Santa Cookies with my New Favorite Cutter

I have a lot of cookie cutters. Ha! That is probably the understatement of the year! I look for them everywhere I go and I usually find a new one or two, or ten to buy. This year, the cutest Santa and reindeer cutter was delivered to my door. Well, kind of delivered to my door.

I received a Fancy Flours catalog and found a Santa cutter that I had to have! I had to make into Santa cookies right away. What do you think? I love this cutter and it has quickly become my new favorite Santa cutter. Well second favorite after  this guy.

I love the hat because it is not a traditional hat that hangs to the side and the beard is longer than most cutters. I love it! I didn’t want to use beads for the eyes so I decided to paint them with food color gel and I am glad I did. I think it gave Old St. Nick a little character.

Supplies for Santa Cookies:

15 Second Icing in the following colors:

• White
• Red
• Flesh
• Flesh with a touch red icing for the nose
• If you need an icing recipe, click here and here.
• If you need a roll out cookie recipe, click here and here.

#2 Piping tips
Liner Paintbrush
Brown Food Gel Paste
White Food Gel Paste
Santa and Reindeer Cookie Cutter

Optional:

• Airbrush Gun
• White Sprinkles

How do you make patterns for your cookies? I thought I would share with you how I make mine. I can’t draw very well but, I can use scissors. Let me show you how I do it.

I begin by tracing the cookie cutter onto a piece of paper. Then, I cut it out and start drawing one thing at a time such as the mustache or the fir on the hat. If I break it down and do one thing at a time it is easier because the outline of the cookie cutter helps me know where the fir should start and where it would end.

Since all cookies don’t bake the same, I cut out several patterns so I can trim them to fit each cookie. These cookies were made from the same batch of dough, both baked on the Silpat, and both rolled out to the same thickness. So why is the bottom cookie so much larger than the top cookies? Because the more you re-roll the dough, the more it spreads when it is baked.

If you don’t have a copy machine don’t worry. All you have to do is tape your pattern onto the window and then tape a plan piece of paper on top of it.

The light from outside will allow you to see the pattern so you can trace the image as many times as you need. Like I said before, a copy machine would be easier but, I seem to be out of ink most of the time. This has saved me many times.

Cut out the pattern pieces and trace them onto each cookie with a food safe marker.

• Outline and flood the face with the flesh colored icing. For information on how to outline and flood a cookie, click here and here.
• Flood and outline the beard with the white icing.
• Outline and flood the hat with the red icing.
• Let this dry overnight so you reduce the chance of the icing colors bleeding together.

If you want, you can airbrush the face and the hat with warm brown airbrush color. I like the look of the airbrushed cookies but, the ones that are not airbrushed are cute also.

Next, outline and flood the fir on the hat and the ball on the hat. If you want to add sprinkles, do it while the icing is wet. Then, outline and flood the mustache. Let it dry for about 30 minutes.

To paint the eyes, use a liner paintbrush and white food gel paste and paint a teardrop shape. Let it dry for a little while and then, paint a smaller brown teardrop on top of the white. Add a white dot for the sparkle in each eye.

Flood the nose with the flesh colored icing. If you want his nose to look pink, add a little red icing to the pink. It will make his nose look cold.

There are so many ways to decorate these Santa cookies. I have plans for them and the reindeer later this holiday season. If you decide to make him, I would love to see your pictures so please email me or tag me on Facebook!

In the meantime, here are some more Christmas cookies for you to enjoy.

• The Santa that Started it All
• Snowflake Cookies
• I want a hippopotamus for Christmas
• Penguin Cookies
• Reindeer Cookies– It is the reindeer cutter that was in this Santa set.
• Individual Santa Cakes with this Santa Cookie Cutter
• Beginners Guide to Cookie Decorating

Bear hugs,