I get a lot of questions on how to flood cookies with royal icing. I like the method where you first outline the cookie and when the outlining is dry you flood the cookie with runny icing. It gives the cookie a smooth look and when it’s dry, you can pipe details on the cookie. Flooding cookies is easy and so much fun to do.
Flooding Cookies with Royal Icing
I use a piping bag with soft royal icing and a tip 3 for my outlining most of the time. I make my royal icing soft with a few drops of water, but not softer than it keeps its shape when I pipe. Stiff icing will make the icing curl, which can be hard work for your hands. Try and pipe a few strings on your worktop, to see if it’s a good consistency.
I hold my bag about 1/2 inch above the cookie. That way, I can navigate the icing without breaking it. It takes a little practice. For the second outline on the cookie, I use a piping bag and a tip 2 with soft icing. If you are not happy with the outlining, use a small spatula to scrape off the icing and start over.
For flooding, I always use a squeeze nozzle bottle for my runny icing. That way, I can change the tip and not have to worry about icing running out of the piping bag when not used. I can also store leftover icing as the squeeze bottle comes with a screw cap.
I always let my flooded cookies dry overnight before I continue decorating. It’s good to make sure they are hard enough so won’t make a mess.
What You Need to Flood Cookies
- Cookies;
- Royal icing (find info on how to make runny icing);
- Food gel colors;
- Squeeze nozzle bottle;
- Piping bag with coupler;
- 2 x tips no. 3;
- Small spatula;
- Small pin (to perforate air bubbles);
- Small thin damp brush (I use this if the outlining need to be repaired).
Step-By-Step Tutorial
Step 1
Pipe the outline of the cookie. Let it dry a few minutes before you flood it with the runny icing.
Step 2
Take the squeeze bottle filled with runny royal icing. Start piping from the outside and work your way into the middle. Be careful not to overflood the cookie. If any air bubbles appear, use a pin to perforate them.
Tip 1: If you want to decorate with glitter or sanding sugar? Then shake it over the wet cookie. Let it dry completely before you shake off any excess glitter.
Tip 2: You can make dots on a flooded cookie. Take another squeeze nozzle bottle and a tip 2, fill it with runny icing in another color, and pipe dots into the wet icing.
I always let my flooded cookies dry overnight before I continue decorating.
Suggested Read: Daisy Cookies With Royal Icing
Now you know how to flood cookies with royal icing and if you want to bake different kinds of cookies, you can read about how to make Ballet Cookies, Valentine Letter Cookies, Daisy Cookies, and many more on our website.
Let us know how your recipe turned out. Drop a message in the comments section below.
Be creative and happy baking!
I used Wilton Meringe Powder for egg white substitute. However, the frosting was not shiny like commercial cookies. How could I make my frosting shiny?
I put in about 2 tsp of light corn syrup and that seems to do the trick.
If you put them in a dehydrator on the lowest setting for a short while they will keep their shine.
To make your frosting shiny, add a couple tablespoons of light corn syrup, but not too much or the taste of your frosting will be affected!
Try royal icing using egg whites instead.
Amazing technique! I love the insight regarding the air bubbles in the icing. Thank you for this!
Can these be frozen
If I were to pipe eyes and a mouth on the cookie . let dry overnight and then flood the cookie. will the eyes and mouth survive and still look like eyes and a mouth ?
That are some. Cool stuff I would use a pipping bag because my mom took a cake class and she did one of those I help her with it it came out pretty good we put are s in the fregitarter for a about 2mins
What is the second outline for? It doesn’t show a picture for this. Thx.
I use Wilton’s Royal Icing recipe with Meringue powder. I flooded the cookies, and they sat overnight. They haven’t hardened at all. Any suggestions?
Do you have to let them dry over night or will they dry within an hour or so??
Hi, great instructions, but i have a doubt: Could i use a piping bag instead of a squeeze nozzle bottle to fill de cookie or to make dots or so?
Yes!
Is it safe to eat Royal Icing since it has egg whites in it? Also – how far in advance can you make it, or how long will it keep?
You’ll be fine if you use them. I have been using a recipe with egg whites for years and I am fine. If you are selling them, or are giving them to a pregnant woman, elderly person, or a young child then you can use pasteurized egg whites instead. You can also use meringue powder.
Thank you so much for the STEP BY STEP instructions..I have 3 little kido’s and i am so excited to make these for their birthday parties !!!!
Can you do the flooding with regular icing that you buy in the store?
I have never used store bought icing. So I honestly don’t know. You could try and do a test sample?
Hi Emma
I stumbled across your site and it’s fab! This is rather off topic, so you may want to move the question to another area but I didn’t want to email.
I am making a rocky road cake but it’s for a special occasion and I need to try to ensure a smooth chocolate base layer at the bottom and side of the tin before adding the mixture so it looks smooth and more presentable as it is for a party. I know rocky road is meant to be ‘rocky’ but I would like a smooth finish. A friend had a bottom tier of a wedding cake made this way and the outside was smooth and chocolatey and the rocky road was hidden underneath which is what I need to achieve. I will be using a number tin (2) so this will make it harder, also need to ensure I can remove it from the tin, any tips please? (The cake will be ’21’ and is for a joint party – one person having the ‘2’ in rocky road, one person having a chocolate layer cake with the ‘1’ hence needs to look pretty similar when presented, if that makes sense! Hope you can advise me. Thanks, Bev.
I have been trying to figure out why my royal icing has a dull, matte appearance. I cannot figure out how to get the nice sheen that I see in all of your iced cookies. Do you have any tips to help me on this?
I have the same problem and waiting for a solution. I used Wilton Meringue Powder for egg white substitute.
For shinny cookies put them by fan to dry
I’ve been seeing this question all over. To give your frosting/icing a glossy sheen, use a couple tablespoons of light corn syrup. But be careful not to use too much, or the corn syrup will start to affect the taste.
