First Communion Cookies for Mac

My nephew Mac is celebrating his First Communion this weekend. As soon as I saw this picture of the banner they made...

...well, you know where my mind went. Cookies.

I've made First Communion cookies before (decorated a little differently), and posted them on the blog back in 2011. (That post also has pictures from kiddo's First Communion which, oh my gosh, seems like yesterday and was actually EIGHT years ago.)


Let me walk you through making the cookies. You could always hand-cut your cookies, but I absolutely recommend buying this cutter. So much easier.


Also, these are DOUBLE-DECKER cookies. Oh yeah. I love a double-decker.

{I really wish you guys could see these in person, because pictures of that red disco dust just doesn't do it justice. Think Dorothy's red slippers.}

To make first communion cookies, you'll need:

• cut-out cookies, chalice and host shape and small hearts
• royal icing, divided and tinted with AmeriColor Gold, Bright White, Sky Blue, and Super Red
• couplers and tips: #2, #4
• disposable icing bags
• squeeze bottles
• toothpicks
• meringue powder
• small (clean) paintbrush
• red disco dust

First, use #2 tips to outline the cookie using white and gold icing. Reserve some of the gold piping consistency icing before thinning. 

Thin the gold and white icings with water, a bit at a time, stirring with a silicone spatula, until it is the consistency of a thick syrup. You'll want to drop a "ribbon" of icing back into the bowl and have it disappear in a count of "one thousand one, one thousand two." Four is too thick, one is too thin. Count of 2-3 is good. Cover with a damp dishcloth and let sit for several minutes.

Stir the icing gently with a spatula, then pour into squeeze bottles. Flood the cookies with the thinned icing, using a toothpick to guide to the edges and pop any large air bubbles. Let the cookies sit for at least one hour.

(Use the same technique to cover the heart cookies in red.)


With the reserved gold icing, go back over the outline of the chalice.


Use a #4 tip to pipe a cross with blue icing.

Let the cookies dry uncovered for 6-8 hours, or overnight.

Once the icing is dry, combine 1/2 teaspoon each of meringue powder and water. Use a clean paintbrush to paint onto the heart cookies. Sprinkle on the disco dust and shake off the excess. Use a dry paintbrush to brush off stray sparkles, if desired.


Pipe some icing on the back of the heart cookies and place onto the chalices. Let set for 30 minutes or so.

Happy First Communion, Mac!!! ♥

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Cookies for All Saints' Day

So last year, I posted these cookies ON All Saints' Day...and the how-to's in the days following.  Not the best if you want to MAKE the cookies for All Saints' Day.  Here's a reprise of the post, so you can get to baking.  
Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the post for links to the tutorials for all of the saint cookies shown here. 

*originally posted here, 11.01.13* 

 

Oh, when the saints go marching in!

Ever since making these cookies for All Saints' Day a few year ago, I've wanted to try my hand at making actual saint cookies...piped and flooded without using images printed on frosting sheets.

Three years later, here we are.  Finally.  Is it sad that I've been wanting to make something like this and it's taken me THREE YEARS to do so?  Yes, yes it is.

OK...first let me say that these designs come from one of my favorite etsy shops, Saintly Silver.  The owner makes felt saint dolls and they are the cutest little things ever. (PS: she's booked through Christmas already, so put your orders in for next year early.)

Here are some of her pieces from her sold page.  So, you can see the cookie inspiration comes directly from her.  I love that they're so beautiful, but still really simple.  You guys know how much I love simple.

Making All Saints' Day cookies is really, really fun...and letting your kids choose which saints to create is a great way to get them involved.

For these cookies, I chose a few saints:

St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of animals and his feast day just happens to be on my birthday.

St. Therese of Lisieux, also know as the Little Flower.  Patron saint of missions.

St. Cecilia, patron saint of music.  I always think of my sister the music major when I think of St. Cecilia.  (And, I just realized I've been spelling it "Cecelia" all these years.)

St. Michael the Archangel, patron saint of grocers and police officers.  I love that grocers have a patron saint.

St. Brigid (or Bridget) of Ireland, how could I make saint cookies without a St. Brigid?  Her cookie was not my favorite since I messed up her cross, but this poem attributed to her IS one of my favorites. ;) How can you not love a saint who writes about beer?

Because I don't want this post to be 2 miles long and contain over 30 pictures, the how-to's are divided up in separate posts. See below.

 Do you have a favorite saint? 

