How to decorate cookies with rolled fondant
To decorate cookies with rolled fondant is very easy and quick. The cookie do not need to dry overnight like you do with royal icing.
You can go for a simple look by only cut out the same shape in fondant and applied it to the cookies. But you could also go for more detailed cookies if you applied fondant accents on top of the cookie.
I also like to use small embossing sticks or a veining tool to make pretty details in the fondant. Here I will show you how I make my dragonfly and butterfly cookies. I love the look you get when you use a veining tool on the wings. So simple. If you brush your fondant cookies with edible luster dust they look even better.
There are no limits when it comes to decorating cookies. Just be creative!
This is what I use:
Sugar cookies in the shape of butterflies or dragonflies
Cookie cutters in the same shape
Non-stick board
Rolling pin
Knife
Corn syrup & brush
Soft brush for the lustre dust
Dresden & veining tool (I recomend the one from Jem)
Luster dust (I have used: Aqua shimmer & Iced Pink from Edable Art)
Rolled fondant in your chosen colors
Dragonfly:
Step 1:
Roll out your fondant thinly and cut out the wings with the cookie cutter.
As it is only the wings we are going to need. You dont have to cut out the whole shape like I did. Just the wings.
Step 2:
Cut the wings in shape with a knife like shown on wing A.
Step 3:
Brush a thin coat of corn syrup on the sugar cookie but only on the wings and gently put the wing pieces on top
Step 4:
With your finger smooth out the edge all around the wings.
Step 5:
Take your veining tool and mark the wings with fine lines.
Step 6:
If you like you can brush luster dust on the wings.
Step 7:
Take a small piece of fondant and make the body and the head. You can make small marks on the body with the veining tool.
Butterfly:
Step 1:
Take your chosen color for the large wing and roll out the fondant thinly. Cut out the wings with the cookie cutter and cut wing A. with a knife like shown on the photo.
Step 2 & 3:
Repeat step 3 & 4 for the dragonfly.
Step 4:
Take your veining tool and make 3 lines on both wings.
Step 5:
Roll out the second color of fondant and cut out another pair of wings with the cookie cutter. Cut the small wings in the shape as shown on step 1/wing B. Brush with corn syrup.
Step 6:
Gently put the small wings on the cookie. With your finger smooth out the edges all around the small wings. Again use the veining tool to make 4 lines on the wings.
Step 7:
If you like you can brush luster dust on the wings.
Step 8:
Repeat step 7 for the dragonfly.
Tip: Make the butterfly in all white with pearl luster dust and you will have the perfect wedding favour.
Happy Caking
Louise
1. chelley325
January 18th, 2008 2:37 pm
These are beautiful!
2. Mayieve
January 18th, 2008 6:59 pm
it is very beautiful!
I’ve tried many times to do MMF but never succeeded..it’s always too thick and too hard..Do you have a recipe? Or any advices?
3. Kelly
January 18th, 2008 9:24 pm
Excellent instructions and photos! Thanks so much!
4. Jenny
January 18th, 2008 9:43 pm
Awesome tutorial again Louise! I love your website!
5. Louise
January 18th, 2008 10:25 pm
I am so glad that you like this tutorial.
mayieve: when I make MMF I add 2 tbsp of Crisco to the mixture when its liquid. I will put a recipe on the site very soon.
6. TiamatDesign
January 19th, 2008 3:37 pm
Hi,I am from Israel & i read & enjoy youre articals very much. I was sorry so much when u remove the one about making the Wimsical cake…
7. Jess
January 19th, 2008 6:27 pm
Thank you so much for the fabulous tutorial!! Your cookies are so beautiful. I always get excited when I see a new post in your blog!
8. MimiCreations
January 19th, 2008 8:58 pm
Thanks fot the tutorial I love Dragonflies..
greetings from Mexico…
9. Tricia
January 20th, 2008 10:22 am
this is great louise! may i ask what recipe you use for sugar cookies? thanks so much! wonderful website!
10. Delilah
January 20th, 2008 7:15 pm
Your cookies are beautiful! I’ve done similar with modeling chocolate as I don’t like the taste of fondant.
ps I love your blog!
11. Stacie
January 21st, 2008 3:05 am
Beautiful cookies! I have been wanting to try MMF on my cookies, and you totally inspired me!
Love the site!
12. Louise
January 22nd, 2008 6:18 pm
I hope you will have fun with the cookies Stacie. It is so much fun.
13. Deana E
January 25th, 2008 2:27 am
hi there..i wanted to make this kind of deco for as long as i remember but have not done it yet..wow, i am quite surprise how pretty this turn out to be. i am taking a break after knowing that i am carrying a baby inside me..btw you are in my blogroll..keep up the good work, your blog is very interesting!!