Wow… such beautiful work. So neat. So detailed.
I’ve been baking for 15 years mostly simple cakes and pies. They taste excellent, very moist, etc, but I’m hopeless at decorating them. (Try my best on the birthday cakes with little success)
Absolutely terrified to try icing cookies although I’ve wanted to make them for ages. Thank you for your very clear instructions and photos. I feel a little braver now! I’ll finally give it a go.
Can you freeze after flooding then just add the details after thawing?
Would like a reply. thx
OOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHH my gosh!!!!!!!
these cookies are amazing.
I made your cookie recipe today and they came out great.
keep up the good work i love your blogs=)
Thanks for the great tips, can’t wait to try them out. Where did you find that cupcake shaped cookie cutter? It is so cute!
When you let your flooded cookies dry overnight, do you put them in the fridge or leave them out in room temperature?
My daughter and I make tea cakes every Chrismas and we struggle with getting the icing to look perfect. Can’t wait to try your tips out!
How do you make tea cakes
Hi louise…
i have seen on some cupcakes, butter cream is finely been spread cross. I cant get the affect, shall i make my buttercream runny?
Do you mean like the “Magnolia cupcake swirl”? or is it with royal icing that you cannot get the effect?
The buttercream needs to a bit soft to spread it easily on the cupcake. You can warm it a bit in the microwave only be careful that you don’t melt it. If it’s royal icing then you can thin it with a little water.
Hello Louise!
These cookies are amazing…I really loved!
I have a doubt and would really appreciate your help.
When I do cookies with stick, the stick escape from them…
So, my doubt is: what should I do to avoid this problem? Is it a matter of temperature or i need to somehow prepare the stick before putting it in the cookie?
Thanks
Fabiana, from Brazil
Hii Louise, I need some help with my butter cream. I never can get a good mixture when I am icing my cupcakes. Can you help.
How long can iced cookies keep for? In Australia we don’t have pasteurized eggs so how long before a function can I ice the cookies?
Your work is very pretty and thank you for all your helpful tips
You can make royal icing with meringue powder. Find recipe here https://bakeat350.blogspot.dk/ Cookies can be stored for up to 1 month if kept in an air tight container. Of course you may not expect the cookie to be super crispy though. But it is still nice to eat.
Hello, how come when i felt my icing it was thick but i put on the cookie it just ran off it!?
Did you outline the cookie?? If not, it’s always good to test the consistency on a spare cookie before you start.
Hi why is it that after my outline has dried it gets holes in it?
How do you make your RI? I sounds like it got too much air incorporated in the RI. Same can happen with the thinned RI that you use to flood your cookies with afterwards.
hello,im yashil from iran.im so happy that i found this page.i going to try it and practise until valentine day.thanks alot
Thank you for sharing your secert tips .. So useful and today i’m goning to try it !!
Hi,
I found your site really informative. I have 2 questions. How long will the icing last? Since it has raw eggs I’m never sure if it has gone bad. Secondly, last time I made this icing I used water to make it into flooding consistency. The icing looked perfect soon after it was done, but once it dried it looked parched and ugly. Hope you have some answers for me..
Thanks a lot.
I do not make it with raw egg whites but pasteurized egg whites. It sounds like you have used too much water to thin down the icing. Only add drops of water at a time. If you cannot get pasteurized whites where you are? Then make it using Wilton’s meringue powder. You can use this recipe for it then:
Antonia’s Royal Icing for cookies (from CakeCentral).
In a steel mixing bowl add 5 tbsp Meringue.
Add 3/4 cup water and mix vigouously with a small wire whisk until frothy.
Add 1 tsp Cream of Tartar and mix again vigourously with small wire whisk.
Add in 1 kg (7-8 cups confectioners sugar) all at once
Attach whisk attachment to mixer and blend everything on lowest mix setting for 10 minutes. Add any flavoring to taste.
keeps in a sealed container for up to 5 weeks!!
To make the icing thinner, just add a little water at a time and mix until the icing smooth into itself after 10 seconds.
Which size tip for flooding?
Tks!!
If you let your cookies dry overnight, how do you keep the cookie moist?
The cookies that I bake are not a “moist” cookie but a crunchy cookie. The RI will add a little softness to the cookie.
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This is really helpful for a first time cookie decorator like myself. Thank you!
this site is amazing, I think its my new fav
Brandi
How do you let your cookies to dry overnight after flooding it with icing? By placing it on a cooling rack or in an air tight container?
I just let them dry on trays, cooling racks and so. I may place the trays in a airy cupboard because otherwise my cats would eat them 🙂
love, love your directions. my cookies always seem so heavily coated. your directions helped me make them not look so thick. thanks again!
I am only happy to help 🙂
Did you use the recipe from my site? Or another one?
First of all it is important that the cookie & stick match in the right size. You also need to insert the stick a little over halfway through the cookie. Have you seen my tutorial on how to insert the cookie stick before baking both cookie and stick? https://cakejournal.com/archives/how-to-make-a-cookie-lolly
Ashleigh: To eliminate air bubbles. You need to let the thinned icing rest covered under a damp cloth for 10 minutes or so. Next with very slow strokes go through the icing with a spatula 2-3 times before you flood your cookies. They cannot be removed all but this really helps. Use a pin to “pop” air bubbles 1-5 minutes after flooding.
