THE SECRETS to making stunning Valentine cookies? Lots of heart, some imagination, and a little piping practice.
A pastry bag with interchangeable decorating tips can make you feel like a pro, but if you don't have these tools, you can make a reasonably good substitute. Cut a 10-inch square of bakers' parchment in half diagonally to form two triangles. Fold the right- and left-hand points of each triangle in toward the middle to form two cones. Then fold the points over at the rim.
Spoon icing into one of the cones to fill it halfway, pressing firmly to eliminate air pockets. Fold over the top of the cone to close it. Snip off the tip of the cone; the larger the cut, the thicker the strand of icing will be as it leaves the cone.
The second cone can be snipped to make a smaller or larger tip or be filled with a different colour of icing. In fact, decorating kits often come with extra pastry bags for this purpose.
Plan to practice on waxed paper until you're ready to work on cookies. Gently squeeze the top of the cone (or pastry bag) with one hand while the other hand guides the tip. Keep the tip at least half an inch above the work surface and let the icing flow freely into the design. Periodically, fold the top of the cone (or twist the bag) to keep the icing flowing. If the phone rings or you must interrupt the process, wrap the piping tip with plastic film to keep the icing from hardening.
When you're ready to ply your craft on real cookies, keep in mind that mistakes can often be scraped off with a spatula and the cookie re-iced. Edging the cookie with a simple bead or ruffle of icing highlights its shape and forms a frame for additional decorations. For more complex designs, add tiny dots, stripes, latticework, or freeform art.
Use a paper cone with a small opening at the tip or a pastry bag fitted with a writing tip to inscribe cookies with short messages, names or initials. As you give your imagination free rein and experiment to find the most pleasing effects, remember to scale the design to the size of the cookie.
SUCCESS TIP:
To practice icing an inscription or complex design, use a pencil to write or sketch the design on a piece of waxed paper. Then pipe icing over the writing or sketch, repeating the process until you're comfortable with the technique.
Royal Icing
This simple, inexpensive white icing can be used as is or tinted with food colouring in liquid or paste form. Pipe it on to fully cooled cookies. The icing should be thin enough to flow through the piping tip without clogging, yet stiff enough to hold its shape. As the icing dries, it will firm and harden.
1 1/4 cups sifted confectioners'
sugar
1 egg white
1 tsp. strained lemon juice
Food colouring (optional)
METHOD
In a small bowl, combine 3/4 of the sugar with egg white and lemon juice. Beat until thick and white (approximately 10 minutes). Add remaining sugar; beat until stiff. If desired, add colouring, stirring gently to blend.
Makes approx. 3/4 cup.
An alternative recipe that does not use uncooked egg:
Royal Icing
1 1/4 cups sifted
confectioners' sugar
1 egg white
1 tsp. strained lemon juice
1 tsp. water
Pinch (1/16 tsp.) cream of tartar
Food colouring (optional)
METHOD
1. In a medium heatproof glass or stainless steel (not aluminium) bowl, combine 3/4 cup of the sugar with the egg white, lemon juice, water, and cream of tartar. Place bowl over simmering water in a double boiler or heavy saucepan over low heat.
2. Cook, regulating heat as necessary to keep the water simmering, beating mixture at low speed with a portable mixer, until mixture reaches 160 degrees (as registered on a candy thermometer or instant-read digital thermometer). Immediately pour mixture into large non-aluminium bowl. Add remaining sugar, beating on high speed until egg white stiffens. Tint icing with food colouring, if desired.
Basic Sugar Cookie Dough
This rich, lightly spiced dough is perfect for cutting into round sugar cookies or other shapes. The yield can vary considerably, depending on the size and shape of the cookie cutters used. The leftover scraps can be baked and used for icing practice.
1 3/4 cups flour
2 tsps. baking powder
1/4 tsp. ground mace or nutmeg
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 egg
Sugar, for sprinkling (optional)
METHOD
1. In a bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and mace to combine thoroughly; set aside.
2. In mixer bowl, combine butter and sugar; beat until light and fluffy. Blend in vanilla. Add egg and beat again until fluffy. Gradually add flour mixture, beating until just well-combined.
3. Enclose dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm (1 to 2 hours or overnight).
4. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Work with about half of the dough at a time, keeping remainder well-wrapped and refrigerated. On a lightly floured board or pastry cloth, roll out dough to a thickness of about 1/8 inch. Cut with cookie cutters into rounds, hearts or other desired shapes. Carefully transfer to lightly greased baking sheets. Sprinkle with sugar, if desired.
5. Bake until cookies are golden brown (10 to 12 minutes). Let stand for about 1 minute, then transfer to wire racks to cool.
Makes approximately 30 (2- to 3-inch) rounds or hearts.
