Salis Josef - The art of cookies: fast and fun cookie decoration

Copyright 2004 by Penn Publishing Ltd.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, except brief excerpts for the purpose of review, without written permission of the publisher.

A Kirsty Melville Book

Ten Speed Press
Box 7123
Berkeley, California 94707
www.tenspeed.com

Distributed in Australia by Simon and Schuster Australia, in Canada by Ten Speed Press Canada, in New Zealand by Southern Publishers Group, in South Africa by Real Books, and in the United Kingdom and Europe by Airlift Book Company.

Cover design by Michel Opatowski

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Hitron, Noga.
The art of cookies : fast and fun cookie decoration / Noga Hitron and Natasha Haimovich.
p. cm.
A Kirsty Melville Book.
Includes index.
ISBN 1-58008-632-2 (pbk.)
Ebook ISBN: 978-0-307-81608-5
1. Cookies. 2. Garnishes (Cookery). I. Haimovich, Natasha. II. Title.
TX772.H555 2004
641.8654dc22 2004008785

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W elcome to the world of cookie artcookie decorating like youve never known it before. Weve all seen gingerbread men, simple Christmas trees, or even Easter bunny cookies. But what about a high heel, a baseball shirt, or a colorful dragonfly cookie? What about a four-tiered wedding cake cookie? The Art of Cookies includes gorgeous, original designs for all these cookies and so much more.

Were you ever stuck for an original gift to give out as a party favor? Are you tired of handing out cookies with the same old designs at Halloween and Christmas? These decorated cookies are the perfect solution. Organized by theme, the stylish designs are explained with straightforward, step-by-step instructions. Every design comes with a traceable pattern to create a stencil, and photo-graphs are included throughout to help the home cookie decorator replicate exactly what is shown in the book.

Whether you are a budding artist just waiting to let your creative juices flow or someone who loves to bake and wants to get original, this book is for you. The Art of Cookies will help you learn a time-honored craft in a whole new way.

T he cookie recipes used for decorating produce an especially firm, flat, crumbly cookie that does not lose its shape during baking. If not using the dough right away, wrap it in plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Remove it from the refrigerator 3 hours before baking.

For all of the cookie shapes in this book, you will find a pattern in . Follow the instructions there for preparing your stencils.

Using stencils: Roll out the dough according to the directions for the cookie you are making. Place the stencil on top of the dough and trace the shape of the cookie using the tip of an X-acto knife or small paring knife. Remove the stencil and cut all the way through the dough with the knife. After cutting from the entire sheet of dough, gather the remaining dough, roll out again, and repeat the cutting process until all of the dough is used.

Using cookie cutters: Roll out the dough according to the directions for the cookie you are making. Dip the cutter into flour and then cut through the dough. Wiggle the cutter as youre cutting to be sure that it goes all the way through the dough. After cutting from the entire sheet of dough, gather the remaining dough, roll it out again, and repeat the cutting process until all of the dough is used.

Shortcut method: Follow the rolling instructions in the cookie recipe and leave the rolled-out dough on the parchment paper. Transfer the dough and the parchment paper to the baking sheet. Make the cuts with the cookie cutter or knife, leaving inch between cookies, and then, using both hands, carefully lift the edges of the unused dough and remove. The cookies will be perfectly spaced on the baking sheet. The paper can remain in place during baking.

Cutting complicated cookie shapes: When cutting holes or other shapes into a cookie, first cut the outer shape and transfer the cookie to the baking sheet. Then, using the appropriate tool (such as a straw for holes), cut out the interior shape. This will ensure that you dont break the shape. Also, when making cookies on a stick, its best to press the popsicle stick or skewer into the dough after the cookies have been transferred to the baking sheet so that the stick doesnt fall out.