I just found this AMAZING cookie decorator on Flikr, Cookies by Sugar, and she only uses buttercream to decorate her cookies. I have been looking at pages and pages of her beautiful work and I just can't figure out how she frosts irregular shapes and curves using what looks like (maybe) a basketweave (? 46) tip. I myself use RI to outline and flood. I have never used buttercream to decorate cookies with and for the life of me can't figure out how this is done. It's just a case of "inquiring minds would like to know!" Here is an example:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/43488478@N06/4501103124/
do yourself a favor and check out her work...it's amazing! And if anyone has any light to shed on this type of decorating technique, I'd love to know!
How do you know she only uses buttercream? Those leaves REALLY look like fondant to me...
If you check her site again on the spring flowers she says frosted with buttercream, accented with fondant.
It does say she uses buttercream and fondant for the leaves. I love the look the basketweave tip gives her cookies. There's actually quite a few on flickr (elsewhere too) that use buttercream...some are so perfectly smooth....maybe it's rolled buttercream (the ones who make their's smooth, that is)
woke up still thinking about this (lol that's how you know you are cookie obsessed) and I watched a video at Karen's cookies where she spread buttercream onto a cookie, then used her spatula to go around the outside of the cookie to take away the excess. I'm wondering if "Cookies by Sugar" uses a decorating triangle or comb to apply the buttercream, then does the same as Karen and takes away the excess around the edges. That might explain the textured tops of her beautiful cookies.
That's Kim's work! She is absolutely AMAZING and is soooooo nice!! Why don't you send her an email through Flickr and ask her how she does it. She does use some fondant but her base is buttercream. She isn't really able to stack the cookies but who cares with cookies that look like that!! From what I can see, she uses a basket weave tip and makes large wide stripes of buttercream. Then she uses sanding sugar over that to kind of seal the buttercream in. From there she puts her details on top. But, again, you should just ask her! Super, super nice person!
woke up still thinking about this (lol that's how you know you are cookie obsessed) and I watched a video at Karen's cookies where she spread buttercream onto a cookie, then used her spatula to go around the outside of the cookie to take away the excess. I'm wondering if "Cookies by Sugar" uses a decorating triangle or comb to apply the buttercream, then does the same as Karen and takes away the excess around the edges. That might explain the textured tops of her beautiful cookies.
Care to share that link?
I agree with Peeverly! Kim is a fabulous cookie decorator! Whenever she posts her new designs, I'm amazed all over again at what she creates with buttercream.
I know you can heat BC and then flood it onto a cookie like you would RI. I've never tried it, but it's on my list of things to try.
woke up still thinking about this (lol that's how you know you are cookie obsessed) and I watched a video at Karen's cookies where she spread buttercream onto a cookie, then used her spatula to go around the outside of the cookie to take away the excess. I'm wondering if "Cookies by Sugar" uses a decorating triangle or comb to apply the buttercream, then does the same as Karen and takes away the excess around the edges. That might explain the textured tops of her beautiful cookies.
Yes please do share the link!!! I've never use buttercream on cookies! thanks in advance!
aracely30 This is the video I watched where Karen, from Karen's cookies, applied a buttercream base to a cookie (then she used a texture mat)
http://www.karenscookies.net/Cookie-Decorating-Video-Using-Cookie-Texture-Mats-with-Buttercream-Icing_ep_132-1.html
Since CC folks know Kim, I'll try and send her a message on Flikr to see if she can "enlighten" all of us non-buttercream folks! Thanks everyone.
I just put buttercream on a batch of cookies for my sister's 60th birthday party (of course I didn't take pics), and I was really happy with how they turned out.
I used a softer version of my normal BC (Indydebi's) and applied to the cookie with a size 12 tip. Then I carefully spread the BC with a small spatula and further smoothed using a Viva paper towel. Then I piped my decorations on top (and used a few fondant accents). They weren't quite as perfect looking as totally fondant-covered cookie, but I think with practice they'll be just as good.
Oh, and they crusted well enough for me to stack with parchment in between the layers.
IMO the BC tastes so much better on a cookie than fondant or royal icing, and rolled buttercream is just too greasy. This post and the links in it give me inspiration to keep perfecting my BC cookies
You can heat the buttercream and make a very nice icing (almost like glaze) for flooding cookies. I have done it and it works well and you would never know to look at it that it is buttercream. I use an all butter buttercream for this, and the taste is just like true buttercream. You do have to keep it warm for it to work well, but I've put it in bottles to use just like you would royal icing.
You can also add a lot of powdered sugar after heating and, if you're careful, roll it and cut it like rolled fondant, and that is insanely good and looks perfect -- without the greasiness of rolled fondant.
I have pictures of both ways, but they're not on the computer yet, so I haven't posted them.
sundowng...i will be waiting anxiously to see your cookies. "Warm" buttercream to flood?? Well, I sure do learn something new each day!
