Sheen on Cookies

Yeah, I don't like the edible lacquers for the same reason. I find that dehydrating cookies always leaves them with a subtle satin finish. (Removing moisture from the drying environment will always do this, whether you use a dehydrator, heat fan, or some other method of quick-drying.) You can also paint cookies with corn syrup to give them a super shiny finish, but watch out: depending on your conditions (humid or not), the corn syrup may never completely dry, or may dry and then get tacky again if exposed to humidity. The latter is OK if you're not packaging your cookies, but can get problematic if you are. Yankee Girl Yummies did a whole post on the corn syrup technique for this site a few months ago; a good read: http://cookieconnection.juliau...-syrup-a-woeful-tale

Thank you Julia!  You're the best!!  I wondered today if a person could dilute corn syrup in water and air brush it on the cookies.  But tackiness may still be an issue.  I'll check out the post from Yankie Girl Yummies.

Yeah, I suspect tackiness would be even more of an issue with added water.

I din't believe it would make such a difference before I tried myself, but the secret truly is dehydrating, just as Julia states.

All my icing was shiny to start with and then turned dull, chalky within 24 hours. Nowadays I dry most of my cookies in my convection oven (I put them in there directly after I have coated/piped them!) at appr. 77° F / 25 ° C, door slightly ajar, and they keep a mother-of-pearl like sheen for weeks!

No need for any special treatment afterwards, they absolutely glow

just by themselves

I have also read somewhere, that you can use piping gel, but have never tried myself. It will maybe also remain kind of sticky for ever...

Considering how shiny sugar can be, it seems logical that there is a way to do it. I am not a candy maker, but perhaps a clear candy coating of some type could be used? I may pull out the glycerine, corn syrup, vodka, etc. and make a disaster to tell you all about later. Too bad we can't just buff them till they shine, lol.

Now you have put something in my mind! I went through a quick search and couldn't find anything concerning buffing of royal icing - did anybody try this? I imagine it could work. When sugar is slightly heated, it gets very shiny. And using a soft cloth and very fast movement might heat the sugar in the icing the tiniest bit and therefore create a sheen. At least in my theory, and only on flat and very smooth icing... hm... I think I'll try it one of these days and give report.

Just a few days ago I was practicing cursive on a cookie, messed up, so I wiped it straight off with a damp cloth. The next day the cookie had a shiny streak. Of course, that didn't look very pretty, but I think there's something to the idea of a buffer effect. Maybe wiping in a circular motion, getting the entire cookie instead of one place may be effective. Idk, just brainstorming. I was working with solid black cookies. I couldn't imagine this would work on anything but a solid color or else you'll smudge the design!

Rockthewhisk, ah ha!  Now that I think about it, I've had water splash on cookies a few weeks ago because they were sitting too close to the sink...I screamed.  BUT, I do remember the spots were shinier.  Maybe there is something to wiping with water once dry??  I'm experimenting!!

 

I will to!! I'm sure the texture of the cloth you're wiping it may have an effect too. This is kind of exciting--thinking up new ideas out of "mistakes." Many great inventions have grown out of that very thing 

I was pondering the rubbing/buffing, but I'm not sure if my icing dries hard enough for me to put much pressure on it. (I like a somewhat moist cookie.) We need a super soft polishing dremel attachment, lol! I have noticed that my glaze dries much shinier, and thought of trying to paint or drip a little on top of the royal icing where I want extra shine, such as a window pane or glasses.

What do you think of a quick pass over a flame? If heating the sugar makes it shinier, it might be just the thing. Maybe while it's still wet, just a little bit dry/set, or after it fully dries? An unscented candle could work. It should heat just the top layer of the the icing, not the cookie. Or we may all be eating melted cookies while we wait for the fire alarm to stop going off. Again. Anyone out there have a creme brulee torch? Bwaaaa ha ha fire! (My daughter is 14, and has banned me from playing with fire anymore, lol)