I saw these cookies and they are incredible! MartinaF you are so talented. I don't know how those little lace parts are made? Those cookies are sooo beautiful. Is there a stencil to make those lace parts in the middle of the cookie? anyone knows how to do the lace part? here is one of her cookies:
http://cakecentral.com/gallery/1991828/gingerbread-wedding

I would say it's Sugar Veil, but since I've never used it I don't know for sure.

I don't know for sure but it kind of looks like sugarveil.

I've never used sugar veil either, but I've seen videos of how it's used and I don't think this is it. Just because the details are sooo tiny. I think the cookie artist actually pipes everything by hand. I don't know how in the world she does it, but that's what it looks like to me.

We could pm her and ask. Anybody have any idea what language she speaks and if Google will translate it?

Her signature says she is from the Czech Republic. Most people speak Czech there. I'll try using Google Translate and send her a message.

I think it's all hand-done royal icing and lots and lots and lots of practice. Her whole gallery shows incredible work. When I first saw them, I wanted to order some cookies and have her ship them to me in Seattle. Then I realized she is in the Czech Republic.

I read a post on one picture and someone ( can't remember who) asked her how she did it she said they were done with stencils they also asked if she would be willing to do a video and maybe someone could translate. She said it might be awhile that was in April 2011. So maybe one day we can all do cookies like her!

There are a number of ways to do these kinds of cookies. Sugarveil offers lace mats and the nozzle thingy so you can trace over a pattern. Then there are stencils, pattern transfers, or overlays (royal or chocolate.) Then again there's piping right on the cookie -- after you've made the impression you want to pipe. I guess it's whatever works.

I sent a message to her yesterday, but it's still sitting in my "outbox," which means she hasn't opened it yet. I'll make sure to post what she replies with.

Nothing so sophisticated as Sugarveil . It's RI.

Being of Czech origin I used to see them quite often. It's a traditional style of decorating gingerbread cookies (similar skills are used to decorate Easter eggs - real eggs, in this case using different colors instead of RI). These patterns are hundreds of years old and originated in small villages, mostly in the eastern part of Czech Rep (Moravia), created individually by local countryside artists. I doubt she will reply soon, these artists are usually of a certain age (they don't go on-line so often and don't speak English). They learn to decorate from their mothers and grannies, it's something like a family tradition, so they have been doing it all their life. I've never really asked about details as it seems like something out of this world and don't believe it would be possible to create something like this without years of practice (or Sugarveil?). HTH

Wow Panel7124 - - that is absolutely amazing! I don't pipe - my hands have always been too shaky - so this is something like magic to me. Even more impressive, if that's possible.

Hehe jgifford, no piping for me either... Have a similar problem

This is a modern style of making gingerbread cookies, they are not so decorated but are still quite popular:
http://www.ahaonline.cz/clanek/trapasy/33390/pernik-z-matejske-pouti-takhle-ho-vyrabeji.html

The artists like Martina are really exceptional, there are not many of them nowadays.

http://perniky.artmama.cz/user/790/images
(if you click on the list - left, you can see work of other artists - even MartinaF)


Attachment: traditional Easter eggs

Incredible! I want to be like her when I grow up.

Another gal who is amazing (also from Czech republic) is Kraach. Check these pix out: http://cakecentral.com/gallery/user/kraach

Thanks for the explanation. Their work is truly amazing. Does it really take as long as it looks like it would or do people get quicker with practice? (obviously they would a little but I guess I mean significantly so)

If I ever managed to complete something even nearly like their smallest most simple design no one would EVER be eating it. I would put it in a case and make everyone I know sit looking at it!!!

Incredible to look at though!

[quote Does it really take as long as it looks like it would or do people get quicker with practice?
[/quote]

They are quite quick, like precisely calibrated machines or robots. Actually very quick Many years ago me and my friends have seen a lady to decorate cookies in this style . Not so skilled but still very good. We joked about decorating blindfolded. She said ok. Frankly, her cookie was at least 100 times better than anybody else's in the room. Giant heart (which is not so detailed) in the first attachment of previous post was made in 1 hour (don't know if they mean baking included).

Everybody usually has her/his secret recipe for the icing. Some use just powdered sugar and water, some eggwhites (there was no eggwhite or meringue powder available), sugar and lemon juice, some add potato starch - there are many variations. The cookies' taste is milder, not so spicy and they are usually quite soft and thick but depends on the area. My favourite - when I was child - were those covered with milk chocolate and coloured RI flowers.

There is another CC member (Czech) who makes this type of cookies:

http://cakecentral.com/gallery/2137047/pern

I asked her once how she makes them - she responded: patience... and years of practice.

That is incredible! I couldn't imagine being able to do those intricate designs with a mold or stencil, but at the same time, the designs look too perfect to be done by a human hand. I can understand why this would take a lifetime to learn. I think just one of those cookies would take me a week, and it would not be precise. Thank you for sharing your knowledge, Panel7124.

There are other cookie artists doing what Martina does. One is a gal named Nadia. She has also put out two videos on these cookies on You Tube. Here is her site:

This is one of the best videos on how the lace cookies are made and decorated. It is not in English, but you can follow it. You can also do a search on You Tube for other videos similar to this one.
Mandala mintás mézeskalács
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2TZF-vI86E&feature=related

This is all from the Czechoslovakia Republic. Google Czechoslovakia Gingerbread. I also Googled Czechoslovakia Gingerbread Hearts and got a lot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5uWMxOValA&feature=related

http://perniky.artmama.cz/user/786/images?page=5

You can see more of this type of Czech cookie if you do a Google Images search on mézeskalács (as well as perniky, and pernicky). Stunning work.