simple hydrangea cookie tutorial

The internet is full of very intricate and impossibly detailed cookies. I am occasionally guilty of creating overly complicated cookies. But sometimes simple is better.

I was recently asked to make hydrangea cookies for a wedding shower. I made very complicated hydrangea cookies for a wedding shower in Spring 2015. I piped hundreds of tiny flowers to create those cookies. They took… let’s just call it many hours. I opted for simple this time and I think it worked out.

I don’t have a hydrangea cookie cutter, so I made Franken-cookies out of a basic flower shape and two different leaf cookie cutters. To create this “Franken-cookie,” start by cutting each shape out of cold cookie dough.

Take one of the leaf cookie cutters and cut into the flower shape. Then, slide your leaf into the space.

Smooth the dough over the lines where the leaf has been attached. Then, take your second leaf cutter and cut a space for the second leaf. Insert the second leaf, and smooth the dough again. Bake normally.

Once the cookies have baked and cooled, use a food marker to outline the shape of the flower on the cookie.

Next, outline and flood the leaves using 15 count royal icing. Remember, “count” literally means count. While your icing is still in the mixing bowl, run a knife through the icing and count how long it takes for the knife line to disappear. To increase the count (make it thicker) mix the icing longer. To decrease the count (make it thinner) add water. See here for the royal icing recipe and instructions.

Once the icing has hardened, outline and flood the flower using 15 count royal icing.

Next, add the detail on the leaves. To create this detail, I used the same green icing as before to outline the leaves. I created texture with a toothpick.

Finally, pipe the flower detail using a closed star or drop flower decorating tip, such as Wilton #35, #106, #224, or #225. Simply place your tip on the cookie, apply a small amount of pressure, and release directly upwards.