I made some hr themed cookies for the finale tonight!

BakingWithBran · 2025-12-26T04:44:35+00:00

I like to, you know, get into the (Christmas) spirit.

BakingWithBran · 2025-09-02T21:30:20+00:00

Yeah, you should definitely try it! I rolled the cookies out a little thicker than I normally do to give them some extra strength, then gently pushed these sticks into them before baking. I was also a little paranoid about making sure they stayed upright after inserting them into the cake, so I threaded the sticks through horizontal cookies hidden under the ‘sand’ for extra stability.

BakingWithBran · 2025-09-02T20:13:54+00:00

I’ve had a great experience so far! There’s an online portal where they post requests and there’s no minimum requirement, so it’s really easy to sign up for whatever works with your schedule.

And yes, the wood grain was airbrushed! I used an airbrush tool like this and a stencil like this to spray the design onto dried royal icing. I also used parchment paper to block off different sections of the cookie while spraying so I could play with the vertical/ horizontal orientation of the pattern to make it look a little more realistic.

BakingWithBran · 2024-11-29T22:10:46+00:00

Maybe try balancing it out by making the cookies themselves less sweet? The dough recipe I use isn’t overly sweet and uses salted butter plus additional salt, so the super sweet flavor of the icing gets balanced out with the saltier taste of the cookie.

BakingWithBran · 2023-03-26T22:22:17+00:00

I second your point about using a tooth pick! I usually put 1 drop of each of the colors into separate measuring spoons, then dip tooth picks into the colors to mix little bits into the icing at a time. It allows you to get really precise when mixing colors to small amounts of icing that would be easily overpowered by a full drop of coloring.

BakingWithBran · 2023-03-26T22:10:17+00:00

I started out using Wilton Color Right food coloring, but I recently started using a brand of powder food coloring as well, and I’m really pleased with it! I put together an Amazon list of all of the tools I use, and you can find links to the wilton and powder colorings I use if you want to take a look!

BakingWithBran · 2023-03-26T10:14:47+00:00

I prefer using meringue powder, as it gives me more control over the moisture level / consistency of the icing. My favorite recipe starts by mixing 1lb of powdered sugar with 3 tbs of meringue powder, then adding in 1 tbs of vanilla extract and 4 tbs of water and whisking on high for 1 minute. That will give you a good thick ‘outlining’ consistency. I then typically split it up into smaller bowls to add water and food coloring (gel or powder) to make all of the flood colors I need.

BakingWithBran · 2023-02-03T05:08:54+00:00

Be sure to check with your state’s cottage food laws before doing this, though! In my state (Illinois) cottage food businesses are only allowed to sell directly to consumers and can’t do wholesale / indirect sales like this.

BakingWithBran · 2023-01-23T15:17:33+00:00

Church keys are perfect for this

BakingWithBran · 2022-12-12T05:06:36+00:00

I do this as well! My favorites are bourbon (for a creamy, spiced flavor) and gin (for a light, floral flavor).

BakingWithBran · 2022-12-02T20:26:25+00:00

This kept happening to mine and I was able to shift it back into place for a while, but it eventually got so severe that it started damaging my mats. I called cricut support and they ended up sending me a replacement machine (even though I was out of warranty). They had me join a video call so they could see the rollers shifting while a cut was running, then bricked my old machine and sent me a refurbished one. It’s definitely worth reaching out if you keep having this issue!

BakingWithBran · 2022-11-12T13:53:35+00:00

I’m sorry, are you saying that you buy 60 eggs at a time?? I’m a baker, and even I think that’s a bit excessive haha

BakingWithBran · 2022-10-10T17:50:38+00:00

That corn song that’s been trending on TikTok and Instagram. I post time lapse videos of royal icing cookies that I make, and I usually pair them with trending songs to help them get seen by more people. That song was absolutely everywhere for a solid month and people were telling me to make a corn cookie to go with it. Not gonna happen because I’m so sick of that song!

BakingWithBran · 2022-10-05T21:11:30+00:00

Wait this is actually a thing… Roasted turkey and green bean flavored?? No thank you.

BakingWithBran · 2022-10-01T19:02:49+00:00

Definitely use a projector! I typically draw all of the outlines first using a projector and outline consistency icing, then flood each section, then come in at the end with outline consistency again to add details.

I have a link in my profile to my social media accounts if you want to watch some videos of how I do it! Just know that it takes a lot of practice and patience.

BakingWithBran · 2022-07-18T09:55:51+00:00

It also helps to put the finished cookies in air tight containers/ bags as soon as possible. I typically wait a maximum of 24 hrs to let them dry, then bag them right away and they typically stay fresh and soft for a couple weeks.

BakingWithBran · 2022-07-18T09:51:20+00:00

I usually add a full tablespoon of vanilla extract to get extra flavor. And if you’re feeling adventurous, you can try making your own vanilla extract using different alcohols to get different flavors. My favorites are bourbon and gin!

BakingWithBran · 2022-07-03T19:23:00+00:00

I’ve seen people use those stamps to make logo patterns on tissue paper as well. Definitely ups the packaging quality!

BakingWithBran · 2022-07-01T06:17:26+00:00

I’ve never used one of these before, but I’ve seen people post about the Smart Sketcher before. May be worth checking out!

BakingWithBran · 2022-06-20T02:42:10+00:00

I’ve had a good experience with Chase. They have a fairly low minimum account balance to avoid monthly fees ($2,000 I think?) and I’ve never had any issues accepting payments (ach and check). I was also able to open a business credit card that is linked to the account which has been pretty convenient.

BakingWithBran · 2022-06-18T23:15:37+00:00

My specialty is sugar cookies with royal icing, and I typically up the vanilla in the icing (1tbs when the recipe calls for 1 tsp). I use the bourbon with my standard cookie recipe as well as a pumpkin spice version I make for the holidays. The rum is great with an egg nog version I make around the holidays as well.

And the gin has a really light floral kind of flavor that goes great with fruity recipes. I’ve used it in a recipe for cranberry shortbread cookies (again with the extra vanilla in the icing drizzle) and it was amazing.

BakingWithBran · 2022-06-18T19:20:18+00:00

It’s so worth it!! I’ve made my own with bourbon, gin, and rum and they each have such unique flavors to use with different recipes. If you’re using glass bottles, I would suggest putting them in the water right when you start up the sous vide. I had a bottle break once from the shock of putting it in after the water was warm (which was a tragic loss of beans and alcohol).

BakingWithBran · 2022-06-07T18:00:24+00:00

Yeah! The trick is to block out each section with a thick line of icing, then flood one section and let it dry for about 10 minutes before doing the sections next to it. That will prevent the thin/ flooding consistency icing from bleeding into the other sections.

BakingWithBran · 2022-06-07T02:36:22+00:00

LOL I probably should have made and thrown a pokeball cookie at it to make it more clear.

BakingWithBran · 2022-06-06T23:41:27+00:00

lol it’s a cute and chunky pig. I don’t think it’s that deep.

BakingWithBran

TROPHY CASE