How to Make Pretty White Pumpkin Cookies

cookie decorating, pumpkin cookies, sugar cookies, cookie art, royal icing

I’m not sure what it is about fall that makes me crazy, but I think it’s all the colors and beautiful things nature offers us. Dear hubby Alan and I went to Cades Cove to see all the gorgeous fall colors, but they hadn’t quite reached their peak. I’m watching closely because once they change I’m going to go for a nice crisp hike and take some pretty white pumpkin cookies to enjoy for my snack. Who knows, we might stop and buy some speckled pumpkins on the way home.

cookie decorating, pumpkin sugar cookies

It sounds like a perfect date for me.

Supply List for Pretty White Pumpkin Cookies:

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Recipes:
Sugar Cookie Recipe
Royal Icing Recipe

Cookie Cutter:
The cool thing is you can make this style of a cookie with any pumpkin cookie cutter you have on hand. Once you make your pumpkin cookies send a picture of them to me at lisa@thebearfootbaker.com we’ll make a fun cookie collage!

Royal Icing Colors:

The Countess Gel Colors

Americolor

  • Ivory

Tools:
Turkey Lacer
Tipless decorating bags from Truly Mad Plastic, Flour Box Bakery, or The Cookie Countess
Leaf Tip #67
Star Tip #20
Food-Safe marker to draw the pattern on the cookie
Paintbrush
Vodka or flavored extract to mix with your food gel color so you can make the splatter on the cookie.

Optional:
Cookie Turntable Swivel for Cookies and the Minimat
Place your cookies in front of a fan so the icing will dry with a nice shine.

Pumpkin Cookie:

cookie decorating, pumpkin sugar cookies

  • Draw the pattern on your cookies with a food-safe marker.
  • Next, outline the sections of the pumpkin with the white royal icing.
  • Let it dry for about five to ten minutes.

cookie decorating, pumpkin sugar cookies

  • Flood the side sections of the pumpkin with the white royal icing.
  • Let it dry for a few minutes until the top of the royal icing forms a crust. If you don’t wait, the royal icing will run together and dry in one flat section instead of looking as if it has three sections. If you want your icing to have a little bit of a shine when it’s dry, place it in front of a fan. I know you probably know all this already, but I wanted to share in case anyone new is reading along.

cookie decorating, pumpkin sugar cookies

  • Next, flood the center of the pumpkin.

cookie decorating, pumpkin sugar cookies

  • Let the royal icing dry completely.

Splatter Time!

cookie decorating, pumpkin sugar cookies

  • Are you ready for the fun part?
  • Cover your table surface with parchment paper so you don’t have dots everywhere.
  • Grab your food gel color and some vodka or flavored extract because the fun is about to start.

cookie decorating, pumpkin sugar cookies

  • Mix a little black food gel and then add a little of the vodka and stir it until it’s combined.
  • Dip your paintbrush into the mixture and prepare to have fun because the splattering is about to begin!

cookie decorating, pumpkin sugar cookies

I love y’all bunches so I’m going to share a huge tip with you. Wear gloves when you do this next part because this isn’t like the markers you buy for your kids. You know, the ones that are washable. Yeah. This food gel will stick around for a few days unless you do something crazy and bleach your sink. It kinda sorta worked, but next time I’ll wear gloves to avoid the bleach. I just thought I’d share that little tip with you.

Okay, back to the cookies.

  • Place your cookie on the parchment paper and grab your paintbrush.
  • Dip your paintbrush into the food gel vodka mixture and wipe off a little of the gel before you flick it.
  • Hold the brush over the cookie and pull your finger across the tip of the brush so the gel mixture will fall all over the top of the icing.
  • Watch the magic happen! This is so fun I want to splatter all my cookies with color.

cookie decorating, pumpkin sugar cookies

  • Carefully outline and flood the stem of the pumpkin with the brown royal icing.
  • Be careful and don’t touch the part of the cookie with the wet food gel color or the dots will smear.

cookie decorating, pumpkin sugar cookies

  • While the brown icing is wet add a few lines of the ivory-colored royal icing.

cookie decorating, pumpkin sugar cookies

  • Use the turkey lacer to mix the brown and tan together.

cookie decorating, pumpkin sugar cookies

  • Let the cookie dry for about an hour so you don’t smear the dots as you add the final details.

Add a Flower and Make it Pretty:

cookie decorating, pumpkin sugar cookies

  • Next, pipe three brown lines across the pumpkin making them cross in the center of the pumpkin so it’ll be a cute design under the flower.

 

cookie decorating, pumpkin sugar cookies

  • It’s time to pipe the black flower in the center where the lines meet.
  • The black royal icing is thick and it’s placed in a tipless decorating bag with a #20-star tip.

cookie decorating, pumpkin sugar cookies

  • Hold the decorating bag straight up and down over the center of the cookie as you add a little pressure to the bag. Move the bag in a circular motion until you have a flower the size you need. cookie decorating, pumpkin sugar cookies
  • Add the leave with the thick gree royal icing and the #67-Leaf Tip.
  • Start at the base of the flower and slowly pull the bag away as you gently squeeze the icing and then push the bag back toward the flower. This will give your leaves a little wrinkly leaf look.

cookie decorating, pumpkin sugar cookies

  • Let your cookie dry completely.

How to Make Pretty White Pumpkin Cookies Video:

Watch the splatter happen here!

cookie decorating, pumpkin sugar cookies

I hope you like these pretty little pumpkin cookies. You can use these for your fall hike or you can share with friends. One friend told me these would make a great wedding favor cookies and I didn’t think about that because the fall colors are calling and I was distracted by their beauty!

Whatever you use these cookies for I hope you enjoy them and celebrate the colors of fall.

Bear hugs,

Lisa