Hope it helps 🙂
Hi.. I just came across your wonderful blog while looking for help with my RI. I seem to sometimes get lucky and have beautiful icing while other times, the icing comes out sticky. I use merengue powder, water and confectionery sugar. I sift my sugar to keep icing smooth and also use cream of tarter for the same reason (1 tsp. per egg). Recently, I made Easter eggs and iced them on day 1. On day 2, I added the detail even though the eggs were sticky. On day 3, the eggs looked beautiful.. The detail on top of first coating was completely dry. I didn,t actually realize cookies were sticky until I bagged them and they stuck to bag. One thing I notice when this happens, is that the RI will look very shiny and to the touch seems ok..but when you apply a little pressure, it really isn,t dry. I’m wondering if’s the gel food coloring or perhaps I’m over or under beating the merengue powder and water? Your thoughts and expertise is appreciated!
I think it is the icing itself and not the color. I once tried a meringue powder and they same happened to me. When I use pasteurized egg whites I never get problems. Try and use less water and let them dry under a lamp with a strong bulb. Also to prevent sticky iced cookies always make a simple tester when you ice the cookies then you can always see if it is nice and dry all the way.
i am thankful that i found this site, your tutorials are so useful.. and inspired me to do more on my cookies, even though i have limited sources.. yet, u have tips that are so useful..
more tutorials… God bless
thank you, your blog is AMAZING!!!!!!
I am following your blog for a long time!
I have a creative pastry company in Spain and I have in our list of bookmarks to consult you! You do a great job!
Thanks for sharing with us! ^ ^
Greetings from Barcelona!
sweet life
My husband and kids always want me to make “butter icing” for cookies since they love the flavour of that more than Royal Icing, but my cookies never look like that! Is it possible to use that with this flooding technique? Can I just use milk or water to liquify it a little?
Louise, in my country the weather is very humid.
My queries are. How will I maintain the crispy of the
cookies when I have to let the cookies overnight after I decorate it with royal icing.
And how long can the cookies be kept after decorated with royal icing. Must I put it in the chiller?.
Thanks and Regards
ct
i sooooo take that commet back i love the cokkies they look awlsome thanks sorry,cakemaster!!!!!!!! =]
havent tried this this yet but it looks stupid y do u want a pretty cookie wen u r just going to eat em
I would like to know how to u put the stick to the biscuit?
Can you tell me where you buy your flooding bottles from please as I am having trouble locating them and am desperate to get started on some cookies!
Hi, Louise. Thanks for this excellent tutorial. I used your technique of lining the cookie with soft royal icing but flooded with melted white candy bark thinned with shortening. It turns out just as pretty as royal icing, dries faster, and tastes phenomenal! I never knew how to get that perfectly shaped outline of icing until now. Thanks so much for the tips 🙂
you ‘re so wonderful!actually i’ve done several times with RI, used the raw eggwhite and also the meringue powder both i did b4, and found that the color was sank at the bottom of the piping bag darker in color and become watery after i put it in the fridge overnight, just like separated fm the batch. btw, i’ll mixed them well b4 using and it’s also been worked. however, i want to know is the texture will really like that or i just did the wrong procedure…i also did with mix the icing with the eggwhite well and drop the jelly color (fm wilton)then the water drop to thinner the texture….many thanks~
Can I just say that I have never felt more inspired to leave a comment before and now all I want to say is: THIS IS ALL TRULY BEAUTIFUL!!!THANK YOU.
i am so inspired by your detil outline on how to achieve such greatness in your cookies’ art. I m so in love with fancy cookies now that i would definitely want to get your book. how do i do that from Malaysia?
Hi! And thank you for all the tips! I have one quick question, how do you store the RI, and how long does it last. Thanks! 🙂
Love your tutorial! Thank you for all the detailed information, I’m new to decorating… but feel confident that I can follow you step by step instructions and achieve success! I do have a question about making the cookies on the lollipop stick. Do you insert the stick right before baking? Thanks in advance for your help =D
Wow, this is fantastic! I’m an amateur baker and have always wanted to learn how to do this, and this is a great tutorial!
What would you suggest someone like me buy to get results like this (like kinds of piping bags, nozzles tips, etc.)? I’m a broke college student, so I wouldn’t want to spend more than $20 or so, but would love to be able to get lots of different kinds of results. Thanks!!
I’d like to see this tutorial in PDF text. Although I make cupcakes, I think we can apply this technique on them, too.
Holly wilkinson: Its the same RI only in different texture. You should use soft for the outlining and runny for flooding.
Hi there! I’m new to your blog. I see I’m commenting on this post a little late but it it so useful. I can’t wait to try this tonight!
royal icing x do u use the same icing 2 do the outline of the cookies, because i tryed but it was too runny and dripped of the cookie x 🙁 x
Holly wilkinson: I dont have an exact answer on how to make the icing so smooth? What kind of icing are you using?
thank u 4 posting these on here!!! there such a great help and there so simple and clear! you always seem 2 do your icing so smooth (how???) !!! try and make these soon, cant wait!!!!!!xxx
Shannon: I dont think that royal icing can be made soft. I recon that I have read somewhere about buttercream frosting used on cookies, but I have not tried it since I like RI. I think that you can find more at cake central/cookie site
I have a quick question: I don’t like hard royal icing with a soft cookie. IMO it ruins the cookie. How can I make my flooding icing a bit softer to the bite? I used to make wedding cakes and used royal all the time for flowers etc. Now, I want it a bit softer, almost like a fondant, but do not like fondant as an edible icing. Great site!
I should have read this befor i tried icing my cookies for my grandaughters birthday, yep icing dripped everywhere .lol
Thank you so much for these AMAZING tips! Who needs to spend hundreds on cake decorating courses…? I’m honestly on your site numerous times a day (i’m a little addicted)!
