Halloween Decorated Cookies
I finally got around to making my Halloween cookies with a few days to spare.
It’s no secret that I usually need a little help in the drawing department, so I pulled out the KopyKake drawing projector and scrapbooking tags for my decorated Halloween cookies this year.
You might not be able to tell, but the center of this circle cookie has a clear, candy coating. Here’s another example:
Have you heard of isomalt
*Note – you can achieve a similar, colorful look by crushing Jolly Ranchers
Before it’s heated, isomalt
You can either pour it into the center of your raw cookie shape, and then bake them together, or you can boil the isomalt to a temperature of 90 degrees Celsius or 193 degrees Fahrenheit, where it looks like this:
Then pour it onto parchment paper and use a metal cookie cutter to make the impression of the shape you want. The isomalt cools rapidly, so when it’s ready to handle, break off the edges and you’re left with your shape. Adhere the piece of isomalt to your cookie with royal icing.
I did learn not to pour the isomalt onto a silpat though (See below). It picks up every little impression. Use parchment paper!
Of course I couldn’t resist making some other cookies and decorating with disco dust
Wishing you a Happy Halloween!
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brilliant! can’t wait to try isomalt! Thanks so much for the inspiration.
Wow! How do you pipe such neat letters?
I love the tag shaped cookies!
Marian…you are the goddess of all things cookie!
This isomalt business is awesome! Who knew??
You are totally awesome!
You have mad skills! Amazing.
OMG, these are the most beautiful Halloween cookies!
These are so cute!! Great job!
You are AMAZING…really, AMAZING! I am in utter awe!
That clear candy coating looks gorgeous!
Thanks so much! It really isn’t that hard to make these as long as I have the KopyKake drawing projector! Corynn, that’s what I used to help me write the lettering.
Do you use a paintbrush to apply the disco dust to the areas you want?
These are amazing and beautiful! And I’ll definitely have to get my hands on some disco dust
Wow, I am amazed! Your work is great! You are a huge talent and I am very thankful to you that you share your ideas with us!
did you use the kopykat for your lettering too? it’s PERFECT! These are awesome cookies. Thanks so much for sharing!!
These are the most beautifully decorated Halloween cookies!
Your technique is wonderful, very inspiring!
Thanks so much!!
Jen; I sprinkled the disco dust on when the icing was wet. I shake the excess off onto parchment paper and re-use it later.
Once the cookie is completely dry I use a paintbrush to light dust off the excess. That disco dust sometimes has cookie crumbles in it, so be careful if you’d like to re-use it. (Pick cookie crumbles out and/or use them if you’re desperate and need some! lol)
Kristen I did use the KopyKake for the lettering.
That is so awesome! Thanks Marian for the ideas! Love those cookies!
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these look amazing. you mentioned that for color you could melt jolly ranchers or life savers. could you also add food coloring to the isomalt? i can’t wait to start baking, im so inspired!
Liz; you sure can! Liquid coloring, gel coloring, paste coloring… as long as it’s edible!
Have fun baking!
oh my. you are wonderfully talented. i’m loving your blog and your willingness to share your secrets. (your cookies make my cookies look so…well…amateurish). *wink* http://penandpaperflowers.blogspot.com/2009/10/get-your-spook-on.html
These look amazing, as do all of your other cookies. I haven’t actually started my own cookie decorating yet, but I will soon and I guess I’ll have to since I am about to go to school for baking! These inspire me to get practicing XD
Girl, you are way to talented! You are the best cookie artist EVER! I love these! I am hoping to post you on my blog in a day or two!
Oh my goodness! These are absolutely amazing….. How do you do that? How can you possibly pipe so neatly freehand? I now want to toss all my haloween cookies in the trash and start over
ok, I’m reading on KopyKake now…. thank you so much Marian – your cookies are truly an inspiration
Well thank you so much for your glowing compliments!! It’s really not hard with the right tools though – I’m not sure I deserve such praise!
Thanks Tammy for thinking of me for your posts
Fabulous work! Wish I had your talent!
You constantly amaze me with everything you do!
Amazing!!!!!!
Wow! Marian!!! These cookies are amazing! Love the isomalt. I actually came across it recently but I can’t remember where. Maybe it was on tv?? Anyway, you did wonderful things with it!
Gosh! *blush* Thanks so much!
I Love your cookies! For the ismomalt cookies can you just sprinkle isomalt (or Jolly Rancher’s) into the center of the cookie frame before baking? I saw this done with Jolly Ranchers somewhere and am hopeful that it can be done with isomalt. I actually just bought some at Nicholas Lodge Sugarcraft…but am still trying to get my nerve up to use it!
wow….again I love your creations…. beautiful work like always! thank’s for sharing all your talents.
