3D Ladybug Cookies

Supplies used:

Autumn Carpenter’s Fluttering Friends Cutie Cupcake Cutter Set
Autumn Carpenter’s Mini Accent Cutter Set
red gum paste or rolled fondant
black gum paste or rolled fondant
piping gel
sharp paring knife or flexible poly blade
white non-pareils
2 ½” fluted round baked sugar cookies
grass tip
green buttercream icing
pastry bag

Instructions:

Roll gum paste or fondant very thin. If using a pasta machine, thin to a #3. Cut ladybugs out of both red and black gum paste or fondant. Use poly blade to cut between the head and body of both red and black pieces. Attach the black head to the red body using piping gel. Use the smallest circle accent cutter to cut black dots and attach to ladybug with piping gel. Place two dots of piping gel on the head and place white non-pareils for the eyes. Allow all pieces to harden overnite.
Using a pastry bag fitted with the grass tip, pipe grass on top of cookie. Be sure to make the grass a little thicker in the center. Slide hardened ladybug into the center of the cookie. If needed, pipe more grass in the back of the ladybug for support.

Buttercream Iced Cookies

Jan6

Buttercream, a delicious sweet icing, may be spread on a cookie or put into a pastry bag with tips and piped on the cookie to achieve a variety of textures.

Tips and Coupler

Spreading and Piping Buttercream

buttercream icing
spatula
food color
tips
coupler
pastry bags

Make buttercream icing or use commercial buttercream icing. Add coloring if desired. Put icing in a bag with a tip attached; you can use a disposable bag, reusable bag, or parchment bag. Using a coupler will allow the changing of tips without your making another bag filled with the same color. Spread buttercream on the cookie with a spatula, or pipe designs using the pastry bags and tips. Hold the bags at a 45′ or 90′ for most tips. Various angles will give different appearances.

Common tips and their uses:

tip #233 (grass tip) is used for fur, grass, and tree branches.
tips #15, #16,#17, #18, #19, #20, #21 (star tips) are used for flowers and for filling.
tip #350 (leaf tip) is used for leaves and petals.
tips #1, #2, #3, #4, #5 (round tips) are used for writing and fine details.
tip #6 (round tip) is used for figure piping.
tip #44 is used for basketweave and flat ribbons.

Buttercream Icing Recipe

Jan5

Buttercream Icing

Buttercream is a sweet fluffy icing that taste great on any cookie. This icing can be spread or piped on. You would not want to stack this type of iced cookie or you would lose details. You can buy prepared buttercream or mix up a batch of your own by following the directions below.