Packers vs. Steelers Cookies Part III

Click on this link to see Cookie Recipe and Instructions

Glaze icing on the left, Royal Icing on the right

Well, not bad for my first try.  Although next time I'm starting a week or two ahead.  These cookies took a lot longer than I had anticipated.  It's a good thing I started on  Thursday.  I do have a confession to make though.  My intentions from the beginning were to make these cookies and use glaze icing, paint them with some food coloring and nothing else.  Apparently, the powers that be, had other plans.  Last night when I stored the cookies on my counter top to dry all night, well, I didn't like the fact that they weren't covered.  I was just afraid that my nosy cats might jump on the counter so I thought it safe to cover them.......with foil.......{{{BIG MISTAKE}}}!  This morning when I woke up, I rushed to the cookies to make sure they were alright.  The foil had not been disturbed, so that was a good sign, right?. . . . . WRONG!!!  As I started to take the foil off, mind you this was my very first time ever decorating cookies with this type of icing, so as I took the foil off, I ended up peeling it off some of the cookies because the foil had stuck to the icing :(   I was [{{horrified}}}, the cookies were ruined!!! see picture below.

I was devastated!  I was at a loss as to what to do.  I didn't have time for this!  But then it  dawned on me to google my problem.  It took me to several sites until I finally found a great "cookie" site at Sweetopia.  I emailed the owner and within a half hour she had solved my problem.  Thank you Marian!!  She basically told me to take some frosting (another kind) and re-frost them.  I guess the reason why I hadn't thought of that was because I didn't have anymore, I had used it all on the cookies.  I went ahead and made another batch, which was her see below (Antonia's 74 Royal Icing Recipe).  It wasn't quite the same but it still covered all my mistakes and I was able to continue decorating my cookies as if nothing happened and finally, now all is happy with the world!  See results below. ~isavortheweekend

Cookie on the front left didn't get ruined so they're covered with the glaze icing.  Cookie on the front right are the ones that got ruined but were redeemed and now look heavenly with the Royal Icing.  On a side note:  You can use food coloring and small paint brushes on the glazed cookies but not on the Royal Icing cookies, I just used tubed food frosting for those.  If you used regular food coloring and paint brushes on Royal Icing, the food coloring would run and the thistles on the paint brush would be too rough and poke holes into it.

Go to Part I to start from the beginning on how to make these cookies and what I had to go through to get to this point! ;)

Antonia74′s Royal Icing Recipe

Ingredients:
6 oz (3/4 cup) of warm water
5 Tablespoons meringue powder
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 kilogram (2.25 lbs.) powdered icing sugar
*

Directions:
In mixer bowl, pour in the warm water and the meringue powder. Mix it with a whisk by hand until it is frothy and thickened…about 30 seconds.
Add the cream of tartar and mix for 30 seconds more.
Pour in all the icing sugar at once and place the bowl on the mixer.
Using the paddle attachment on the LOWEST speed, mix slowly for a full 10 minutes. Icing will get thick and creamy.
Cover the bowl with a dampened tea-towel to prevent crusting and drying.
Use an offset spatula to spread the icing over the entire cookie.  Tint with tube food coloring or icing. Do not use a brush.


Click on these links to see other cookies I decorated with more in-depth painting instructions with the same glaze icing.  
Valentine Cookies
Bunny Cookies








This Football Helmet recipe is shared at:
La Bella Vita's, "Fresh Food Friday"
(You must visit her site, it's beautiful, full of fresh food ideas Italian style - yum!!!  she makes the best!!)

Packers vs. Steelers Cookies Part II

Royal Glaze Icing

1 cup confectioners sugar

2 tsps. Milk

2 tsps. Light corn syrup

¼ tsp. almond extract

In a small bowl, stir together confectioners sugar and milk until smooth.  Beat in corn syrup and almond extract until icing is smooth and glossy.  If icing is too thick add more milk just a little at a time.

Dip cookies face down into glaze, in a swiping motion to either side lift up and out, then quickly spread and remove excess glaze using an offset spatula.  Place them on their back on racks to dry.  Wait a couple of hours before painting with food coloring.  Side note:  Cover half of the helmets on one side with glaze and the other half on the other side so that at the end you can have helmets from the opposing teams, facing towards each other.

Friday night before Super Bowl eve.  I got home, ate dinner, cleaned up and cleared the counter tops so that I would have room enough for all the cookie helmets.  This icing was too dry, maybe because I doubled it?  I don't know but I did what it said to do and that was to add more corn syrup and sure enough, it worked.  I will have to wait until tomorrow morning (Saturday) to paint the cookies since the icing is still soft and it's almost midnight.  I'm nervous about painting them.  I just don't want to ruin them, we'll see.  To be continued......

Click here to go to the final step and Part 3