holiday cookies 2019 20
Watercolor Icing Art
Cookies are the perfect canvas for a holiday-scape—all you need is a simple glaze made with confectioners’ sugar and whole
milk. With her detailed “watercolor” icing designs, Elisabeth Farris of Elisabeth & Butter has become the Picasso of the
cookie world. Follow these steps to recreate the present design featured on her Browned Butter Snickerdoodle Cutout
Cookies (recipe on page 96). You can become the next cookie artist extraordinaire.
If you are using a loose icing like
this, put an empty piping bag inside
a jar, letting edge of bag hang over
top of the jar, and spoon your icing
in. Cut off the tip of piping bag,
and outline each cookie with glaze.
Let dry for 5 minutes.
STEP 1: Use the green to paint three squares
of various sizes for the presents. After dipping your
brush in the paint, lightly dab it on a paper towel so
the colors don’t become too wet and bleed.
After outline has set, fi ll it
completely with glaze. (You can use
a wooden pick or knife to spread
it out and fi ll in holes.) Let glazed
cookies stand at room temperature
for at least 5 hours or overnight
before decorating or painting.STEP 2: Fill each outline with a diff erent color
or pattern. When changing colors, remember to
rinse and dry your brush between each use.Gel food coloring works best for painting with icing. Use brown, blue, green,
and red to create the presents. Use a toothpick to place a few drops for each
shade of gel food coloring on a sheet of wax paper or parchment paper.Pour vodka or clear extract into a small bowl. To dilute your gel food coloring,
dip your fi ne-tipped paintbrush into the vodka and gently combine with each
shade of the food coloring on the wax paper. Rinse and dab your brush dry
on a paper towel after each color.STEP 3: If layering colors, let the base
color dry for a few seconds before painting
another layer. •