Frozen Cookie Tutorial - Anna and Elsa color mix

Here is my version of Anna and Elsa from Frozen. I don't have a Kopykake projector (a vertical standing projector which lets you projects any print image onto a cookie) but I can draw freehand. Although I believe having a Kopykake would cut down on the time taken to do these. So please Santa, I have been a good girl this year and I wish wish wish to have a Kopykake for the coming Christmas!

For now, I can only go with the paper cutting method. Kopykake will also improve on position precision...

I do make mistakes, and then I test all the effects and colours on this 'mistake' cookie. Gives me nightmares looking at this...

This time I am trying to pipe the eye area instead of hand painting them. I find it more challenging but the dimension does turn out looking better. What do you think? Most people probably don't care?

Oh, I love making puffy cheeks!

Many colours are involved with Anna and Elsa, here is how I mix them, using Americolor gel...

Anna
Hair - start with a bit of Chocolate Brown + mix in Super Red until desired colour is reached
Hair strand - Ivory + mix in Warm Brown until desired colour is reached
Eye brow - Chocolate Brown + a hint of Super Black
Skin tone - Ivory + a hint of deep pink
Lips - Deep Pink + Super Red + Leaf Green to tone it down
Cloak - Electric Purple + Chocolate Brown until desired colour is reached (paint the darker part)
Inner dress - Lemon Yellow + a hint of Warm Brown to tone it down, Super Black

For more pictures, go to my Facebook Page.

Elsa
Hair - A hint of Lemon Yellow, Ivory and Super Black to tone it down (start very little with each colour)
Skin tone - see Anna
Dress - Sky Blue + a hint of Leaf Green + a hint of Royal Blue to tone it down (also used for Anna's inner dress)
Lighten this with additional royal icing for the cape

I gave up drawing in the 10 years I worked in the financial industry. I have only picked it up again since I begin cookie decorating half a year ago. An Auntie once told me not to ever give up on drawing. Unfortunately, I did give up and I lost my imagination along with it. But now that I have picked it up again, it felt GREAT! So thank you Auntie Vivian for believing in me.

Olaf cookies from Disney's Frozen

Let it go~ Let it go-oh~~~

Are you crazy about the Frozen theme song or are your kids driving you crazy screaming the lyrics? I am experiencing both. Here is a fun way to make Olaf the snowman from Frozen. Each piece is individually cut using the DIY cookie template method I leanrt from here. It is a tedious process especially cutting the tiny feet and skinny arms, but once you get through this, Olaf is quite easy to pipe. So just keep imagining the end result to keep you going.

First, choose an image from the internet.

I am adding diversity to the facial expression by piping different face direction.

I am trying out the pop out cheek effect (shown first from the left and first right). Wait for the icing to try a bit and then insert the tip right into the cheek and squeeze... to create the pop out effect. Cuteness added!

Tip: Try to pipe as close as you can to the edge.

I don't have a KopyKake projector but my paper cutting skill is not bad. Although, if Santa you can hear me, it's my wish to get a Kopykake this Christmas~

Big Bird Cookie Tutorial

I am using 20 second icing with all the colours.

STEPS:

• Trace the features of Big Bird onto the cookie with edible marker. I would use a round scallop cutter next time.
• Pipe eyes and inner mouth as shown below. 
• Pipe the fur once the eyes are dried. Remember to make squiggly lines around the face.
• Wait about 30 minutes (room humidity at 65% with soft breeze blowing at the cookies) before piping top part of the beak, wait another 30 minutes before piping the bottom part of the beak.
• Pipe its hair on top.
• Using brush embroidery technique, add dimension to it's fur with stiff white icing. I love dimensions!
• Paint the eyelids with an extremely fine paint brush.

I hope you had lots of fun making Big Bird. Please do share with me on my Facebook Page! Thank you.

Elmo Cookie Tutorial

Lalalala Elmo's song~

One of my best friend's kid loves Elmo (who doesn't?). I am making these for her little one as they visit from overseas. Elmo's laughter is infectious and I remember back in high school, a few of my closest friends gave me a laughting Elmo stuff toy for birthday. It was precious. After more than 10 years, it's still laughing!

Anyway, this is how I made these Elmo cookies and there are steps I would do differently next time.

I use the 20 second icing for all of the icing consistency. The consistency needs to be a bit more stiff due to the humidity in Hong Kong.

STEPS:
Download pictures of Elmo/Cookie Monster/Big Bird and adjust them to the size of your cookie cutter before printing/tracing. Then cut out all the critical parts as shown below.

1) Trace the outline onto the cookie using a food colour pen. Pipe eyes using wet-on-wet technique. *I would change to piping black on dried white icing next time. Pipe the mouth also at this stage, so that later, it will appear under it's red fur instead of on top of it.

2) Pipe the red fur once the eyes and mouth are dried.

3) If you wish to create the furry look, let the icing dry for a minute and then using a toothpick, lift the icing gently up to create fur dimension. If desired peak is not formed, wait and let the icing dry a bit longer before trying again. Tip: Cover the top part of the mouth with 'fur' when the icing is still wet using a toothpick.

I have included a picture of the different fur dimension. Which one do you prefer?

Pipe the nose last when the icing is completely dried.

DONE!

Baby Elmo, Cookie Monster and Big Bird...

'Big Bird' tutorial, please click here.

Mother's Day flower and vase cookie

Shout out to all the mothers out there - HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY. Then again, I think it's mother's day EVERYDAY!

I was so convinced that I am going to write a step by step process with this set of cookies, but... have you ever been so concentrated in doing something that you completely ignore/forget what the world is like around you? No, this is not a mother still having a baby brain. But... because this is my first time on trying out the brush embroidery, I was so into it that I completely forgot to take photos of the steps.

Here's the process in words only...
Leaves
- Pipe one side using 20 second icing, let dry for 20 minute or so (preferred humidity 60-65%) then pipe the other side to create the layer effect.
Flowers
- Flood the flowers and let completely dry before the next step of brush embroidery. Tutorial at SweetAmbs.
Tip: I find it easier to brush with a wet brush tip (dip it in clean drinking water), blot dry on clean squeeze dried wet towel before brushing the strokes.
Vase
- Flood the vase, let dry completely and pipe patterns of your choice.

These look so elegant, I'm sure you are going to see me practicing a lot more brush embroidery for the cookies to come~