Cake! magazine by Australian Cake Decorating Network May 2015 | Page 29

You will need: • Vanilla shortbread or sugar cookies cut into a rectangle (or any shape that suits the stamp size) • Piping bags fitted with couplers and tips (#1.5, #2 and #4) • Un-inked stamp (used for food only) • Small paint brushes: round and square (used for food only) • Royal icing • Paint palette • Vodka (or water) • Food colour gel pastes • Toothpicks (ivory, sky blue, leaf • Paper towels green, soft pink, bright white, egg yellow) Step 1: Step 2: Make royal icing according to your recipe. Place most of the icing into one bowl and tint with a small amount of ivory gel paste. If necessary add a little water to achieve a stiff piping consistency (similar to toothpaste). Scoop some of this icing into a piping bag fitted with a #2 tip. Add more water to the remaining ivory icing to achieve flooding consistency (similar to thick honey), stirring gently with a silicon spatula. Place into a piping bag fitted with a #4 tip. Separate the remaining icing into two bowls and tint with white and egg yellow gel pastes. Add water to achieve piping consistency and place each colour into piping bags fitted with #1.5 tips. Outline baked cookies with Ivory piping icing and immediately fill with the flood consistency icing. With a toothpick, pop any air bubbles that rise to the surface. Tap the cookie a couple of times to help distribute the icing evenly (stamping works best on as flat and even a surface as possible). Allow cookies to dry uncovered for 12-24 hours. This step is very important as the icing must be completely dry before applying the stamp (otherwise you may crack the icing). Add a small drop of ivory gel paste to your palette. Using a small food only paint brush, mix the colour with a small amount of vodka or water. Paint the colour onto the surface of the stamp. Do a few test stamps on paper to see how the image transfers.