New to decorating sugar cookies? You’re not alone. Where do you start? I’ll tell you. Get some nice cookie cutters in whatever shape you want to make. Fortunately, the list is endless these days. And, if you can’t find what you’re looking for, you can purchase an easy-to-use kit to make your own cookie cutters in minutes.

Do you have a good, robust and tasty sugar cookie recipe? If not, don’t worry. A Google search will bring up millions of results for sugar cookie recipes.

Once the cookies have been baked and cooled, you’ll probably be left staring at them trying to decide how you’re going to make them look like the designer cookies you saw in various bakeries, at a party, or online. As long as you choose a quick and easy design, you’ll relieve stress and have fun decorating.

To start decorating, use a food-safe brush. Take some piping gel and put it in a small container. This will be your “glue” between the fondant and the sugar cookie. Hold your cookie in one hand and lightly paint the inside of the cookie leaving the edges clean. You should barely see the gel from the piping on your cookie. This is important because the fondant cutout is not as big as the sugar cookie. Put this cookie aside.

Before rolling out the fondant, it’s important to make sure the entire work surface is clean. Keep a white cotton towel nearby to use between fondant color changes to clean the non-stick mat and rolling pin. Use a non-stick mat so your fondant doesn’t stick to the mat or distort your fondant cutout when you remove it to place on your cookie. Don’t use icing sugar if the fondant sticks to the mat or rolling pin. It’s best to use a little Crisco on the roller to alleviate this problem.

Start rolling your fondant in one direction, lift it completely off the mat, turn it 90 degrees, roll, lift and rotate 90 degrees, roll, lift and rotate 90 degrees until it reaches the thickness you want. Quarter inch (1/4″) thickness seems to be the standard, although some people use 1/18″ thickness. See which one works best for your design.

Don’t know what fondant to use? You should try several different brands because they all taste different. Don’t you like the taste? Add some of the concentrated flavors available at bakeries or online. Pick one that complements your cookie flavor. The fondant available at craft stores has been improved, so try it out in your sugar cookies. Use coupons to save money. Do you need a lot of fondant? Buy the 5 lbs. container. Some companies have fondant that works well with decorated sugar cookies. It comes in many different combinations of delicious colors and flavors. You can order samples online. Another company offers deep-colored fondant in purple, red, yellow, or black, and it’s available at most bakeries and online retailers.

When you’ve rolled out your fondant, take the same cookie cutter you used to bake the cookies (be sure to wipe it clean with a dry cloth) and cut out your fondant. The best technique to use to get a clean cut is to press down firmly, continue to hold your hand completely over the cookie cutter, and then give it a slight twist. I call this technique “press and move”. This clean edge trimming at first saves time when you don’t have to remove jagged edges. Remove the cutter and lift the fondant cutout and place on top of the piping gel covered cookie. Take your finger and slide it all over the cookie being careful not to press or leave fingerprints. You now have a smooth surface on which you can create your design.

The decoration is the best part! Use simple tools to get started, and the process saves time and money. The first set you should buy is the Designer Pattern Press Set. It is available at most craft stores. In this package you will find some very elegant presses. The symmetrical swirl, the small and large fleur-de-lis, the corner flower, the flower, the heart bow, the scroll and the curls. These presses can be used to decorate cakes. Whether you’re working on wedding cake cookies, baby shower cookies, or any other design, you’ll find one of the presses will suit your needs as a beginner. Just practice printing your fondant before you start designing your cookies so you know how much pressure it takes to get a clean pattern impression. This set is a deal for under $8 and a steal if you use a discount coupon. Play with them. They will become your tools of the trade and will give you professional results every time. As you rotate them in different directions, sometimes going in and out of the edge of the fondant, you create many different options to use in designs.

The second tool to buy is the Quilting Patchwork Cutter. This can be used horizontally, diagonally, and vertically to make interesting designs. Need to make a monogrammed cookie for a wedding? Embellish the edges of a square cookie and use a stamped starter press for the center. Do you want something more elegant? Put sugar pearls on the cross sections to make your cookie more elegant. An easy way to add sugar pearls is to use the pointed end of a small brush to make an indentation in the fondant (a slight dip) where you want the sugar pearl to fall, and then add the sugar pearl. It will go straight into the slot like a pinball into the hole. Need to add a line of pearls? Use a ruler to make a line impression in the fondant. Place your cookie on a rimmed plate and then pour the pearls over the line. You can easily line up the pearls and press them all the way into the fondant. Once the fondant is dry, the sugar pearls will not move.

Visit local craft stores or departments for easier-to-use and cheaper tools. Some of the same presses used for clay can be used for fondant. To experience. Rubber stamps are also inexpensive (again, think coupons) and great tools for embellishing your fondant. Look at the depth of the design on the stamp to get an idea of ​​what it will look like when you press it into the fondant. Some presses only do light prints. Use these presses only for your cookies and not for your crafts.

Practicing the amount of pressure it takes to get your designs to come out clean and even is important for your cookies to look professional. Take some fondant out of the package, roll it out, and then practice with the stamps and presses. If your design is not printed evenly into the fondant, roll out again and then try again using both hands gently pressing the tool into the fondant and then lifting it up. When you learn how much pressure you can use to print your design, you can print directly on the cookie without worrying that the cookie will break. It may take a couple of times to get the cookie the way you want it to look. You can easily remove the fondant from the cookie if you don’t like the design. Use some Crisco and re-knead the fondant to remove the stickiness from the piping gel. Look at your cookie. You may need to add a little more piping gel to it before adding the fondant.

Once all your cookies are decorated, let them sit in a dry place to dry overnight or 5-6 hours. Once the fondant is dry you can use a food safe brush to add a bit of glitter with Super Pearl glitter powder. A little goes a long way. Cellophane bags can be purchased to put the cookies in and add a decorative bow.

Get ready for all the compliments!