ML
Thanks!
Rita; sorry I didn’t explain that very well… that’s what I meant when I said:
“You can either pour it into the center of your raw cookie shape, and then bake them together, or you can boil the isomalt to….”
I’ve tried the Jolly Ranchers and Life Savers with Gingerbread houses; for stained glass on a church, and it works very well. (Jolly Ranchers have a nicer color than Life Savers by the way).
Don’t be intimidated by the isomalt – it’s even easier than other candies because you don’t have to crush them.
Have fun playing around with it!
Marian, Thank you so much for answering so quickly! To explain my fear alittle more…I have nerve damage in my arms and hands and last month I got some melted sugar on my pinkie and didn’t even know it (I have no feeling)until it was too late. I’m gonna play with it once that memory has faded!
I love your work!
Hi again Rita,
Ouch! I’m understanding a bit more now…
Thanks for your compliment! I’m looking forward to seeing your work too.
Stunning cookies!!! Just perfect.
What size tips do you use for the fine writting?
I stand in awe of your beautiful cookie decorating and your amazing creative talent!! WOW!!!
Thank you for all the great tips and information that helps and inspires those of us that love cookie decorating but need a little nudge from someone as creative as yourself. You’re awesome!!
p.s. i’m really wanting a kopykat now!!! so many possibilites..
I just finished baking my Halloween cookies and most likely will not have a chance to decorate them with Royal Icing before I bring them into work on Friday:( but I think I’m going to keep a few and practice since I’ve never decorated cookies. You are a true inspiration
Absolutely beautiful work! You inspire me!
Marian – you are, as always, brilliant. Love the cookies! Where do you get isomalt?
Good morning from Greece..
You cant imagine how much you inspire me..Thank you sooooooo much..
Hi Marian,
These are so gorgeous my kids would love them. I think the silpat mat impression looks great! Kind of like the spider web is on an old window. Just a thought but could you crack the isomalt to make it look like a broken window? Thanks for sharing your talents.
And again: B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L!!! These cookies are perfect!
Thanks so much for your kind comments!!
Leslie, I used a #1 tip for the lettering.
Nikki, I never thought of the silpat impression that way; I like it a bit better now.
And what a great idea… cracking the isomalt to make it look like a broken window. So many possibilities!
You deserve all the praise that you have received and MORE! Marian you have got such an awesome talent! The cookies are absolutely beautiful and so perfectly made. Happy Halloween to you too!
Hi Marian,
I would love it if you could share with us how you use the KopyKake projector…. pretty please!
Aw, thanks Kim! Hope to see you today!
Nikki, it’s very easy really… you put the image in the projector, turn the light on, the image shines down onto the cookie (see second picture in this post), and then I trace the lines by piping my icing onto them.
I’ll eventually do a video tutorial on it… as soon as I get a video camera.
Hi Marian, I’m having real rouble finding the cream of tartar for the royal icing. Where do you get yours?
Ivona, it’s readily available in the spice or baking section in grocery stores here. I have a friend who lives in England who loves baking… let me get back to you on this one.
@ Marian:I couldn’t find it at Walmart or Publix. Michael’s doesn’t have it either – I figured maybe in their Wilton baking section they would have it. I think I will try Target this weekend, see if I have better luck. Thanks for researching.
Oh, despite my email address I live in U.S.
Hi Ivona, that makes it easier! Have you tried your local grocery store? It’s usually in the spice or baking section. It’s usually in a small orange container here in Canada. You can also usually find it in a bulk food store.
I just remembered I have a picture under my cookie decorating tutorial here.
I’m hoping for the small KopyKake Projector for Christmas but my husband came up with a great idea a couple years ago for me to be able to draw pictures on frosting sheets and wafer paper. (Of course you have to draw it and then place it on to your cakes or cookies and it’s not nearly as easy as projecting onto something…but) I set 2 TV tables up and put the copy of what I want to trace in between 2 (8×5) pieces of plexiglass. The frosting sheet or wafer paper goes on the top. Space those tables as far apart as the plexiglass will safely sit in between them. Place a light underneath the 2 tables in the middle and it will make the pattern come thru good enough for you to trace it. (Of course you have to be care and make sure the bulb doesn’t get close to the art work…I bought a cheap desk lamp that bends and I keep the head of it as close to the floor as possible.)
Hope you didn’t mind me sharing this on your site Marian.
