If necessary, file any remaining icing at the top and bottom of the chest where the handles were attached.
c. Rest the chest sideways in the cavity of a clean 1/2-inch (1.3-centimeter) silicone hemisphere mold to hold it steady. To make the beard, use stiff-consistency white royal icing and a PME #2 tip (or equivalent) to pipe an overlapping squiggle of icing extending down the center from the top edge of the cookie (i). Allow the icing to set for a moment until no longer tacky. Use a dry flat paint brush to gently flatten the icing in small sections so that it looks like a curly beard (ii).
d. Using stiff-consistency gold royal icing and a PME #25 tip (or equivalent), pipe a band of icing for the trim of the coat that extends from the bottom of the beard down the center of the chest. Set aside the chest cookie for now.
e. For the lower torso, file the rounded top of a hemisphere cookie until it is flat. Using stiff-consistency red royal icing and a PME #0 tip (or equivalent), pipe an upside down “v” on the side of the hemisphere so its two ends touch the wide base of the cookie and its point nearly touches the narrower cookie top (i). Use dipping-consistency blue royal icing and a PME #0 tip (or equivalent) to fill the inside of the upside down “v” (ii). This blue triangle will be the top of the nutcracker’s pants peeking through the flaps of the coat.
f. Place the lower torso on top of a Wilton #12 tip (or equivalent). Using dipping-consistency red royal icing and a PME #0 tip (or equivalent), pipe icing just above the red upside down “v”. Use a scribe tool to smooth the icing along the piped red line to create a barrier so that the remainder of the icing does not overflow onto the flooded blue section (i). Pipe icing to cover the remainder of the lower torso (iii). Allow the icing to drip over the sides of the cookie, but be careful not to cover the blue section of the cookie. Pop any air bubbles with a scribe tool (or equivalent). Use a scribe tool to slice through the drips, dragging the excess icing inward toward the piping tip (iii). Allow the icing to dry completely before removing the cookie from the piping tip. File any rough edges along the bottom of the cookie.
g. To pipe the coat trim, use stiff-consistency gold royal icing and a PME #25 tip (or equivalent). Pipe a band of icing to outline the right side of the red section, starting at the tip of the blue section and ending behind the cookie (i). Pipe another band of gold icing starting at the top center of the cookie and outlining the left side of the red section (ii). Use a damp paint brush to blend the two ends of the gold trim behind the cookie so it looks like a continuous line. Allow the icing to dry completely.
Step 4: Assemble torso and head
a. Use a dab of icing to attach the bottom of the chest cookie to the top of the lower torso cookie, lining up the vertical trim of the coat.
b. Cut a small rectangle of parchment paper, wrap it over an Ateco #44 tip (or equivalent) to cover about one third of the tip’s opening, and tape the parchment paper in place. Use the modified tip and stiff-consistency black royal icing to pipe a belt, covering the seam between the chest and lower torso cookies. Use a damp paint brush to blend the ends of the belt behind the cookie so that the belt looks continuous. Allow the icing to dry completely.
c. Using stiff-consistency gold royal icing and a PME #0 tip (or equivalent), outline a rectangle in the center of the belt for the buckle.
d. Use a dab of stiff-consistency white royal icing to attach the base of the head to the top of the chest cookie (i).
e. Use stiff-consistency gold royal icing and a PME #31R tip (or equivalent) to pipe a collar to cover the seam between the head and the chest cookies. The band should wrap from one edge of the beard to the other. Allow the icing to dry completely.
f. Mix gold luster dust with a drop of alcohol to make a gold paint. Use a tiny liner paint brush to paint the gold icing of the coat trim, the belt buckle, and the collar.
Step 5: Pipe, decorate, and attach arm transfers
a. Cut a 2-inch (5.1-centimeter) piece from a silicone straw, and then cut the piece in half lengthwise. Using stiff-consistency red royal icing and an Ateco #8 tip (or equivalent), pipe a line of icing in each half of the straw. The straw will give the icing a more uniformly cylindrical shape. If you do not have a straw, pipe the lines directly on parchment paper. Allow the icing to dry completely. (In my arid climate, it took two days for the icing in the straw to dry.)
b. Break off the uneven ends of the dried icing, and file the arm transfers until they are the same height as the red portion of the coat, reaching just to the bottom of the gold collar. My nutcracker's arms were 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) long.
c. Using stiff-consistency peach royal icing and an Ateco #8 tip (or equivalent), pipe a small ball at the end of each arm transfer for the hands. Use a dry flat paint brush to shape and smooth the icing.
d. For the cuffs, use stiff-consistency gold royal icing and a PME #31R tip (or equivalent) to pipe a band to cover the seam between the arms and the hands (i). Use a damp paint brush to blend the two ends of the band together behind the arm so the cuff looks continuous. Switch to an Ateco #8 tip (or equivalent) and pipe a small cap at the top of the arm (ii). Use a dry flat paint brush to shape and smooth the icing. Allow the icing to dry completely.
e. Paint the gold icing of the cuff and the shoulder cap with a mixture of gold luster dust and alcohol.
f. Balance the assembled upper body of the nutcracker on top of two 5/8-inch (1.6-centimeter) round cookies. (Elevating the nutcracker on the cookies allows enough clearance to attach the arms.) Using stiff-consistency red royal icing and a PME #2 tip (or equivalent), pipe a dab of icing beneath the collar on either side of the torso. Press an arm into each dab of icing so that the gold shoulder caps and the collar are aligned. Allow the icing to dry completely.