Tutorials:

St. Michael cookie tutorial

St. Francis and St. Cecilia cookie tutorials

St. Therese and St. Brigid cookie tutorials

 

Patron Saints of Animals and Music...

{This is the final installment of the All Saints' Day cookie tutorials.}

Let me introduce you to St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals, and St. Cecilia, the patron saint of music. I've always loved both of these saints.  Since my sister was a singer all through school, and a music major in college, my mom talked a lot about St. Cecilia.  I *always* think of my sister when I think of St. Cecilia.

These cookies started just like the others, with inspiration from the shop Saintly Silver. 

The cookies start by baking two shapes together to form one.  For both of these, I used candy corn and circle cookie cutters.  Place the cut-out shapes next to each other on the cookie sheet before baking and they will bake together to form one cookie. (I like to freeze the shapes for 5-10 minutes before baking to prevent spreading.)

To make them, you'll need:

• cut-out cookies, as described above
  
• royal icing, divided and tinted with AmeriColor  Copper, Chocolate Brown, Bright White, Royal Blue, Egg Yellow and Super Black
• disposable icing bags
• couplers and tips, #2 & #1
• squeeze bottles
• toothpicks
• pink food coloring pen  

Use a #2 tip to outline a circle for the face in copper icing.  (You can see the start of St. Michael here, also.)  Reserve some of this piping consistency icing for later.

Thin the copper icing with water, a bit at a time, stirring with a silicone spatula, until it is the consistency of a thick syrup.  You'll want to drop a "ribbon" of icing back into the bowl and have it disappear in a count of "one thousand one, one thousand two." Four is too thick, one is too thin.  Count of 2-3 is good.  Cover with a damp dishcloth and let sit for several minutes.

Stir gently with a silicone spatula to pop and large air bubbles that have formed.  Pour into a squeeze bottles.

Flood the face portion of the cookies with the thinned icing, using a toothpick to guide to the edges and to pop large air bubbles.

Let the icing dry at least one hour.

On St. Francis, use a #2 tip to outline hair and a beard on the face.  Fill in the outline with the same piping consistency icing.

Use a toothpick to swirl the icing, pulling the toothpick up to create texture.

Outline the remainder of the cookie with a #2 tips, including the halo.

On St. Cecilia, use #2 tips to outline all of the parts of the cookie, including piping an outline for hair on top of the copper icing.

Reserve some of the piping consistency icing for later.  Thin the brown, white, yellow, and blue icings for flooding as directed above.  Fill in the outlines.

Let the cookies dry at least one hour.

Use a #2 tip to pipe an outline for folded hands on St. Francis in copper icing.  Use a #2 tip to add lines for arms in brown icing.  Thin the copper icing and fill in the hands outline.  Let the icing dry for at least 30 minutes, then add the line on the hands.

For St. Cecilia, use a #2 and #1 tips to pipe a harp in yellow icing.  Use a #2 tip to pipe detail on the blue robe.  Use a #2 or 1 tip to pipe a white headband.

For St. Francis, use a #1 tip to add a bird on his shoulder in white icing.

Use a #1 tip to pipe eyes and a mouth on each.

Let the cookies dry uncovered 6-8 hours, or overnight.

The next day, use a pink food coloring pen to add rosy cheeks. (Warning: do not try this until the icing is COMPLETELY dry.)

Do you know that there are patron saints for almost everything?!?

What saints would you include for next year? 

See all of the saints in this set here.
St. Michael cookie tutorial
St. Therese and St. Brigid cookie tutorials

Two cool gals...in cookie form.

I told you if I did all of the saint cookies in one post it would be 5 miles long.  So, here is part two of the all saints' cookie tutorial...

...St.Therese of Lisieux and St. Brigid of Ireland.

All of the saint cookies were inspired by these felt dolls from Saintly Silver. 

The cookies start by baking two shapes together to form one.  For these sweet ladies, I used candy corn and circle cookie cutters.  Place the cut-out shapes next to each other on the cookie sheet before baking and they will bake together to form one cookie. (I like to freeze the shapes for 5-10 minutes before baking to prevent spreading.)

To make them, you'll need:

• cut-out cookies, as described above
  
• royal icing, divided and tinted with AmeriColor  Copper, Chocolate Brown, Ivory, Deep Pink, Soft Pink, Leaf Green, Super Black, and Bright White
• disposable icing bags
• couplers and tips, #2, #3 & #1
• squeeze bottles
• toothpicks
• pink food coloring pen

Use a #2 tip to outline a circle for the face in copper icing.  (You can see the start of St. Michael here, also.)