Marian,
Do you mind if I ask how thick you roll your cookies out? I’m thinking that I might be rolling mine out way, too thick since it takes 18-20 minutes to bake.
Rita, thanks for your ideas!
For cookie thickness, I make mine about 0.75 cm – 1 cm. The cookies will take longer to bake the bigger they are as well.
Hope that helps!
Fantastic!
S.W.A.K.
P.S. – Please come over to enter our 2nd Annual Halloween Contest/Giveaway – better hurry!
I just recently found your site and I have to say I am LOVING everything you do. I also appreciate your tutorials. Because of you, I am going to try to use royal icing for the first time. YOU ROCK!
oh wow, you are such an amazing artist marian, these cookies are soooo awesome and perfect!! i have never seen anything like it!
happy halloween!!!
Those are TOO beautiful! I am always amazed at what you come up with!! Maybe I’ll get brave enough and try them myself!
BTW, how did you get the lightning effect on the very last cookie? That is too cool!
These are WONDERFUL! You are an expert cookie queen!
Okay, you’ve finally convinced me to order that projector. I just hope my cookies look as good as yours! You are so creative and awesome for sharing your secrets, thank you!
These are so gorgeous! I even like the silpat pattern on that spiderweb cookie
Hi Marian,
I really enjoy your website and cookie creations. I’m still an amateur when it comes to cookie making but I make an effort to practice my skills and techniques by following your tips. I’m volunteering for the church bake sale next month and I’d like to ask where you get your packaging supplies from – particularly the plastic packages that you use for your cookies. I bought some wilton plastic package but they’re pretty expensive and I would be needing quite a lot.
Any tips would be much appreciated. Thanks!
Jenny
Thanks Jenny!
.
I find mine on line here
Or, do you live in Canada? If you don’t have time to wait for it to be delivered, and live in or close enough to take a trip to Toronto, there’s a great place called McCalls. Email and let me know.
Also, try your local bulk store.
Hope that helps!
Thanks for the quick reply! I couldn’t seem to get to the online link. I will check McCall’s although a friend found a supplier in Toronto. Here’s the website in case anyone is interested:
http://www.creativebag.com/
I will try some of the simpler cookie designs from your website. Antonia74’s recipe is perfect for icing – tried it a few times. Thanks again for your help.
Jenny
Jenny; I’ve fixed the above link now. Thanks for the great info.!
I just found your site and I love your recipes/tips/etc. These cookies look fantastic!
Lost for words. Love the Isomalt. Lovely, looking cookies!
I absolutley adore everything you make. I hope to one day make something as beautiful.
I just found your blog through Ultimate Gingerbread, and I’m so happy I did! You’re cookies are **beautiful**!!
You’re work is incredible!
These are truly amazing! How long does each cookie take you???? I can’t even imagine!
Thanks Shelly! I’m not sure how long each takes me… I’m going to have to start tallying that.
These cookies are unbelievable!!! so perfectly designed and decorated. I just have a quick question…hoe do you get the icing so black? the few times that I tried to make fondant or royal icing that black I spend almost the whole container
Other thing…can you Please share with us how you use the KopyKake projector? Do they sell it in Canada? does it work for cakes? do you outline and flood the cookie first and then go back do you continue with the details? does it work to decorate the sides of a cake? Thanks Mariam for answering all these questions!
Hi Rossana,
I use Americolor black… I like it better than the Wilton paste coloring.
I got the KopyKake projector on line from the States -haven’t seen it in Canada online.
Cakes work as well; you just put whatever object you want to pipe onto, under the projector. Sides of the cakes though… hmmmm… I don’t think the head swivels that far, but that would be a great idea! I suppose you could lay the whole projector on it’s side and then project the image onto the side of the cake.
I promise I’ll do a tutorial on the projector!
As for cookies, I use the projector to help me draw the image, but it depending on the cookie I outline or not. For example, the princess cookies I have I outlined, let that dry and flooded later.
For the owl cookies I filled them in right away.
Hope that helps!
I tried the isomalt on gingerbread windows….baking it with the raw forms but it didn’t come out too well. I think it was because I tinted the isomalt with food coloring first in attempting to make stained glass windows. The jolly ranchers were ever so beautiful but in the deep south will weep when the humidity comes…so ended up with lifesavers. I did learn that once you heat up the isomalt it is too hot to drip into tiny window forms before it sets….by accident I realized too late that I could have spread the isomalt out and simply place my baked gingerbread window in the mixture top side up. It picked up the isomalt and made a beautiful window from the back side.
Love your cookies!
Thanks for your help,
Debbie
Thanks for the information Debbie! I’d love to see some images if you’d like to send them.
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