Black Buttercream Icing

I often hear people complain that their black icing did not come quiet black. Here is some good advice: a true shade of black cannot be obtained from white icing. The black coloring will reduce to a gray or a very dimmed black color. Before you start coloring, start with a chocolate icing, i.e., add cocoa powder to your icing before the black coloring.

Try working with gel colors (I like both Wilton and Americolor Gel food coloring), which to my opinion, pick up the color better than liquids and won't change the consistency of your icing. This become very handy when working with royal icing and fondant which can change the consistency or make it hard to work with.

Cookies: Halloween Bouquet

Links to:
Cookie Recipe and step-by-step instructions
Color Flow Icing Recipe: Cookies Glaze
Color Flow Icing Technique: How to decorate your cookies
Thinning Color Flow
Royal Icing as Color Flow: Coming Soon

Cookies: Cookie Dough (Roll-Out Cookies) Recipe

Recipe:

1 cup of butter
1 cup of sugar
1 large egg
1 tspoon vanilla
2 tspoon baking powder
3 cups flour

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F.



2. Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at low speed.



3. Add egg and vanilla and mix.



4. Add baking powder then one cup of flour. Mix at low speed.



5. Add the rest of the flour one cup at a time and continue mixing.



6. The cookie dough will be dry and stiff, so try mixing with the electric mixer and finish by hand (if the dough is too dry then add 1 tspoon of water and mix).



7. Do not chill dough so it won't loose its freshness and consistency. It is best if this dough is used right away.

You can divide dough into 2 halfs and roll them separately.

On a floured surface roll each portion into a big circle and 1/8 in. thick. I use dowel rods on the side of the dough and under the rolling pin, to be able to tell whn to stop. The cookie dough will be as thick as the rods.

Dip cookie cutters into flour before you cut the cookies ( I recommend Comfort Grip cookie Cutter by Wilton). Cut your cookies.

Insert the cookie stick (I used Wilton Cookie Sticks on picture below) by placing your hand on top of the cookie. Wiggle the stick in half way through the cookie. Use your hand to guide the cookie stick.

**Double Click on Pictures to Enlarge**

Lift the cookie with spatula. Check to see if cookie stick is showing on the other side of the cookie, if so, cover up with dough.

Bake cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet on top rack of oven for 6-7 minutes, or until cookies are lighlty browned at the edges.

This recipe makes about 20-24 average sized cookies. For the cookies made in the Cookie Bouquet picture, it makes about 12-13 cookies.

NOTE: the cookie dough can be tinted with Wilton Icing color. Knead small amounts until desired color is reached.

CHOCOLATE COOKIES

Blend into dough 3 ounces of melted unsweetened chocolate.

LINKS
Flow Icing Recipe: Cookies Glaze
Color Flow Icing Technique: How to decorate your cookies
Thinning Color Flow
Royal Icing as Color Flow: Coming Soon