Painted
Cookies
There are two ways
to paint cookies—before and after they are baked. We would like
to acquaint you with both methods.
We usually think
of painting cookies as a kid’s activity—and it is. Kids
can spend hours making cookies into shapes and painting them. It addresses
two passions—cookies and creativity. Allow kids imagination to
run both in the shapes they make and the colors they paint.
Painted cookies
are also a fun craft for older kids and adults. We have seen pictures
of painted cookies that are truly beautiful. Carefully painted cookies
make wonderful decorations for Christmas or holidays. And since they
are painted with edible paint, you can eat those creations that you
don't keep.
Painting
Cookies before They are Baked
Raw
cookie dough can be painted because it is fairly dense and the paint
stays on the surface rather than soaking in. We have tried both egg
yolk based paints and cornstarch based paints. The egg yolk based paints
are dense and opaque and create a colored “skin” on the
cookie. When the cookie expands in the oven, the colored skin does not
expand with the cookie and therefore does not leave complete coverage.
Because of the pigment in the yolks, the colors are yellow tinted. Use
egg yolk based paints and paint cookies before they are baked when the
yellow tint from the yolk is acceptable and when the edges of the 
cookie
do not have to be covered. The antique looking flower on the left (top
picture) in the accompanying picture was painted on a peanut butter
cookie with egg yolk based paints. You can check out the recipe for
the Painted Peanut Butter Cookies.
The same paints
were used to paint the lighter-colored cookie on the right (again, top
picture). This is a sugar cookie made with our American
Classic Sugar Cookie Kit. Notice that the sugar cookie did not expand
as much as the peanut butter cookie and therefore has more coverage.
The flowers in the above
picture were created by molding bits of dough as you would clay. Kids
will have a great time molding animal shapes and characters. Help them
press the shapes to a uniform thickness so that the cookies will bake
uniformly. The seams formed by pressing the bits of dough together act
as lines to guide your child in his or her painting.
Edible paint can
also be made with cornstarch. The red heart (middle picture) was made
with a simple cornstarch-based paint. The cornstarch does not cover
as well nor create the skin that egg yolks do but the colors are true
and the paint seems to expand with the cookies a little better.
Cookie
dough can be used as a canvas and kids can paint scenes or designs with
egg yolk based paint. The rectangular cookies to the right are chocolate
shortbread cookies painted with egg-yolk based paints. We tried a shortbread
recipe because shortbread is dense and expands very little. Interestingly,
the paint left an embossed effect on the surface of the cookies.
Painting
Baked Cookies
Once
the cookie is baked, the surface has risen and is much more porous.
To paint baked cookies, the porous surface is covered with a hard shelled
frosting, usually a frosting with meringue powder added to create a
smooth, firm surface. On the frosted surface, bright colors and crisp
lines are painted using undiluted food coloring. Just dip the tip of
the paint brush right in the food coloring bottle.
To the right, are
sugar cookies that are frosted and then painted with food colors. We
used an American
Classic Sugar Cookie Kit to produce both the cookies and the frosting
but you can use your own recipe. The cookies come in both chocolate
and vanilla and the royal icing mixes contain meringue powder. We also
carry meringue
powder for icings if you care to do your own.
Whether painting
on unbaked cookies or frosted cookies, simple water color brushes work
well. They are inexpensive, you can buy them in different widths, and
they clean up with hot water.
Here you will find
the recipes that you need to paint your cookies. We hope that you and
your kids have a wonderful time.
Easy Meringue
Frosting
Meringue powder
is made with powdered egg whites (plus starches and flavors). Reconstituted
egg whites dry hard leaving a shell on the frosting. You can purchase
meringue powder at baking supply stores, on the internet, or at The
Prepared Pantry. (Click here for meringue
powder.)
3 tablespoons meringue
powder for icing
1/4 cup water
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, more or less
Stir the meringue
powder and water together until smooth. Add enough of the powdered sugar
to obtain the desired consistency for spreading. Completely cover any
leftovers.
Edible
Cookie Paint Recipes
(for Decorating Un-baked Cookies)
Egg Yolk
Based Paint
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon water
food coloring
Stir the yolks and
water together until smooth. Add the food coloring. Clean up with water.
Cornstarch
Based Paint
3 tablespoons cornstarch
water
food coloring
Stir enough water
into the cornstarch to make a slurry. Add the food coloring.
Printable
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