Step 6: Decorate and attach hat
a. Use a dab of stiff-consistency white royal icing to attach four 7/16-inch (1.1-centimeter) round cookies to one another to create a stack. Pipe icing to fill the seams between the cookies, and use a damp flat paint brush to smooth the icing.
b. Using stiff-consistency black royal icing and an Ateco #44 tip (or equivalent), cover the top and sides of the hat cookie (i). Allow the icing to set for a moment until no longer tacky. Use a dry flat paint brush to flatten the icing on the top of the hat. Place the hat on its side on a piece of parchment paper, and roll it back and forth to compress the icing into a smooth cylinder (ii). Allow the icing to dry completely. If necessary, use a food-safe file to smooth any rough areas.
c. To give the hat a furry texture, I used a technique that I learned from Liz Joy (aka Inspired to Taste). Paint both sides of a few small pieces of wafer paper with undiluted Super Black gel paste coloring (or equivalent) (i). Allow the wafer paper to dry completely. Use a spice grinder to grind the wafer paper into a powder (ii). Use a paint brush to mix a dab of stiff-consistency black royal icing with water to thin the icing to a paint-like consistency. Brush the exterior of the hat with the thinned icing, and cover it with the wafer paper powder (iii). Allow the icing to dry before attaching the hat to the top of the nutcracker’s head with a dab of stiff-consistency white royal icing (iv).
Step 7: Pipe leg transfers, and attach upper body
a. Using stiff-consistency black royal icing and a Wilton #10 tip (or equivalent), pipe two long cylinders inside the cut pieces of silicone straw used in Step 5a (i). Allow the icing to dry completely. (In my arid climate, it took two days for the icing to dry.) Break off the uneven ends of the dried icing, and file the cylinders until they are 3/4 inch (1.9 centimeters) long (ii). Repeat to create cylinders of the same size with stiff-consistency blue royal icing. Use a dab of stiff-consistency black royal icing to attach a blue cylinder to the top of each black cylinder (iii).
b. Use stiff-consistency gold royal icing and a PME #31R tip (or equivalent) to pipe a band of icing to cover the seam between the black cylinders (the boots) and the blue cylinders (the pant legs). Use a damp paint brush to blend the two ends of each band together behind the legs so the trim looks continuous (i). Let the icing dry completely. Paint the gold trim with a mixture of gold luster dust and alcohol (ii).
c. Secure a peppermint candy (or equivalent) to a piece of parchment paper with a large dab of stiff-consistency white royal icing. (This securing is only temporary; it will keep the candy from moving during the remaining assembly process.) Position the legs toward the back of the candy to leave room for the feet, and attach each leg transfer to the candy with a small dab of stiff-consistency white royal icing (i). Using stiff-consistency black royal icing and an Ateco #8 tip (or equivalent), pipe a bead of icing on the candy directly in front of one leg transfer (ii). Allow the icing to set for a moment until no longer tacky. Use a dry paint brush to shape the icing into a foot (iii). Repeat to pipe and shape the other foot (iv).
d. Pipe a dab of stiff-consistency blue royal icing on top of each leg transfer. Place the upper body of the nutcracker on top, gently pressing it into the icing to adhere the sections. Allow the icing to dry completely before peeling the parchment paper away from the peppermint candy.
Finished! This adorably tiny nutcracker cookie is ready for Christmas.
Before I leave you for the holiday, a quick side note: From now into 2025, I will be taking some time off to refresh my creativity. When I return, I will be posting on an intermittent schedule, as inspiration strikes me.
I hope you all have a wonderful holiday!
[EDITOR'S NOTE: I am, of course, sad to know that Samantha will be posting less frequently in the coming months, as her work has been an extraordinary addition to this site. However, I fully appreciate the role that rest and rejuvenation play in keeping the creative juices flowing. I wholeheartedly support Samantha's decision and look forward to her return when the time is right for her. That being said, I do want to keep a consistent flow of tutorials on the site, so if any of you would like to see a particular cookier (or cookiers) join the Cookie Connection tutorial team, please email me as soon as possible with recommendations, and I will do my best to enlist them if I think they'd be good fits. TIA for your input! 🙂 ~JMU]
Source: Liz Joy, Inspired to Taste, "How to Create a Velvet Texture on Cookies"
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.
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