Cake! magazine by Australian Cake Decorating Network November 2018 Cake! Magazine | Page 84

Aixa Zunino
interview with
Spanish and Australian cookie
decorators, it is the size of the cookies
and the frequent use of hand painting
techniques. Spanish cookiers tend to
decorate larger cookies and they love
to paint on royal icing. you to improve and determine exactly
what went wrong and why. Failing over
and over again is the way to success.
You travel the world teaching your
craft. Do you prefer teaching or
creating for customers? Well, I have to confess that I don’t have
an art background. I’m a self-taught
artist.
I really enjoy teaching and sharing my
passion for decorated cookies! I love
to see how no matter what nationality
you have, the curiosity, enthusiasm,
issues and dedication are the same
in every country I have visited. I love
teaching, as meeting new students
makes me want to challenge myself,
learn new things every day and
improve my skills to share with them.
You push the boundaries with your
designs, creating 3D and hanging
cookies. How much planning goes in
to these designs?
So Sweet To Hear: An Interview with Aixa Zunino of Dolce Sentire
Written by Kellie Rudland
Aixa Zunino of Dolce Sentire is fast
becoming one of the biggest names
in the cookie industry. Known for her
intricately hand-painted designs,
Zunino uses cookies as her canvas.
We caught up with her to chat about
the evolution of Dolce Sentire and to
grab some tips on how to create the
perfect cookie.
You began Dolce Sentire in 2012. How
did you discover cookie decorating?
I had never planned to start in
the world of cookie decorating. I
remember when I was a little girl I
was very curious and I really loved
everything about sweets and treats.
My two grandmothers loved to cook
and bake so they shared with me
everything they learned from their own
mothers. That’s probably the reason
why I discovered decorated cookies
by chance. It was in 2012, I was living
and studying in Sardinia (Italy) and
I used to spend part of my leisure
time watching a sugarcraft TV show
hosted by a very talented Italian cake
design artist, Renato Ardovino. That’s
how I knew about all the possibilities
cookies could offer.
You currently reside in Spain. Do you
think there are differences in styles
between Spanish and Australian
decorators?
If there is something that I can
highlight as a difference between
I don’t use to plan a lot in advance
my cookies. Actually, I follow my heart
when I want to create. I just think what
I want to render into a cookie and start
looking for some inspiration, meaning
shapes, colours, techniques, textures,
finishings… that takes me about one
day. Once I have an idea about what I
want to create, I just begin decorating,
trying not to be under pressure and
open to change all the design if it’s
necessary. Decorating process may
take one or two days more.
You tend to combine painting and
piping in your cookie designs. Do
you have favourite brushes you can
recommend?
I do only use round quality brushes.
Sable hair brushes (eg Kolinsky sable)
make the best choice for cookie
painting and, if you properly care for
them, will maintain their shape and
texture for long time.
If you don’t want to spend too much,
some high quality synthetics (nylon or
polyester) can also do a great job.
What are your top three tools for
creating amazing cookies?
Paintbrushes, scribers and piping
bags.
Have you had any cookie fails?
Of course I have! Actually, I keep on
failing sometimes. Cookie fails force
Your work is so detailed and flawlessly
executed. Do you have an art
background?
What were you doing before you found
cookies?
In my “past life” I was an agricultural
engineer.
Do you have any plans to come back
and teach in Australia?
I was teaching in Melbourne and
Sydney this year and I really enjoyed
it! My students were so adorable and
I had a very pleasant time there, even
if I couldn’t visit too much. It would be
great to back again soon!
What are your three tips for beginners
learning how to decorate cookies?
1. Don’t go crazy with the different
consistencies of royal icing.
Mastering them is something that
takes some time, especially if you
never use it on your cookies.
2. Relax and enjoy the learning
process without worrying about
the outcome. Remember: every fail
helps you to improve yourself and
achieve your cookie goals in the
future.
3. Be patient and keep on practicing.
Don’t stress yourself if something
went wrong…never give up!
Where do you find inspiration for your
cookie designs?
I used to look for inspiration at
Pinterest or Instagram.
Who are your cookie idols?
I have a lot of cookie idols but I
especially love the art of Julia M.
Usher, with her intricate decorations,
the cuteness of SweetAmbs’ cookies
or the amazing paintings that
Evelindecora creates on her cookies.