Melissa & Katena: I think that you both did a great job on the cookies 🙂
Emma: The surface may seem dry but to be sure that the RI is “rock dry” you will have to wait 1-3 days more. But it could also be the RI that you’ve made? How did you make it? You can find a good recipe for a meringue powder RI over at my blog friend Marian: https://www.sweetopia.net/2009/05/tea-party-cookies/
Hi Louise
I gave these cookies a try today, I need more practice with the royal icing, but they tasted fantastic. Here is a link to my blog entry which is linked back to your site:
https://vipantrywedonthaveablogblog.blogspot.com/2010/04/i-have-cookie-obsession-at-moment.html
What a cute little tutorial! My friend Courtenay was inspired to give this a try after reading your post. The result of her first attempt can be seen on our blog: https://bakingmakesthingsbetter.blogspot.com/ 🙂
Hi
What a fantastic website, love your tutorials. I have a question for you please. I’ve been trying to royal ice my cookies and am leaving for 24 hours but the icing is still a little soft. I am wanting to put them in cellophane bags but the icing sometimes cracks a little and smudges against the bag and therefore doesn’t look good. How can I make the icing rock hard? It could be that I’m making the icing wrong but thought I would ask. Thanks for your help. xx
Lisa J: Thank you, I dont sell the cupcake cookie cutter, but you can download a template for it. Look under the tutorial section/cookies
Thanks for your great website. Do you sell your cupcake cookie cutters?
https://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/photo.php?pid=5101351&id=692396907 sorry heres a link it goes to my facebook page.
just wanted to share with you my crazy bunny biscuits with you this is my first attempt of any thing like this and i cant wait to do more – what fun. thank you for all your wonderful tutorials.x
crystal: You can store them in the freezer. it just not something that I have done a lot of.
Thank you so much for the fantastic tips. I love your website and thank you so much for sharing your wonderful knowledge with everyone
Thanks for the wonderful instructions. Do these cookies store well in the freezer decorated?
Marti Callahan: I think it is a common thing that problems with darker colors. I cant recall that I have had it happen to me, so I dont know what you can do to prevent it. sorry!
I have another problem when working with royal icing on cookies, especially dark colors. The icing picks up the grease from the cookie and darkens its. While I don’t mind that, it often does not do it evenly, leaving the cookies splotchy. Any suggestions?
Thanks Louise!! I hadn’t heard of Color flow but I will find out if it’s available. It’s difficult sometimes because people here are used to royal icing.
It’s very common here to get an icing that comes in the shape of a chocolate bar and you work with it in the same way you do with chocolate. It is already coloured, but the thing is that each color has a different flavour, and some times people don’t like the flavour so you have to change the color.
Once again, thank you for your help!
Romina: You can use Color flow mix or meringue powder from Wilton if you can get that?
Hi.Thank you for your wonderful tips and techniques. Have tried out these cookies and your recipe for MMF. I just loved the results! Keep up the fantastic work!
Hi Louise! First of all congratulations on your wonderful works!! I’m new at your blog and I tell you, it’s amazing.
I have to ask you something. Do you know another icing for decorating cookies? I’m from Argentina and it’s very difficult here to find pasteurized eggs, so I don’t feel comfortable with royal icing. I thought of dyed white chocolate, but chocolate colourings are not so easy to get either.
Thank you so much for your time!
Greetings from South America!
Cathy: I’ve used the Butterfly & Bee set from Patchwork Cutters. GSA has it 🙂 Thanks!
Thanks Louise. I think I just saw (and posted a comment) for some cupcakes posted on Cake Central that look like your beautiful work. Fondant with butterfly imprints on them. If that’s you can you tell me what tool you use to get the butterflies on the fondant and where you bought it. thank you sooooo much for being willing to share with all of us your experience and knowledge. God bless!!
Cathy: Well if not using the lemon juice I just mix the RI out of egg white & powdered sugar. The water is only when it needs to be soft or runny.
I dont really go by meassures any more (a bit lazy). I just pour in the egg whites and add the sugar.
Louise, thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions. I do have a few more…
when you say that you don’t add the lemon juice anymore, do you mean that you just use the egg whites? or are you using water for that initial tsp of liquid that is in the recipe?
also, do you make one batch at a time or could I double the recipe and make 2 batches at a time.
thank you again so much for your help.
Cathy: Question 1: you can use fresh or frozen lemon juice. but I have started not to add lemon juice anymore. It still works fine.
Question 2: I would add the flavor a little at a time. use it instead of lemon juice.
question 3: You use water (a very little at a time) to thin down the RI to flooding consistency. It is really good to let the thinned RI stand for a while and then slowly stir, this can help you to see if its to thin or still too thick.
Please write again if you have more questions.
I cannot tell you how excited I was to find this tutorial. I’ve been looking everywhere and asking everyone for this type of step by step. I can’t wait to try this. I have two questions. For the lemon juice, do you squeeze from real lemon or can I use the frozen concentrate kind from supermarket and let it thaw till it’s just liquid? Also, if I want to add another flavor like almond or vanilla, how much would you add and do you subtract that amount from the amount of lemon juice? Oh, one more question, could I use water instead of lemon juice and still get that beautiful flood texture you get?
thank you sooooo much. You’re an answer to prayer.
Appl: I am happy that you liked the tutorial. Thank you for the link back to my site 🙂
Debbie: You sure have a busy job to do. I have never had any problems with royal iced cookies going soft in a cellophane bag. But maybe its because I let mine dry for longer? I let my cookies dry over night placed on a cookie tray. Then I place them in a card board box for 1 extra day of drying. So that im sure they are 100% dry all the way.
If there is time then let the cookies dry, for as long as you can before starting packing them to the shower. I hope this can help you.
Good luck!
Hello,
You are an artist, for sure. Thanks for your great tips!
