Cookie Craft and the Art of Flooding

I have always wanted to know how to make sugar cookies that have that amazing hard coated icing on top that we all used to hoover off of the cookies (and leave the cookies behind).

You know the ones... They look something like this (courtesy of Bakerella's blog - as an aside, visit Bakerella's blog. It's amazing!!!!!!).

Photo is courtesy of Bakerella

 

This past weekend, I did some research on this technique and have learned that it is called 'flooding'. The idea behind the concept is simply that you outline the shape that you would like and then you 'flood' the outlined area with a runnier icing. Once dry, it's smooth and solid and oh so pretty!

The other thing that I learned through my 'flooding' research is that EVERYONE who has blogged about this concept, has suggested that you buy this book.

Cookie Craft by Valerie Patterson and Janice Fryer

I was debating whether or not I actually wanted to buy this book despite all of the hype about it. Did I really NEED another cook book? And even more so, did I need another cookie book? Well, I caved! I hunted down a copy in Toronto yesterday and it is now mine.

Before I bought the book, I had tried to create my own flooded cookies (last weekend actually) but I'm pretty sure that I put WAAAAAAAAY too much water in my flooding icing because they didn't dry in a solid flat coating, they had air bubbles in them. PLUS I made them in disgustingly vibrant colours that are reminiscent of an acid trip (or so I hear!). These are a collaboration of a few of the cookie artists who happened to have been at my house last weekend.

Unfortunately (or fortunately) you can't see the air bubbles, but I swear that they're there. 

Regardless, I bought the book, I bought the book, I bought the book!!!!!! I was going through it last night and I can barely contain my excitement about it. I swear the book was written for me :) So for now, we'll wait and see what comes out of the next few batches of cookies but I do truly hope that they're perfected by Halloween; I do have my Mom and baby brother's classes to bake for, plus my gals at work. Naturally, I will keep you all posted! 

Happy weekend!

Tamara