Baking Basics: How to decorate sugar cookies with Callye of The Sweet Adventures of Sugarbelle

Today I’m excited to  feature a guest post by one of my friends and favorite bloggers, Callye of The Sweet Adventures of Sugarbelle. If you haven’t been to her blog make sure you head on over to see what else she has to share when it comes tips and tricks to sugar cookie decorating with royal icing and of course just to check out her awesome artistry. 

While there are many very talented sugar cookie decorators out there Callye stands out to me for sheer ingenuity. She  has the ability to look at practically any cookie cutter shape and then bend and sculpt it into something completely different. She is what I describe as an artist meets engineer.

I’ve asked Callye to share with us a short and simple tutorial on the basics of royal icing and decorating sugar cookies. Since many of you have asked and we have commiserated, about how difficult this seemingly easy art is-yes, this is an art. I’m thrilled that Callye has broken down the basics for an easy-to-follow tutorial with these Jack Skellington cookies. 

Please welcome Callye . . .  

There is no greater compliment than when the author of a blog I love, asks me to write a guest post. I was beyond excited when Naomi asked me to come share my little obsession, cookie decorating, with you.

Of course, this also comes with a little bit of nervousness. It’s a little intimidating to post my beginner level photography next to Naomi’s wonders. I tried to take the best photos I could, but this definitely encouraged me to work on my photography. 

As for the cookies, when Naomi mentioned that she was partial to The Nighmare Before Christmas, I knew exactly what I’d make. As one of my kid’s favorite movies, this is RIGHT up my alley! 

The possibilities are endless, but I chose our favorite, Jack Skellington. He’s easily recognizable, but also very manageable for a beginning decorator. 

I love Jack because there’s no special cutter needed. A round cookie cutter in the size of your choice will do. 

Here are three basic steps to making these cookies or any other decorated sugar cookies: 

You will need:

• white piping and flood icing {here are my tips on piping and flood icing}
• black food color marker
• black 20-second icing

 
To begin, outline and flood the circles and let them dry. If you need a little help with this, I’ve outlined the basics HERE. Drying will take a while, usually overnight. 

   

• The next day, use the black food color marker to sketch out Jack’s face.

 

• I find it’s VERY helpful to Google the character I am working on so I can refer to a picture as I decorate. If you’re an artist, you can skip this step altogether and freehand the faces, however, I prefer sketching for two reasons. First of all, the black lines help to fill any icing gaps in more delicate areas of the face. Second, you’re less likely to make a mistake if you have reference points on the cookie.
• If you’re still a little nervous about positioning Jack’s face on the cookie, try my little tip, the push-pin trick. This helps to take a lot of the guess work out of decorating.
• After the faces are sketched out, use 20-second icing to add Jack’s face. Let this step dry completely, for about 3-4 hours, and the cookies are ready!

The holidays are fast approaching, which is the perfect time for cookie decorating. Be sure to head on over to visit me at The Sweet Adventures of SugarBelle. Whether we’re talking about technique or working on a fun project, you’re sure to learn something!Thank you for sharing with us, Callye!  (Psst . . .  I have a few other guest bloggers lined up to share more baking basics. If you have any baking basics you would like to see please let me know.)