Eid Inspired Sugar Cookies: Stenciling cookies Technique

Eid Al-Adha, like any other holiday in the world is an opportunity to meet with the extended family and an excuse to eat delicious food. Maamool, a fragrant semolina dough stuffed with dates, walnut or pistachio, is usually associated with Eid. Check out my Maamool fail proof recipe with clear instructions here. This year, I wanted to add a western spin on my Eid dessert. I made Palm decorated sugar cookies. I used the cookie stenciling technique. I think that they look adorable!
You probably noticed my use of vibrant colors. Coral and emerald are my two favorite colors. 

Make the cookie dough following this recipe here

Roll it and chill, then using a round cookie cutter, cut out circles and bake them per instructions.

Leave to cool down completely

Prepare around 1 cup of flooding royal icing per this recipe here

This time, I decided not to outline my cookies and just flood them. Using the squeeze bottle, outline the border the cookie,

 Then fill the interior

 Make stirring motions with a clean toothpick to ensure that it flooded evenly with no air bubbles.  

I highly recommend that you leave 1/8 or 1/4 inch border. This is important because you dont have the usual piped outline to keep the royal icing from spilling. In the case of these cookies, I could not do that because I needed all the cookie area to be flooded. Why? because my stencils are kind of too big for the size of these cookies. Next time, I will make bigger cookies for the size of these stencils. 

Finish the rest of the cookies and let them dry overnight. It is very important to let all the cookies dry overnight because when you will stencil the cookies, you will apply some pressure. If the cookie is not fully dry, the royal icing will be smudged jut like wet nail polish.

The next day make 1 cup of the stenciling royal icing.

Follow the recipe of the Piping outline here, then add a little bit of sugar until it reaches the right consistency. The icing must be thin enough so you can easily spread it into the stencil without leaving stiff peaks when you lift off your spatula. At the same time, it should not be runny and spread beyond  and under your stencil.  Tint the royal icing with the intended color. I used AmeriColor Soft Gel in green. This brand is much much better than the Wilton brand. You dont need to put as much color and it is in a squeeze bottle so it is easy to put the exact amount without the mess.

This is too stiff, you can see the peaks

This is the right consistency, does not run yet no peaks

Tinted in green

You will need the decorated cookie, an angled spatula, the stencil and the tinted icing. 

Position your stencil. Try to have enough room on the cookie to hold the stencil in place. It is very important not to move the stencil while applying the icing, otherwise you will end up with blurry pattern. 

Pick up a small amount of royal icing with the back of your angled spatula and smear on the stencil covering all the intended picture. Do not move the position of the stencil. The amount of applied icing should be enough to cover the depth of the stencil, otherwise you will end up with uneven peaks but make sure apply enough icing so you can’t see through to the top coat.

Lift the stencil swiftly. I found that if I move it slowly, the pattern has a higher chance of becoming blurred. Lift it with a motion as swift as you would remove a band aid off!

Repeat until you finish all the cookies. Clean the stencil between every applications with water and pat dry the stencil. Don't rub the stencil to dry ti because you will ruin it.

Do they look like tomatoes seen from above?

I was so excited about these cookies so I did facetime with my sister and showed her the cookies. She thought they were tomatoes...cute tomatoes may I add. So I decided to color the trunk with brown. Luckily, I just purchased the Edible Food Markers. 

This stenciling technique opens up a vast array of cookie designs! I am very exited about it. It takes a bit of practice to get the hang of it, but once you do, it is fun!

Eid Mubarak!

Nadine

Date Maamool recipe here

I used my trusty delicious sugar cookie recipe, you can find it here.
I used my flooding royal icing recipe and technique, you can find it here,
Ateco Round cookie cutters
Stencil from Eidway
AmeriColor Student Soft Gel Paste Food Color (pack of 12)
AmeriColor Gourmet Food Writer Edible Color Markers (10 color set)