14. sorina
January 27th, 2008 9:30 am
You have a very nice blog, good post…keep up the good job
15. linda
January 29th, 2008 2:35 pm
Such pretty cookies! Thanks for the great tutorial!
16. craftyclaire
February 1st, 2008 12:31 pm
As usual, a great tutorial. I hope you don’t mind, but I’ve linked to you for this post 5 things about yourself. Thanks again for a great read.
17. marielba
February 3rd, 2008 9:31 pm
Hellow, congratulations for your website. It is very useful for people like me because I like to prepare beutiful cakes, cookies an other desserts. I´m from Venezuela and I understand very clear all your explanations and apreciated a lot your beutiful pictures. Marielba
18. Graadskan
February 4th, 2008 6:53 pm
Hi!
I just found your blogg and I´m totally amazed!! So beautiful!
Where do you buy all the nice things you have? On the Internet or do you have any great shop in Copenhagen? I live just outside Gotheburg in Sweden…
I´ll check in with you often from now on!!
Thanks för charing!
19. Sorina
February 5th, 2008 12:06 pm
Awesome Post! This looks great, love your photo’s too!!
20. Emily
February 12th, 2008 12:52 pm
I can’t wait to try this! Thanks for the tutorial. Your blog is very inspiring and full of good info.!
21. The Downtown Boutique
February 14th, 2008 1:37 am
These are just beautiful! I’m definitely bookmarking this blog! I would love to try my hand at these cookies!
22. lachandra
February 14th, 2008 1:35 pm
Hi! I’m morgana, from Spain. I’ve just seen this site for the first time (I come from Bakerella’s blog) and let me say that it’s as lovely as useful. Thank you very much for sharing and happy Valentine’s day from Spain!
23. Louise
February 19th, 2008 2:14 pm
Thank you for all the fantastic comments!!
Greetings Morgana, I am glad that you like it. I too love Bakerella’s blog she makes the sweetest treats.
24. Louise
February 20th, 2008 5:12 pm
Hello Graadskan: you can find some great stores with cake decorating around Sweden:
http://www.tårtdecor.se/ http://www.dekoreramera.se/
http://www.kakburken.se/
Louise
25. HULYA
February 26th, 2008 8:11 am
I loved you blog-especially these cookies- very much.They are just great.I’m also using sugar paste (fondan)to make cookies and to decorate cakes.Thanks for sharing:-)MUTFAKTA BIRI MI VAR??? )
26. Yun
May 1st, 2008 5:01 pm
Louise, fantastic blog, great tutorials. I love your blog! After dreaming about doing this for a while, I went out, bought cookie cutters and tried this last night. Oh how fun!! Of course, mine didn’t look as half nice as yours – my pearl dust turned out a little dingy, as well! I’m blaming tiny gold speckles in it.:), but still it was tons of fun. Thanks for the great inspiration!
27. Louise
May 3rd, 2008 8:44 pm
Yun: Decorating cookies IS so much fun.
28. maria tulfo
June 2nd, 2008 5:17 pm
What is your cookie recipe?
You sure have good taste! I love your colors, love all your creations… cookies and cakes!
29. Louise
June 9th, 2008 9:23 am
I use a simple sugar cookie recipe but i dont use baking powder. You can find many different recipes on these sites: http://www.kitchengifts.com/nofailsugarcookies.html & http://www.karenscookies.net/shop/index.php
30. Diane
June 9th, 2008 2:21 pm
I love your website. Where can I buy a veining tool from? I cannot seem to find any after searching the internet
31. tixiu
June 18th, 2008 4:17 pm
I love it ! thank you so very much !
32. yanessa
June 29th, 2008 3:05 am
Hello, Do you sell these. I would be interested in buying 16 of these in pink and 16 in orange. Please email me to let me know. Thanks!
33. Louise
June 30th, 2008 10:27 am
Diane: You can get a veining/dresden tool from: Jem cutters. FMM & PME. Try look here:http://www.globalsugarart.com/product.php?id=18913
tixiu: your welcome. tHX!
Yanessa: Sorry I dont sell.
34. Felicia
July 6th, 2008 5:22 am
I haven’t made this yet, but am very interested in doing so. I would like to send these through the mail, but am not sure of what will happen to the fondant after putting the cookies in a bag (clear) and then boxing them up. Do you have any suggestions?
35. Louise
July 12th, 2008 9:46 pm
Felicia: If you let the cookies “dry” overnight on trays covered with a clean dish cloth they should be fine to pack and send. The fondant need to dry a little or you will get marks and the fondant might stick to the bag. If you a member of CakeCentral.com you can find a great tutorial on how to box and pack cookies safely.
