Happy spring! I feel like I need to shout that from every single rooftop in the world, because I'm so extraordinarily excited that winter is officially over (although winter weather is still lingering around New England with low 30 degree weather). I'm an optimist by nature, but even I was getting down by the cold, clouds, and snow. To help kick off a season with warmer weather, sunshine, and being outdoors, I'm posting a set of decorated cookies inspired by spring featuring roses and monograms.
These cookies are for some good friends of ours in Boston. You know when you meet someone and you become instant friends. You feel like you've known them for forever, and your kids also become best friends. You can stop by each other's houses without freaking out when it's a little (or a lot) messy. And you can count on them when you get stuck at an appointment and your daughter needs to be picked up from school. When I moved to Boston two years ago, I was lucky enough to meet a friend exactly like that. I made these cookies for our friends' youngest daughter, Cara's, birthday.
At first I worried that maybe these cookies were too sophisticated or stuffy for a little girl. But my five-year old couldn't keep her little hands off of them. She was enamored by them. So much so that I found her staring at them as she munched on one of the bouquet of flower cookies. She loved them so much that she requested that I make them for her own birthday. I told her I definitely would, and she reminded me that she'd also like rainbow, strawberry, and crayon cookies as well.
My inspiration for these spring inspired decorated cookies comes from a few of Sugar Belle's rose tutorials that you can find here and here. I've had my eye on making royal icing roses for forever, and I finally decided to give it a go with these cookies.
My favorite cookie design in the set is the rose bouquet. I used the bristle end of a broom cookie cutter, just like the broom cutter in this set of Halloween cookie cutters. I just chopped off the long handle. It worked very nicely.
I made the monogram for the cookies by tracing a cardboard template on to the cookie using an edible marker. After tracing, I just filled the letter in with white royal icing.
The birthday cakes are a testament to how I need to work on writing on sugar cookies. I do my text free hand, and uh, let's just say it's a work in progress.
Spring Inspired Decorated Cookies Featuring Roses and Monograms
The recipe for the sugar cookies and the royal icing can be found at the end of this post.
Royal Icing Colors for the Monogram Cookies
White – Piping and flood consistencies
Pink – 20 second, piping, and flood consistencies
Green – Piping consistency
Magenta – Piping consistency
Instructions for the Monogram Cookies
For basic instructions on how to make monogram cookies, see Sweet Sugar Belle's post on perfect monogram cookies.
To decorate the cookie once the monogram was done, I first piped circles of various sizes on the corners of the cookie using 20 second icing. After waiting a minute or two, I went back and piped the swirls in the middle of each rose using piping icing in the same color.
After allowing the roses to dry for about 1/2 an hour, I piped the leaves using green piping icing and a 67 leaf tip.
This post is linked to these parties.
Aida, These are lovely. I too have wanted to try Sugar Belle’s roses and now you’ve inspired me to give it a try. I just love the colors in this set and so nice to see spring flowers.
Aida, I’ve never seen such intricate work such as yours. Your creations are masterpieces – plain and simple!
I love these!! The flowers are beautiful!!!
will you come to my birthday and bring some of these?! They are the fanciest cookies I’ve ever seen and I want them! Before you even said it, I said to myself – I bet she used a broom cookie cutter. lol. Thank you for sharing on Foodie Friday
These are beautiful, really beautiful. And just as a “by the way”, I love that your writing isn’t perfect as just a for a second it makes me believe maybe I could have a go at making lovely cookies like these!
Thanks so much Joan! Sugar Belle has another tutorial for roses that I’m also dying to try. They’re on my to-do list. I can’t wait to see how your roses turn out. I’m sure they’ll be beautiful just like the rest of your amazing work!
Best,
Aida@TheCraftingFoodie
Thanks so much Robyn! You are the best bloggy friend ever 😉 Your kind comments and support are so appreciated.
Best,
Aida@TheCraftingFoodie
Thanks so much Morgan! I have a flower-theme planned for mother’s day as well. I hope those cookies turn out well 🙂 Thanks for stopping by, and I hope to see you around The Crafting Foodie soon!
Best,
Aida
Thanks so much Adelina! I’d love to make a set of these for your birthday 🙂 Thanks so much for the kind words!
Best,
Aida
Thanks so much for the kind comment Julie 🙂 You definitely can make these exact cookies. Here’s the dirty secret about cookie decorating: It’s actually really easy! Hope you have a great week!
Best,
Aida
Those are absolutely gorgeous! Great job!
thanks for linking to Take-A-Look Tuesday over at Sugar Bee Crafts – you were featured yesterday! – –
Mandy, SugarBeeCrafts.com
Your Tip Me Tuesday link is incredible this week! In fact, my readers would love to bookmark it in their craft rooms. Did you know that if you upload this blog post into your Tip Junkie craft room using at least 2 images, 2 steps, and blog post URL then Tip Junkie readers can favorite it which instantly bookmarks it so they can find it later. {Whoohoo!} ~ Laurie {a.k.a. the Tip Junkie}
http://www.tipjunkie.com/post/how-to-add-a-craft-room-project-on-tip-junkie/
Thanks so much for the feature Mandy!
Best,
Aida
These cookies are absolutely GORGEOUS! I love the colors, the design…I love everything about them!
Thanks so much Sue! That means a lot to me, coming from such a creative cookie artist like you 🙂
Best,
Aida
I love these cookies! Pinning now!
Thanks so much Lisa! That’s such a huge compliment from such a talented baker/cookie artist. Thanks so much for pinning 🙂