How To Make Enameled Cookies

ByAmber
18 Comments
These cookies were inspired by the bejeweled Jay Strongwater frames that my grandmother has on display in her art gallery. In this tutorial, I'll show you how to achieve this enameled look. You can see the entire set of cookies here.
To purchase products used in this and other tutorials, visit the recommended products page.

This plaque cookie cutters are available on Karen's Cookies website.

There are two sizes of this cutter available. I'm using the smaller one in this tutorial. Once your cookies are baked and cooled, use a scribe tool to trace a round cookie cutter in the center of the cookie to create a guide.

Flood the area around the circle in pink icing and immediately pipe stripes of white flood consistency icing using a tip 3. You can learn all about flood consistency icing and how to use it in the video, Flooding With Royal Icing, which is available in my tutorial shop. 

Use the scribe tool to swirl the two colors together.

You don't have to wait for the icing to dry before moving on to the next step. Fill in the center circle with white flood icing and a tip 3.

Immediately pipe pale yellow icing (I used a touch of golden yellow to make this color) over the white circle and swirl it around with the scribe tool.

Allow the icing to dry completely, which takes about 8-12 hours. I usually ice my cookies and let them sit overnight before finishing the decorations.
Mix some corn syrup with a few drops of alcohol to thin it out. I'm using Bacardi 151, but you can use any alcohol or flavored extract. Cover the entire surface with the corn syrup glaze. This is similar to the cracked glaze technique.

Then, mix white pearl dust with a few drops of alcohol and use a small brush to place drops of it into the wet glaze.

 Swirl the pearl dust and glaze around with the brush.

I added a royal icing transfer in the center. You could try using a fondant cameo, a monogram, or an edible image. Make sure to gently press the decoration into the glaze. I used the scribe tool to help position the bee in the center. 
There is a video in my tutorial shop on how to make this royal icing transfer bee.

Let this dry for about one to two hours. You don't want the glaze to dry completely because part of the beauty of this design is that the filigree sinks slightly into the surface. However, if the glaze is too wet, the royal icing will absorb the moisture and spread.

Pipe a filigree design (step by step filigree tutorial coming soon to my shop!) using stiff consistency icing and a tip 1.
The color of this icing is brown mixed with a touch of green added to neutralize it. When painting with gold pearl dust on royal icing, I like to start off with brown because it makes the gold really stand out. Read this post on how to make gold icing for more information about this process.
Add a border around the circle and let the icing dry for about an hour.

Paint the filigree and the border with a mixture of gold pearl dust and alcohol.
Add white pearls using a tip 2 and stiff consistency icing.
Then, pipe a bead border using the same icing and tip. There is a video in my shop with full instructions on how to pipe a bead border.
Let the pearls and bead border dry for an hour, then paint them with a mixture of pearl dust and alcohol. I combined white pearl dust with a little bit of gold to make this champagne color.

Allow everything to dry for another 8-12 hours before handling the cookie.

 View all of the enameled cookies here!

More Tutorial

18 Comments

  1. Pingback: Fancy Fleur-de-Lis Cookies | Make Me Cake Me

  4. I love the technique of making cameos with the silicon mold -- they look like jewelry. Can you use royal icing in those molds, or is it too fragile? I didn't think that fondant would get completely hard -- is the surface delicate when you use fondant?

    Reply

    1. I think that royal icing would be too fragile for this method. Certain brands of fondant don't dry completely so the cameos remain soft, which is a problem when shipping cookies. I find that Wilton and CK products fondant dries out enough so that it can be shipped, but not so dry that it's too hard to bite. I usually make my fondant designs and let them dry overnight and then place them on the cookie the next day. Thanks for your comment!

      Reply

  5. This is so unbelievable , congrats for your talent and hands!!! I'm trying to do some cookies too, and I'll like to know what brand of golden dust you use?
    Thank you and advance for share all your beautiful work!!!!!

    Reply

  6. These cookies are stunning!! I can't believe all the detail you put into each creation. No two are exactly alike, each cookie is one-of-a-kind. You keep coming up with new techniques that I wouldn't even have thought of! Thank you so much!

    Reply

  8. You are the most talented person I've ever met. I am speechless Amber. They all look stunning.

    Reply

  14. Your work is so stunning! Thank you for sharing these gorgeous techniques as well as your beautiful cookies. 🙂

    Reply

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