Thin the copper icing with water, a bit at a time, stirring with a silicone spatula, until it is the consistency of a thick syrup.  You'll want to drop a "ribbon" of icing back into the bowl and have it disappear in a count of "one thousand one, one thousand two." Four is too thick, one is too thin.  Count of 2-3 is good.  Cover with a damp dishcloth and let sit for several minutes.

Stir gently with a silicone spatula to pop and large air bubbles that have formed.  Pour into a squeeze bottles.

Flood the face portion of the cookies with the thinned icing, using a toothpick to guide to the edges and to pop large air bubbles.

Let the icing dry at least one hour.

Use #2 tips to outline the remainder of the cookie.

I used Ivory for the base of St. Therese's cookie...

...and Chocolate Brown for the base of St. Brigid's.

Thin and flood the outlined areas as described above.

Let the cookies dry at least one hour.

Add piped detail on the veils and collars with a #2 tip.

For St. Therese, use a #3 tip to add three roses in the darker pink.  Use a #1 tip to pipe a swirl in the lighter pink on top.  Use a #2 tip to pipe the cross in brown icing.

For St. Brigid, use a #1 tip to add a St. Brigid's cross in green icing (I'm sure yours will be prettier than mine.)

Use a #1 tip to pipe eyes and a mouth on each.

Let the cookies dry uncovered 6-8 hours, or overnight.

The next day, use a pink food coloring pen to add rosy cheeks. (Warning: do not try this until the icing is COMPLETELY dry.)

Ta-da!  The next tutorials will include St. Cecilia and St. Francis of Assisi.  Yay, saints!  

See all of the saints in this set here.
St. Michael cookie tutorial
St. Francis and St. Cecilia cookie tutorials

St. Michael the Archangel (and Cookie)...decorating tutorial

It all started with a sketch...

No, wait.  It all started with the designs from these felt dolls.  Then, the sketch.

Today, I'm going to walk you through the making of the St. Michael cookie.
(You can see all of the saint cookies here.)

The cookie shape was made by combining a candy corn shape and the wings off of an angel cookie shape (upside-down).  Place the cut-out shapes next to each other on the cookie sheet before baking and they will bake together to form one cookie. (I like to freeze the shapes for 5-10 minutes before baking to prevent spreading.)

{Don't you think this shape would make a super cute rocket, too?!?!}

To decorate the St. Michael cookies, you'll need:

• cut-out cookies, as described above
  
• royal icing, divided and tinted with AmeriColor  Copper, Chocolate Brown, Super Black (also into light grey & dark grey), Egg Yellow, and Bright White
• disposable icing bags
• couplers and tips, #2 & #1
• squeeze bottles
• toothpicks
• pink food coloring pen

Use a #2 tip to outline a circle for the face in copper icing.

Reserve some of this piping consistency copper icing for adding details later.

Thin the copper icing with water, a bit at a time, stirring with a silicone spatula, until it is the consistency of a thick syrup.  You'll want to drop a "ribbon" of icing back into the bowl and have it disappear in a count of "one thousand one, one thousand two." Four is too thick, one is too thin.  Count of 2-3 is good.  Cover with a damp dishcloth and let sit for several minutes.

Stir gently with a silicone spatula to pop and large air bubbles that have formed.  Pour into a squeeze bottles.

Flood the face portion of the cookies with the thinned icing, using a toothpick to guide to the edges and to pop large air bubbles.

Use #2 tips to outline the remainder of the cookie.  Use yellow for the sleeves, dark grey for the hood, light grey for the body, and white for the wings.

Thin and flood the outlined areas as described above.  (You can see that I flooded the wings and sleeves after piping the hair outline.  Either way is ok.)

Let the cookies dry at least one hour.

Use a #2 tip to pipe the hair outline in brown icing.  Reserve some of this icing for later.

Thin the brown icing as described above and flood in the hair outline.

Follow the same method for outlining and flooding the arms.  Add piped detail on the hair, wings, and sleeves.

Use a #2 tip to pipe the sword handle with brown icing.  Use another #2 tip to pipe the sword.

Use a #1 tip to pipe eyes and a mouth.

Let the cookies dry uncovered 6-8 hours, or overnight.

The next day, use a pink food coloring pen to add rosy cheeks. (Warning: do not try this until the icing is COMPLETELY dry.)

The cookie looks just like the saint card in the picture, don't ya think? ;)

See all of the saints in this set here.
St. Francis and St. Cecilia cookie tutorials
St. Therese and St. Brigid cookie tutorials