I just finished a day of baking cookie favors for my daughter-in-law’s baby shower. I bought cellophane bags to put five cookies in each , tying them with a bow (two of the cookies are iced with royal icing). I tried it a couple hours ago and when I checked the cookies, the icing on both had turned soft and a bit wet (they air dried for hours and were perfect going into the bags). I had used a twist tie and a ribbon, hoping it would be air tight. I have 40 bags of cookies to transport to the shower tomorrow and now I am at a loss on how to keep them dry and nice. Can you help? Even if I do not get your answer in time, I will be happy to have the answer for future referral. Thanks SO much!
Happy New Year!
Deb
Hi, thank you for this ace tutorial (and gorgeous website). I made my first ever sugar cookies decorated this way at the weekend and posted about them on my blog – https://tdsprojects.blogspot.com/2010/01/first-ever-sugar-cookies.html
Hope you don’t mind but I included a link back to this 🙂
sarah: I have tried it too and what I found out was that some food coloring blends better than others. I have had lots of problems with the Lilac from SQ and that was both with RI and fondant. It could also be the amount of water you add to the runny icing.
After the cookies are done I have experienced the colors spotting? do you know the cause?
Ana G: sorry for the late reply. A decorated cookie can be saved for up to 1 month if packed well. I have eaten cokies that was over 1 1/2 month and they were ok.
Michelle: cute ladybug cookies 🙂
Marilyn: I have not tried to use a lamp to dry cookies. Mine dries overnight.
Sonia: You paint the RI when its dry.
How do you pipe silver or gold royal icing on a cookie? Do you need to paint on the lustre paint after the piping has dried ? Making some christmas cookies and cakes which need BLING !
Thanks !
If you use a lamp for drying how long does it take please?
Thank-you for sharing your knowledge and talent. Beautiful work!
Hi Louise, I just wanted to say thank you so much for your wonderful and informative tutorial! I have just completed some ladybug cookies for my daughters birthday party to give to guests as a thank you gift, and they turned out far better than I could ever imagine.
https://i888.photobucket.com/albums/ac89/MH_GH/Ladybug2.jpg
https://i888.photobucket.com/albums/ac89/MH_GH/Ladybug1.jpg
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I’m planning to bake and decorate a lot of cookies to be christmas gifts. I have a very demmanding job and a baby so I already started baking. I’m worried about how long the cookies will last. Will it be safe to eat them in January if they were baked in November? I’m keeping the cookies in air thight plastic boxes and they will be transfered to the gift plastic bags after decorating. Is it OK? I’m just stating in the cookie baking world and I can use a little help. Thank you.
Shannon: I add the cookie stick before I bake it. The stick wont burn. See more here: https://cakejournal.com/archives/how-to-make-a-cookie-lolly
I tried making these yesterday and they turned out so great! I think I should have made my runny icing runnier, and could definitely use some practice on my decorating skills, but they were great. 🙂
I was wondering at what stage you put the stick on the cookie (I made mine without)? After you cut the dough do you press the uncooked cookie on to the top of the stick, then place the whole thing in the oven? Wouldn’t that burn the stick? Sorry if I’m repeating a question, I didn’t have time to read all the comments above.
Thanks so much! You are an inspiration to my baking!
Sakura: I use this recipe: https://cakejournal.com/?s=vanilla+cookies If you cant work with grams then you can find ounce/grams converter sites on Google. The cookie sticks is like these in 8″ https://www.kitchenkrafts.com/product.asp?pn=PP0160&bhcd2=1252703465
Sheena: Its a template I made myself https://cakejournal.com/archives/cookie-templates
But you can get a copper cutter from CopperGifts: https://www.coppergifts.com/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=2559 and from Sur La Table: https://www.surlatable.com/product/kitchenbakeware/cookie+&+biscuit+cutters-presses/cupcake+copper+cookie+cutter.do
Hi~ you have such beautiful work!
Just wondering what type of sticks you use on the cookie and what kind of cookie is it?? thank you.
Where did you get that cookie cutter in the shape of a cupcake??
Rebecca: I use Americolors but only very sparingly to get the soft pastel colors.
I was wondering what brand of gel food coloring do you use cause your colors are beautiful!!
Celina: I have tried to make cookies with baking powder twice and let me just say the cookies kinda mutated during baking. Also with the recipe that I use the cookies turns out great without baking powder. So thats why 🙂
hi Louise! Thank you for sharing this tutorial! It really helped me a lot. May I ask why you don’t put baking powder in your recipe?
Thank you!
Great! Thanks very much for your reply Louise! I will try this out tonight, as I still have all the dough frozen in the freezer!
Andrea: Ok… try add just as much icing sugar as butter and then add the same amount of flour as you did when you made it. Hopefully this should give you a better dough. Just remember that you will have to place it the refrigerator to firm up after all the handeling. I hope it works.
Louise – thanks so much for your great tips and ideas. I’ve tried making the cookie recipe you posted above: “You can use this shortbread cookie recipe Add 1 egg lightly beaten after the butter/sugar have been mixed.” I followed the recipe exactly and added in the egg like you said, but the dough is soooo soft – I didn’t adjust the flour or the powdered sugar because you didn’t mention to. Now I’ve got a ball of super soft dough that can’t be rolled out – unless it’s frozen solid. It’s been in the freezer now for an hour or so, and it’s still soft. I’m also worried that when I bake them they won’t hold their shape, because there is so much butter, and so little flour and icing sugar. Do you have any ideas of how I could still make the dough work? Will it work as it is now, or should I let it soften and then add more flour & sugar? (PS: I also weighed out my ingreedients according to the recipe – it was the first time I didn’t use my measuring cups)
Laura: No, you have to let them dry properly overnight. The next day when they are all dry you can pack them in airthight containers.
Won’t the cookies get stale if left out uncovered overnight?
dina: It could be because the icing is too thin or maybe its the icing recipe from Wilton. Do you know Karens Cookies.net? its a great cookie site with recipes and tutorials. Maybe there is a better recipe for you there? Take a look.
Great tips! Thanks a lot Louise!
