Cookie decorating facts for kids
Cookie decorating is a fun way to make cookies look amazing! People have been decorating cookies for a very long time, at least since the 1300s. In Switzerland, they used special wooden molds called springerle to press designs onto cookies. These designs often showed pictures from the Bible.
In Germany during the Middle Ages, people made Lebkuchen (gingerbread) into cool shapes and decorated them with sugar. Later, in 1812, the story of "Hansel and Gretel" from Grimms' Fairy Tales inspired German bakers to make gingerbread cookie Christmas cards.
In the 1600s, Dutch and German settlers brought cookie cutters and decorating ideas to the United States. Today, cookie decorating is a popular activity all over the world. People have cookie decorating parties, make cookie gifts, or just decorate cookies with their families for fun.
You can use different kinds of icing to decorate cookies, like glaze, royal icing, and fondant.
Contents
History of Cookie Decorating
Early Cookie Art
One of the oldest ways to decorate cookies is with springerle. The oldest known springerle mold is in a museum in Zurich, Switzerland. It was carved from wood in the 1300s and shows an Easter Lamb.
A springerle mold or special rolling pin presses a picture onto a cookie. These cookies have been a Christmas tradition in Bavaria and Austria for hundreds of years. Sometimes, people color the designs with food coloring. If the cookies are just for decoration, they might even use paint!
Springerle cookies first showed Bible scenes to help teach people who couldn't read. Later, they showed everyday life events, like weddings and births.
Food experts say that artistic cookie making also started in Medieval Germany. Bakers made Lebkuchen (gingerbread) into fancy shapes and decorated them with sugar. Usually, only professional bakers could make these fancy gingerbreads. But at Christmas and Easter, everyone was allowed to make their own.
The First Gingerbread Man
The first gingerbread man might have been made for a queen! Many historians say Queen Elizabeth I of England started this tradition. During her time (from 1558 to 1603), she gave important visitors gingerbread cookies. These cookies were shaped and decorated to look like the visitors themselves!
These special gingerbread "portraits" were decorated with cloves dipped in gold.
In the 1600s, skilled bakers and artists created amazing gingerbread houses and cookies. During this time in Germany, Lebkuchen cookies also became popular as Christmas decorations.
Cookie Cutters and Christmas Trees
In 1812, the story of "Hansel and Gretel" from Grimms' Fairy Tales became very popular. This story inspired bakeries to create even more decorated gingerbread cookies. They made detailed molded cookies and Christmas cards. Tinsmiths started making all kinds of cookie cutters for bakers and people at home.
Many Victorian Christmas trees were decorated with cookies. These cookies were shaped like animals and gingerbread men.
Also in the 1600s, Dutch and German settlers brought cookie cutters and holiday decorations to the United States. Gingerbread was probably the first Christmas cookie made in the U.S. Sugar cookies, which are very popular for decorating today, came from England.
German cookie cutters made more stylish cookies and cost less than American ones. Between 1871 and 1906, many German cookie cutters came to the U.S. This helped the American tradition of decorating cookies for Christmas trees grow. Cookbooks in the U.S. then started showing recipes for decorative cookies like bells and Santa Clauses.
Today, cookie decorating is still a big tradition. People decorate cookies for holidays, have parties, make cookie bouquets, and trim Christmas trees with them. It's a fun family activity to do with children.
You can even find cookie decorating events at museums and community centers. Decorated cookies also win awards at fairs!
Cookie Cutters for Every Occasion
You don't always need fancy cookie cutters to decorate. Simple shapes can be used for many different themes. For example, a star-shaped cutter can be for Christmas, the Fourth of July, or to celebrate something special. A circle can become a sun, a ball, a flower, or a smiley face!
Sometimes, though, you might want a special cookie cutter. You can even get custom-made ones! For a 50th wedding anniversary, someone might send a picture of the couple's first car to a company. The company would then make a cookie cutter shaped like that car. Then, the cookies could be decorated to look just like it.
