The desire to create spectacular looking homemade sugar cookies has people in the kitchen these days trying to master the use of royal icing. Let me show you a faster way using fondant as a decorating medium. Fondant is a foldable sugar mass that is rolled out and applied to cookies. It can be shaped in many different ways and its flavor can be changed using concentrated flavors on the market. You can make your own marshmallow fondant or purchase fondant at your local craft store.
Here is my favorite sugar cookie recipe to use as the base for your fondant covered cookies.
basic sugar cookies
1 cup unsalted butter, softened (226 g)
1 cup granulated sugar (198g)
1/2 cup icing sugar (56 g)
1 large egg (50g)
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract (5g)
3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour (420 g)
1/2 flour cake (60g)
1/4 teaspoon of salt (2g)
Addresses:
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
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In a large bowl, cream together softened butter, granulated sugar, and confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
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Add the egg and mix well. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
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Add the vanilla extract and mix well. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Set aside.
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In another large bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, cake flour, and salt. Use a whisk to mix the dry ingredients.
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Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, a little at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl until all the flour is incorporated. The dough should be ready to use.
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Roll out your cookie dough. If your cookie dough is extremely soft and cannot be rolled out right away, that means your butter was too soft before mixing. Refrigerate cookie dough for one to two hours before using.
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Remove from the refrigerator and let rest at room temperature for 30-45 minutes before rolling out the dough. Cut out desired dress cookie shapes. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes. Cool completely before decorating.
Makes 2 lbs. 4.1 oz. cookie dough (1025 grams).
How to prepare your cookies to cover them with fondant
Once you have baked all of your sugar cookies, look at each one to make sure the top is smooth. If there is a hump on top of the sugar cookie, that bump will show up on the fondant-covered sugar cookie. You can use a paring knife or micro planer to file down the hump and smooth out the top of the cookie.
How to roll out your fondant to use on cookies
Prepare your fondant for use according to the package instructions. I suggest that you taste the fondant and add flavoring, if needed, before kneading and cutting the fondant. There are a number of concentrated flavors on the market. A little goes a long way. For every pound of fondant, use only 1/2 teaspoon of flavor concentrate. Knead the concentrated flavor with a little (50/50 mix) of icing sugar and cornstarch to maintain the consistency of the fondant.
Use a rolling pin and non-stick mat to roll out your fondant. Use a handful of fondant to start. Shape into a ball and then flatten the fondant into a disk shape. Begin rolling out the fondant by pressing the fondant with the rolling pin. Lift the fondant off the mat and turn the direction of the fondant after each roll to ensure it doesn’t stick to the mat. Use your 50/50 mix if your fondant sticks to the mat. Roll out your fondant to 1/8 inch to cut with your cookie cutter and cover your sugar cookie.
Roll your fondant as thin as you can to use plunger cutters for flowers or other decorations.
How to apply fondant to cookies
Use a food-safe brush to paint piping gel on the innermost part of the cookie, avoiding the edges. The piping gel is the “glue” to secure the fondant to the sugar cookie. It is important to avoid the edges to give you a professional looking cookie.
The same cookie cutter you used to cut the cookies is the same cookie cutter you use to cut the fondant. Be sure to remove any sugar cookie dough residue from the cookie cutter and use a clean cloth to wipe down the cookie cutter between using the sugar cookie dough and fondant. This step is important.
The most important thing to remember when using fondant is that moisture turns fondant into a sticky mess. You can control this with a 50/50 mix of icing sugar and cornstarch. When kneaded into smooth fondant, this 50/50 mix allows you to roll out your fondant and use it even when the weather is humid.
Simple tools and products that can be used for printing Fondant and Leave a Design
There are many simple tools and products that can be used to print your fondant and leave a design. Here are some of my suggestions for getting started decorating sugar cookies with fondant:
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Sprinkles and sanding sugar can be applied to the fondant covered sugar cookies. After applying the fondant cutout to your sugar cookie, paint the entire surface of the fondant with a light coating of piping gel, then use a bowl to hold the sugar cookie. Pour the sprinkles or sanding sugar over the entire surface of the fondant cookie, then shake to remove any excess.
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The pattern rollers can be used on the fondant before using the cookie cutter to cut the fondant. There are different pattern rollers on the market, and they make beautiful designs no matter what area of the pattern you use.
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Plunger cutters such as flowers, circles, squares, roses, or other designs can be used to make quick designs on the fondant-covered sugar cookies.
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Stencils can be used to imprint a design onto your fondant, and cake paint can be used to paint the stencil and then removed to reveal the stencil design.
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Plastic impressions can be used to imprint the fondant before using a cookie cutter. Check your local craft store for ideas.
With these steps, you can quickly learn how to decorate sugar cookies with fondant and impress your family and friends.