Okay, I tried to make iced cookies. I used the royal icing recipe from wilton. I used all of your techniques and I still had air bubbles and my icing dried wrinkly and thin looking. not perfectly and appealing like yours. Not sure what Iam doing wrong because I am following directions and still so many mistakes. I use a #3 tip to outline and a squeeze bottle to fill with runny icing. COuld I be using icing that is too thin?
Lucy: I flood the cupcakes in stages first top or base then when it is semi dry I use the other color.
Red color is one of the hard ones to obtain. But you can use a good quality coloring brand like Americolors red red. If you start a few days in advance with the coloring (do not try to get a ful red at this time) That will give the color time to develop and you might only need to add a few drops more of red to get it ful red.
Hi! love your website..tried to do them once but still need some practice! one question…how do you do the flooding with two colors? (like your cupcake cookies) won’t one color flood to the next when they touch…
do you have any suggestions to get a real red color for the icing?
thanks for the tips!!
Elizabeth: I like the shortbread kind of cookie. If you want to make them like swirls you can pipi a swirl into the wet icing (when you have flooded the cookie first) but be careful that it wont overflood the cookie or you could decorate them with fondant icing instead. Making a long sausage and glue it on to the cookie with some syrup.
Michelle: It could be the color from the cookies that in a way get mixed with the icing? Make sure that you use a good deep red color for the icing and be careful not to add to much water when you want to thin the icing. too much water can make some discoloration on the iced cookie.
Thank you for the tutorial. I am having a problem with the royal icing. For example, I have plain white icing that I used to frost my cookies, but parts of the icing have turned a light brown/yellow. Interestingly, it doesn’t happen on all of the cookies. Also, on the colored cookies, the icing doesn’t appear to stay the same color either — my red cookies have areas of darker color. The icing has been well-mixed, so I don’t think it’s a mixing problem. I’ve had similar problems before where I’ll actually get circles of a different shade of color once the icing dries. Any advice?
I want to make cookies on a stick for party favors for my daughter’s birthday. Do you recommend using the short bread cookies or sugar cookies? I’d like them to look like actual swirl lollipops. Any suggestions?
Vanina: You can freeze the dough, baked uniced cookies and decorated cookies. I mostly just freeze my uniced cookies.
I am plannig to do this for my cousin baby shower and I was wondering if there is any chance that I could freeze them.
Is it possible to freeze the dough? Or the cookie before baking? Or the baking cookie?
What do you recomend?
Thanks a million for all you post.
Best wishes,
Vanina
I’ll try to make them!
with the number* 09
Thanks for showing me how to do this, I appreciate it and so does everyone else! Thank you.
I made my first batch of flooded cookies for my Brother’s graduation. I made music notes, white circles with the 09 on them, water polo balls, and fish. He is a big swimmer. 🙂 They looked amazing, professional… and now I have to make more for upcoming parties and weddings!
Deborah: Great!!!!
Thanks so much for that, I did them a few nights out from the party and left them 2 days before packing them in the cellophane and bowing them. They looked fabulous and I got rave reviews and I have to thank you for that! I kept on to a few of them and it’s been almost a week since I made them and they are still crisp just for your future readers to know that they do last a long time in an airtight container. A big thumbs up!
Your cookies are the most beautiful of all. Thanks so much the tutorial is really simple and clear.
Deborah: For more crips cookies I would decorate them 1 week in advance. But longer could also work. Just make sure that you let them dry properly best overnight before you carefully pack them. Or you could wait with the cellofane bags untill then night before and store them in 2-3 layers with baking paper in between the layers.
As long as you make sure they are all dry and you dont store them cold they should be fine.
I love your blog!
I am making these for my sons birthday party in 2 weeks and I am doing gingerbread cut out men decorated in his favourite football team colours.
I want to put them in the favour boxes, they will have cellophane bags around the top of them, how far in advance of the party can I make them with out them being totally soggy and ruined by the time I give them away.
Thank you.
Robin: I have not tried to decorate cookies with bc, but I think that you can, though I would not use it for flooding. I think that you will find much more info on this subject if you visit CakeCentral.com cookie forum 🙂
I was wondering if you ever work with butter cream icing. If so, can it be used like the royal to pipe and flood? I really prefer the taste of it, as well as the overall flavor it gives the cookie. Thanks
Shelly: I color my RI with gel paste colors.
hi Louise… thks for the adv…i will try with the rolled fondant n will update u later of the outcome… thks again..!
hi Louise… thks for the ans.. i will try with the rolled fondant n will update u later…thks again n happy caking…
De er virkelig søde/flotte, alle dine kager. Det har virkelig givet mig lysten tilbage, til at prøve at lave noget kreativt igen, da jeg er gået lidt i stå de sidste par år 🙂
Din side kommer i hvertfald under favoritterne 🙂
Jeg elsker alle pastelfarverne, og specielt det lyserøde, det gør mig i så godt humør 🙂
Louise: How do you color your royal icing?
Hello Louise
This is an amazing cake & cookies blog, full of details instructions,thanks very much for all your hard beautiful work and for sharing .
Arlette
ayang19: My cookies is also most crunchy when not decorated with royal icing. Mine dont get soggy though but they are not super crunchy either. It is hard to stop them from going a bit soft because the water in the icing will be absorbed by the cookie.