Actually Kim is a member of CC. Here is her CC Profile name:
theprincesskim
She is awesome!!! I would love to learn her technique![/list]
Please keep in mind that that is her signature look, and she makes her living with it.
She may not want to share her secret, and that would be fine, too. I'm sure we can all understand.
thank U so much for the video Joanne914, I've never heard of warm bc! I've only made RI cookies, I'm a roockie,but just by seen those beautyful cookies I really want to learn how to do them,I wonder if we could get a similar effect by using Ri with a stift consistency and using the sanding sugar? the little fiesta dress are soooo lovely,I always have some fondant lefts in my fridge I will try to do some ruffles for the cookies, I'll let you all know how it worked! PS sorry for my english it's not my first language! regards from Mexico!
I've just see the video,an it's awesome!!!! i've never ever seen anything like that! se doesn't outline the cookie,less work for us LOL, the texture is so nice and beautyful, but what I was thinking is that it may no be stackable becuase it may move the bc, but I'm sure the taste it must be delicious,thank U for sharing this amazing metod!
I just found this AMAZING cookie decorator on Flikr, Cookies by Sugar, and she only uses buttercream to decorate her cookies. I have been looking at pages and pages of her beautiful work and I just can't figure out how she frosts irregular shapes and curves using what looks like (maybe) a basketweave (? 46) tip. I myself use RI to outline and flood. I have never used buttercream to decorate cookies with and for the life of me can't figure out how this is done. It's just a case of "inquiring minds would like to know!" Here is an example:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/43488478@N06/4501103124/
do yourself a favor and check out her work...it's amazing! And if anyone has any light to shed on this type of decorating technique, I'd love to know!
I haven't read this entire post yet, but I do know her, just ask how she did any technique and she's very easy to talk to (unlike some of the others on Flickr unfortunately.) You're right, she does FABULOUS work!!
You can heat the buttercream and make a very nice icing (almost like glaze) for flooding cookies. I have done it and it works well and you would never know to look at it that it is buttercream. I use an all butter buttercream for this, and the taste is just like true buttercream. You do have to keep it warm for it to work well, but I've put it in bottles to use just like you would royal icing.
Wow, I'd love to try this! I once tried watering down Karen's Cookies Meringue Buttercream for flooding, but go figure, the icing wound up separating out (I probably should have at least used milk instead of water).
Do you heat the buttercream icing in the microwave, or on the stovetop in a double-boiler setup?
I decorate all my cookies w/ BC In fact I started decorating cakes b/c of taking Wilton classes to get better at cookies. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures b/c it never ocurred to me. I'll have to this holiday season.
I decorate all my cookies w/ BC In fact I started decorating cakes b/c of taking Wilton classes to get better at cookies. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures b/c it never ocurred to me. I'll have to this holiday season.
How do you apply the buttercream icing to the cookies? Do you add meringue powder to your buttercream?
I made a bunch of back to school cookies this last weekend using only buttercream (both in a "fondant" form and in a "glaze" form) and took pictures, and I'll try to post them tomorrow. I'm awful at photography, so take that in consideration.
I just make the buttercream in a saucepan. I add milk and butter, bring to a boil and remove from heat, then add flavorings, colors, and powdered sugar until it's the consistency you want. The only difference, for me, between a fondant and glaze is the amount of powdered sugar you use. This way, though, the fondant is not greasy like rolled buttercream. You have to use the icing warm, though, if you want it to flood. After the initial making, I just use the microwave for 10-15 seconds to reheat it when I've let it sit awhile. I made it into fondant first and then when I had used as much of that as I wanted, I plopped the rest back in the saucepan, added a little heat and milk, and stirred it into glaze.
The fondant is a little more tempermental than MMF or any commercial product, but I think the extra effort is worth it in that the taste and texture is more like true buttercream. This way, though, you can get it completely smooth like fondant or glaze, and once they dry, you can package and stack them like cookies done with the others. You do kind of have to play around with proportions a little and experiment as to the best way to work with it since I haven't really written down any recipes with it. However, I haven't found a way to mess it up completely yet -- I just added a little more milk or powdered sugar to get whatever effect I was aiming for.
HTH
How do you apply the buttercream icing to the cookies? Do you add meringue powder to your buttercream?
My Buttercream recipe is full butter BC with meringue powder. If I am going to have a smooth solid backgroud I ice and edge (run a straight icing spatula around the edge of the cookies to get sharp edges) and then pipe, sprinkle, sugar, place or what ever else the details.
I let them sit out for several hours so the BC has a nice firm crust and then store in an airtight container between sheets of waxed paper. They do get a little squished if I stack too many in a container, but since I don't sell them - hobby baker - no one cares. If you are going to sell, I either wouldn't stack or only two layers.
I also don't make sugar cookies, but butter cookies. Eveyone who has them quickly becomes addicted.
After watching the video posted on the first page;
It looks as though it may just be a matter of her cleaning the edges at a 45 degree angle after piping, rather than being able to cut the piping off cleanly at the edges when doing it.
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