36. Yanipooh
July 14th, 2008 6:05 pm
I applied this technique to a star cookie cutout I made with the No fail sugar cookie recipe. After baking though the cookie kept the basic shape it doubled in size ( spread) and the fondant cutout was way too small to cover it so I had to estimate and cut a fondant piece free hand.
Can you please suggest a way to combat this problem
I would be very grateful
37. Louise
July 16th, 2008 2:04 pm
Yanipooh: Are there any baking powder in? cant remember. I dont use baking powder mine do rise/spread slightly but not much.
After you rolled out the dough did you then put it in the fridge before cutting out? Thats the only thing I can come up with.
maybe try out this next time: http://www.karenscookies.net/shop/recipes/info_11.html#recipe01 from Karens Cookies.
38. Yanipooh
July 18th, 2008 12:41 am
thanks for the link!
39. Louise
July 19th, 2008 7:24 pm
Yanipooh: your welcome….
40. Lisa
July 22nd, 2008 12:25 am
I wanted to make fondant cookies as wedding favors, can you give me a couple of tips as to how long these stay fresh or if you can freeze them?
Do you make your fondant or buy it? Should I make the cookies ahead of time and only decorate them shortly before??
Thank you for any help.
Lisa
41. Louise
July 25th, 2008 9:12 am
Lisa: Decorated cookies does have problems staying crunchy after they have been decorated thats even with rolled fondant or royal icing. But I personally dont have a problem with that.
You can do both: bake, decorate & freeze the cookies or bake, freeze & decorate. You should do what suites you and your time best.
You can bake your cookies up to 1 week before you are going to decorate them asloong as you keep them in airthight containers.
If you are going to freeze the decorated cookies then do it this way to avoid any marks on in the fondant. Place the cookies in one layer on a tray that fits into your freezer. Semi freeze for 1-2 hours and then pack them in plastic containers with lids. Place then in layers with parchment paper in between.
The day before you are going to use them take them out and place them on a wire rack to thaw completely before packing them.
Good luck!
42. tara
August 1st, 2008 1:46 am
i can freeze fondant pearls and use them later. but how long
thanks for the help
Tara
43. Louise
August 5th, 2008 9:10 pm
tara: I know that some use to freeze their home made fondant so why not try and freeze the pearls. I would go after the expiry date on the fondant or if home made 3 month. But why do you want to freeze them anyway? I store all my fondant decor in air thight boxes.
44. Mary Lou Klinkhamemr
August 8th, 2008 1:42 am
May you provide a website to Edable Art?
Thanks, Mary Lou
45. Louise
August 12th, 2008 7:35 pm
Try Google “Edable Art” I can only find websites from the UK who sell EA.
46. biddaddaba
August 26th, 2008 5:53 am
HI, Love the cookies and would like to purchase these shapes, could you tell me the size of these cookies cutters – as you know you can get so many different sizes and these look as if they are a good size Thanks Kelly
47. Louise
August 30th, 2008 11:22 pm
Kelly: The cutters are around 3,5″
48. biddaddaba
August 31st, 2008 10:19 am
Thanks will keep an eye out for this size. Kelly
49. nenu
September 3rd, 2008 7:17 pm
hello, Your cookies are beautiful, I just have one question: Do you just brush on the luster dust or do you put some kind of glue on the fondant? Sorry, i’m new on this and i hope you can help me
50. Kathy
September 4th, 2008 5:11 am
Oh WOW. The cookies are lovely and your instructions are so clear! Thanks so much for this, oh please on’t delete this page in future. Might need it for reference. Once again Thanks (:
51. Louise
September 4th, 2008 1:14 pm
Nenu: I add the luster dust with a soft dry brush without adding any glue.
Kathy: Thank you.
52. biddaddaba
September 5th, 2008 3:03 am
Hi,
If I needed to put these on sticks could you tell me the best stick to use in the oven. Thanks kelly
53. Louise
September 14th, 2008 9:37 pm
biddaddaba: I like to use 8″ cookie sticks. I use someone similar to these ones from karens Cookies http://www.karenscookies.net/shop/packaging-and-presentation-supplies/8-cookie-sticks/prod_125.html
54. dulzuramagica
September 25th, 2008 9:17 pm
WOW!!!These are just too cute to eat thanx for sharing the pics and tutorial
55. Louise
September 26th, 2008 11:16 pm
dulzuramagica: Thank you!
56. Vicky
October 9th, 2008 1:21 pm
Hi Louise I love your site and am going to try out the cookies very soon! did you make them with mmf? the other thing: is there another name for crisco? I live in south africa and have never heard of it, is it like lard or petal base? what can i use as an alternative?
57. Louise
October 16th, 2008 11:58 pm
Vicky: I did these ones with reg. rolled fondant. But MMF works just as good.
You can use Petal base. I dont know of Lard sorry. But if its for making mmf you can use a neutral oil instead.