You cannot prevent it by letting them dry in an airthight container, I think it will only make it worse. Have you tried to decorate cookies with rolled fondant to taste if there is a difference? I can taste any though.
hi Louise! gd day to u..firstly i wld like to say thks to u for the sugar vanilla cookies.. i try baking the sugar cookies base on ur recipe .. the cookies came out perfect frm the oven ..but my probs start after i decorate it with the royal icing..and when the icing alredy dries up..(approximately takes around 1 nite)..i found out my cookies became soggy(means no longer as cruncy as when it jus came out frm the oven) can you pls tell me how to maintain the crunchnies of my cookies wihout having to keep it in airtight container..(while the icing dries up..)
wooow! they look so yummy :]
its amazing how easy it ish to make^^”
but i’m still too stupid XD
keep going on this great stuff 😉
Élena: 🙂
Totally, thank you! I think you gave me inspiration to start a new hobby 🙂
Élena: ok, a tip three hole is as wide as a cocktail stick. Meaning that it can go though the hole. A tip 2 is it only the tip of the cocktail stick. Hope that made sense?
Hello,
thank you for that very helpful tutorial. One question, what size are the tips? I tried to buy some, and the are not numbered. So is a #3 3 mm wide, or is it smaller? I will try to find those bottles too, unfortunately, shipping to my end of the world is outrageous!
Thanks,
É.
Leslea: They are 1/4″ x 3/8″ x 15″
Hi Louise – Just wondering how thick are your spacers from PME – I have made some of my own and am just wondering if they are thick enough for cookies.
Thanks
Goumet Mama: I know what you mean… I often have to hide away the baked goods from DH and my kids 😉
Rae: Yep! You can find my email at the top of the site saying “contact” Thank you.
This tutorial was SO helpful. I’m going to make these cookies all the time. I sort of want to send you a picture my first try to see what you think…..do you list your email on the site?
I would love to try this technique . . . but cookies don`t last very long around here! Certainly not long enough to dry overnight, lol.
mamazieza: I will 🙂
Haylie: If it is more liquid like for airbrushing I dont think that it will ruin your the icing. The problem with liquid color is if you use it to color your fondant ect.
Stacey: Only brown food color.
I am wondering if you make a chocolate royal icing for the brown or use food coloring to dye it brown? Thank you.
Thanks for explaining how to do this!yYour cookies are beautiful!
I was just wondering if it would ruin the icing if i used the food coloring that comes in drops instread of the gel coloring?
thank you louise for answering my question. it does help me though. I do keep my biscuits in an airtight container and yes they are not super crunchy… Please don’t forget me when your e-book is ready.. thanks..
Melinda: lol I know just what you mean…. 🙂
Venica: I have never tried to dry my cookies in the oven only sugar eggs for Easter. So I am not sure that I can give you any advice on that subject. But I know that when doing flood work some let it dry under a lamp with a strong bulb. I dont know if this will work better than the oven. Have you tried to set down the temprature?
Carleen: I buy from many different places like: ebay, Wilton, coppergifts. But some I have made my own templates for.
Christina: I used a small star tip 18 & leaf tip 68 from Wilton.
Very helpful and cute! Can you please tell me which tips you used for the little flowers and leaves on your cake cookie? Thanks!
Hi Louise please could you tell me where you buy your cookie cutters?
Hi Louise,
Thanks for your great tutorials on cookie making and decorating, they are excellent…=).
I still have a question in mind though. Here in indonesia, many recipes called for baking the decorated cookies at 100oC for 15mins, other at 150oC for a couple of mins with door slightly opened.Main reason is to “cook” the fresh egg whites,as well as to dry up the icing. My problem with my last batch was the icing looked matt and had grainy/ sandy look, but the texture when eated was ok. Does it have to do with the second baking?
I think this is what mamazieza had concerned about. the place we’re living is humid, so when the cookie with wet icing is left to dry overnight we’re worried if the cookie gone soft/ soggy, especially with cookie lolly, is it gonna fall from the stick or something else might happened? Do i have to alternate the cookie recipe? any enlightments for me? hihihi…^o^
Thanks a lot for reading my mail, hope you have time to reply and thanks in advance.
Regards,
Venica
what a great idea
kinda one of those “duh, that makes sense” moments
Rita: Good. I hope it goes ok 🙂
nc: Mostly I do outline with the same colour. Only I used white here so that it was better to see how much I flood the cookies.
Kirsten: Thank you
Leslie: I hope that you can use my tutorial 🙂
mamazieza : Royal iced cookies do not stay super crunchy. but they dont get soft either. What happen it you keep your iced cookies in a cookie jar?
Julie: Thank you
Tortelinchen: Im only glad that my tutorial help you out 🙂
The last two days I spend a lot of hours in my kitchen and the results are some very cute cookies. Thank you very much for your tutorial. It was very easy for me to follow your instructions.
I just came across your blog today. What great pictures and the cookies are absolutely beautiful! I can’t wait to try out your techniques.
Hi Louise
You wrote that you left the biscuits overnight with the runny royal icing.. wouldn’t the biscuits get soft? Or maybe it is because of the weather in my country..when we left biscuits in an open area..it will become soft and not crispy.
Thank you so much. I have quite the cookie cutter collection, tips, etc. But I never can find the instructions for how to decorate the cookies. THANK YOU!!!!! I buy magazine after magazine because of the cookies on the cover.
Finally, a site that makes sense of royal icing techinques! 🙂 Thanks!
I love this. I will definitely try it. I do think that it looks much better when you do the outline in the same colour though, as to give it the look that you didn’t actually outline it.
Thank you for answering, Louise! I have the recipe with your add on instructions and can’t wait to make a batch!
sheela.aziz: im sorry. But only makes this for fun for me, my family and to show my readers.
sweetmeoffmyfeet: Its a UK brand but I guess that americolors has one close to this color. Remember to let the tinted icing mature overnight to get it dark without adding too much color.
How do you get the chocolate color/ brown royal icing you used for your cupcake lollies?
thank u for what ur sending im opening a sweet shop mini cakes,chocolates
in my country please let me know from were can i buy your products and your price ‘
thank sheela.aziz
apparentlyjessy & Pam: Thank you.