Icing for Cookies
Royal Icing
Royal icing is often used to decorate cookies because it dries hard. At the White House Christmas in 2005, the pastry chef decorated snowflake cookies with royal icing. This icing is usually made from raw egg whites, powdered sugar, and a little lemon juice.
Because of health concerns with raw eggs, some decorators use an egg-free royal icing. They use meringue powder instead of egg whites to make the icing stiff. You can also buy pasteurized egg whites at the store for a safer traditional recipe.
Sugar Glaze
A sugar glaze is another popular choice for decorating cookies. It's made without egg whites, using powdered sugar, water, corn syrup, and flavorings like almond.
To decorate with glaze, you first pipe an outline just inside the edge of the cookie. Then, you fill the design by piping glaze back and forth inside the outline.
You need to work quickly with glaze because it can crust fast. But it also needs to be wet enough so the piped lines melt together, making a smooth design. If the icing might crust too fast, you can divide the design into smaller sections. You pipe the outline, then fill one small section at a time. If there are any empty spots, you can gently drag a toothpick through the icing to fill them.
You can use more than one color of icing on a cookie. To do this, let the first color dry completely (sometimes for up to 2 hours) before adding the next color.
Usually, you want to keep colors separate, like Santa's white beard from his red suit. But sometimes, you can blend colors on purpose to create designs like a spider web. First, pipe and fill a white outline with white icing. Then, use black icing to pipe a spiral from the center to the edge. To make the web, drag a toothpick in a straight line from the center across the spiral to the edge. More lines make a more detailed web. You can use decorating bags with small round tips for this.
Fondant for Decorating
Fondant is another type of icing used for cookies. You can color fondant by kneading food coloring into it. It can be rolled out flat and then cut into shapes to match your cookies or designs. You can buy fondant ready-made. A popular homemade fondant that tastes good is marshmallow fondant. This is also used by cake decorators to cover cakes.
When rolling fondant, use a silicone mat or parchment paper. This means you won't need to dust your surface with powdered sugar. It also makes it easier to lift and move the cut pieces to your cookies.
You can use the same cookie cutters to cut the rolled-out fondant as you used for the cookies. Once cut, place the fondant on top of the cookie. Some fondants will stick right away. If it doesn't stick well, you can brush the cookie with a little vanilla extract, corn syrup, or piping gel to help it stick.
Cookies covered with fondant, just like those with regular icing, can be decorated with shiny things. These include silver dragees and other sparkly decorations. Small tweezers can help you place tiny decorations perfectly.
Decorating Fondant
You can use an impression mat to add designs or textures to fondant. First, roll out the fondant. Then, place the mat face down on the fondant. Gently but firmly roll over the mat with a rolling pin to make the design. Then, cut out your shapes.
For example, to make a lace heart, roll out white fondant on a silicone mat. Then, slowly roll an embossed fondant roller across it. Use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out the fondant hearts. Carefully peel the fondant heart off the mat so you don't mess up the design. Trim the fondant and place it on your cookie. Finally, you can brush the fondant-covered cookie with a light dusting of pearl luster dust for a shimmer.
Many decorations used for cakes are also used on cookies. These include sprinkles, colored sugars, beads, and finely chopped nuts. More expensive decorations like edible gold leaf can also be used.
Edible Silver and Gold Decorations
Shiny silver and gold decorations, like Dragées, are sometimes used on cakes and cookies. These special metals are meant to be eaten. They have been used for hundreds of years to decorate foods and drinks. You can find them as sprinkles, small flakes, or thin leaves at special stores or online.
Rules for using edible gold and silver can be different in various countries. Some countries, like Italy, have approved certain edible gold and silver products for eating.
Images for kids
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Christmas sugar cookies decorated with icing
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Springerle cookies ready to be baked
See also
In Spanish: Decoración de galletas para niños