58. kris
December 2nd, 2008 9:35 am
They look great! Wonderful cakes, compliments!
59. Lady Di
January 28th, 2009 7:13 am
Please tell me best tested fondant receipes you have tried and tested. And the best sugar cookie receipe. More info on how to paint a cookie
60. Louise
February 3rd, 2009 4:07 pm
Lady Di: I have only tried the one from Colette Peters books and the one from Debbie Brown. Im not into homemade fondant unless its MMF.
I like shortbread cookies for sugar cookies as I dont like the ones that contains baking powder.
The info on painting a cookie sounds good. I will remember that.
61. romelia
February 8th, 2009 3:37 am
no conocia su sitio web y me ha parecido excelente, como sus explicaciones de los trabajos que realiza, son realmente hermosas las galletas felicitaciones
62. Louise
February 8th, 2009 11:01 pm
romelia: could I ask you to write in english? I dont understand spanish, sorry.
63. Rina
February 13th, 2009 2:37 pm
are you using MMF for this ? if yes, can we use just a ready to use fondant that normally available in the store?
64. Louise
February 14th, 2009 10:39 pm
Rina: You can use a ready to use fondant . It dont make a different.
65. Nilanthi
February 26th, 2009 11:47 am
you are very clever and like to teach for others
I got many things from you
Thank you and God bless you
66. Zahra
February 26th, 2009 3:36 pm
where do you get your cookie cutters from?:)
67. dpotter
February 26th, 2009 7:50 pm
whats corn syrup, do you make it or can you buy ? ive made a load of cookies and am all excited about icing them…..
68. dpotter
February 26th, 2009 7:51 pm
is it the same as golden syrup?
69. Louise
February 27th, 2009 10:20 am
Nilanthi: thank you
Zahra: I buy most of my cutters from different online cookie shops and then I make some of them myself.
dpotter: yep it’s like golden syrup but use a clear one if you can get it.
70. Anonymous
March 6th, 2009 9:07 pm
Beautiful work,, thanks for the tutorial, I hope some day, I can do something like this
71. KIM
March 26th, 2009 8:40 am
OH!
Your cookies very very very nice !
But.. I don’t like dragonfiles…
But ! I like Butterflies so much
You are a God Cook!!
72. Chellie
April 11th, 2009 9:07 am
These are so beautiful, and yet look quite easy to make!!
73. claudia perez
May 4th, 2009 9:15 pm
how far in advance can i makle these cookies with out then=m getting spollied
74. Louise
May 14th, 2009 10:26 pm
claudia perez: As long as you let the fondant cookies dry over night before you carefully pack them in airthight boxes. They can be made up to 2 weeks before maybe longer. The fondant will get slightly harder but not much.
75. Lex
May 25th, 2009 6:49 am
I was wondering if people like eating the fondant covered cookies? I am making cookies for a friend and thought fondant might be easier than royal icing considering the amount. Have you received a positive response when serving the fondant covered cookies?
I love your site by the way. I have been following you for a long time.
Thanks for putting so much time into the site!
76. Louise
May 30th, 2009 10:54 pm
Lex: all that I know would eat a fondant covered cookie. Yes it is so much faster to cover because you dont have to wait for the RI to dry. The only thing is that I never make them to long in advance because the fondant do harden a little every day.
77. Gina
June 12th, 2009 3:31 am
when i tried to do these the cookies got a little smaller when i baked them and then the fondant piece was to big. What did i do wrong?
78. Zakiya
June 14th, 2009 10:36 pm
Wow Louise your cookies are stunning i can’t wait to try it out.
You said that you make your own cookie cutters,how do you do that?
Zakiya
oxoxo
79. Louise
June 21st, 2009 11:55 pm
Gina: It may have happend when you transfered the unbaked cookie to the cookie sheet? or if the dough was not used on the same day but days after its been made. Both have happend to me.
80. Tracey
June 25th, 2009 1:22 am
Beautiful! Can you make the fondant ahead of time and then stick on the biscuit when done. I need to make alot of these so trying to organise my time. Otherwise I have heard you can freeze the cooked biscuits…. is this true! thankyou!
81. Louise
June 26th, 2009 11:36 pm
Tracy: You can make both fondant and biscuits ahead of time and keep both in the freezer.
82. lupe de la mora
June 30th, 2009 5:52 am
hi.I JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, FOR THE PETIT FURS , I MAKE A SYROPE WHITH SUGAR AND WATER AND LITTLE OF RUM OR AMARETTO OR BRANDY AND YOU MAKE SOME WHOLS IN THE PETIT FOURS AND WITH A SPOON WET THEM, SO THEY DONT BE DRY, AFTER THAT I COVERED WITH THE FONDANT .THEY ARE DELICIOUS ENJOY THEM