Lindsey: Its the same royal icing I use for both outlining and flooding. Just thin it down with water.
Carol: it comes from a set of painters spatulars. So I guess that you can find it in craft stores.
Helen & Robin: Thank you
Teri: Squeeze bottles are so brilliant for flooding. also I find it much easier not to overflood my cookies. I have never had problems with my runny icing shrinking. If you read the Royal icing tutorial at the end I explain how I thin down my RI. The trick is to add just enough drops of water (I use another squeeze bottle for that filled with water) if you add to much water it will quickly stay at the bottom of the bowl.
Ladybug Luggage, Ellysa, Whitney & Rubina: Thank you all.
dulzuramagica: Yes drops of water only 🙂
Cake Bunny: Oh im sure that you would do it good.
Yanira: Thank you
Cakegirl: Have fun with the templates. You know… sharing is the best!
Dawnie Cakes: Thank you so much. I have so much more I want to show and share but sometimes so little time.
Rico: Thank you for the comment.
Jennywenny: Oh you are going to love them. They are so good.
Chelle: Have fun with your super bowl cookies 🙂
Sandee: I am only happy to share my tricks. I hope that you will have fun the next time.
laling: thank you
Rita: I not sure because normally I use confectioners icing sugar instead of caster sugar. I think its hard to get a nice clean cut because of the tiny sugar grains. But what I do is only to cut a small piece of dough at a time. So it is a bit hard to roll out but the cut out cookie keeps its shape better I think. I still bake a whole plate though.
Also I dont use baking powder in my cookie dough. Try this shortbread cookie recipe https://joyofbaking.com/shortbreads/shortbreadcookies.html but add 1 egg beaten lightly to the recipe (add it after butter/sugar)
dayanara:Yes the second outline is the “top” decoration like you can see on the mosaic photo.
Janet Kiesler: Please see my reply for Rita. Thanks
Milismilis: I use disposable icing bags. I only have largeones that I cut smaller so it is a bit of waste. I think that Wilton have some small ones. Depending on how many cookies you need to make 1 cup of royal icing goes a long way. Only fill your piping bag with RI so that you can close your hand around it. It is much easier to pipe and handle that way.
Rhonda: Thank you! Its the best part of blogging.
decadent cookies: Well some of them are home made templates. So they are a bit time consuming to cut out by hand. but I have many cookie cutters too. I get them from Kitchengifts.com & coppergifts.com
You can find the templates for download here https://cakejournal.com/archives/cookie-templates
melysa: Thank you
once again…you make it look so simple. much appreciated!
where do you get all your great cookie cutters? They are fabulous
You are so wonderful to post all the secrets to your fantastic goodies!!
Thank you for the how to.
I didnt know about the squeeze nozzle bottle and would be getting some soon.
I have a question about pipping bag.
I do not find any small piping bag for icing.
You do cut a big icing bagwhen outline it?
As not much quantity is needed for outline and it would be handy if small disposable piping bag is available.
I’m with Rita, how do you get your cookies to bake up so nice and still maintain there shape? Your cookies are beautiful, thanks for the pictures and the inspiration to practice, practice, practice.
I love your cookies!!!!!! When you talk about the second outline you use tip 2 with softicing, What second outline? Are you talking about the decorations that go on top? Thanks, cant wait to here your response!
How in the world to you get such nice crisp edges on your cookies? And they’re so flat and even! Mine always look lumpy/bumpy and the edges are always rounded off. Any help with this problem?
thanks for sharing. I love your work.
Thank you for sharing this very useful information! I was recently inspired by your cookie lollie tutorial and successfully made some cookie lollies last week. When it came time to decorate them, I knew I wanted to use royal icing and the flooding technique, but I wasn’t quite sure how to do it. I went for it on my own, and I did a preety good job. Bu thanks to this helpful tutorial, I know next time they will turn out even better! Thanks Louise, your the best!
This is an AWESOME tutorial – thank you so much!! I am planning on making some decorated cookies for the Super Bowl and can’t wait to practice using your method!
Very cute, I’m off to buy some of those funny sauce bottles right away!
Looks spectacular, and great decorating…love it ..well done thx for sharing..saw you on blogged
thank you so very much for ALWAYS sharing what you know and the new things you learn.. It is very loving of you to do that!!!! talk to you soon, dawn
I found your cute cookie templates for these shapes. Type in the search box “cookie templates”, and the pdf will come up to download and print out. Thanks for being so generous with your knowledge and sharing with us!
” I luv your work & thank you for the tips on outlining & then flooding the cookies. They are so pretty”
So smooth they look like fondant! I wish i had the time to practice…I need to steady my hands for the piping. Thanks for another great tutorial!
beautiful cookies great technique! what do you thin out your recipe with? water perhaps?
thank you……..
Great tips!! Your cupcake pops are too adorable!
Thank you for posting this. I’ve seen this done plenty of times, and people have offered a lot of very vague instructions, but these ones are incredibly helpful. Thanks again!
The beauty of this is in its simplicity. Thank you for sharing!!
Thank you so much for your instructions! I’ll have to get a squeeze bottle! It seems so much easier than with a bag. I tried flooding but have a problem with the runny icing shrinking back so that it isn’ “puffy” looking or shiny like yours. Any suggestions?
Thank you! These pics are awesome. Love the cupcake shaped cookie pops!
thats a really good idea.. i have some cookie dough waiting for something creative!!
I really love your site!!
Where did you get the small spatula? I love the handle.
Those cookies really do look fantastic. I have a question–do you use the same recipe for the outlining as you do the flooding, and just water down the icing you use to flood with? Or are these two separate recipes?
Thank you for all the great information!
I am inspired to try that now! Thanks for the how-to.
Thank you so much! Those tips are so useful, and your cupcake pops are just adorable, and look delicious!