Romance is in the air
I must admit Sydney and I are once again writing a post at 1:00 am; we must sub-conscientiously enjoy the hour. Yesterday I explained the romantic and loving memory that The Champagne Sugar Cookies represents for both Sydney and myself. We actually began planning how we would decorate our individual bottles and glasses; when it dawned upon me anyone in a relationship would have a bottle of wine or champagne (with or without alcohol ) representing a heart felt experience .
Here is how we decorated our glasses and bottles.
Champagne and Roses Sugar Cookie Royal Icing with Fresh Egg Whites:
- 1-recipe for almond sugar cookies
- 907 grams/ 7 1/2-cup icing sugar
- 180 gram/ 5 to 6 egg whitess
- 1/4-teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/4 teaspoon egg white powder, not meringue powder
- 2-teaaspoons almond extract
- food color paste
- paper cones
- decorative tubes
- wooden dowels
- art brushes
- mini spatulas
- 59 gram of water to add to base as needed with 1/2-teaspoon
Prepare your mise en place.
Mise en place for liquid egg whites
Sift the icing sugar into a bowl of your standing mixer.
The cream of tartar can be added after sifting the icing sugar
Add the egg whites.
Between 12 to 13 Tablespoons of liquid egg whites are needed
With a wooden spoon stir until all the icing sugar is moistened and dissolved.
The mixture should feel thick and sticky
Place the bowl, with the whisk attachment on the standing mixer. On medium-high speed whisk for 3 minutes and then add the almond extract. Continue to whisk until very stiff peaks form, you now have a base of royal icing.
Fresh egg white mise en place base
Royal Icing with Meringue Powder:
- 80 grams/ 1/4 cup. plus 2 Tablespoons meringue powder, (NOT EGG WHITE POWDER)
- 236 grams/ 1-cup water
- 907 grams/ 7 1/2-cups icing sugar
- 2-teaspoon almond extract
- Food Color Paste
- Paper Cones/ Plastic Piping bags
- Decorative tubes
- wooden dowels
- Art brushes
- Mini spatulas
- 59 grams water to add to the base as needed with 1/2 teaspoon
Meringue powder mise en place
In a mixing bowl add the meringue powder and water. Beat on medium high speed for 3 mintues or until soft peaks form.
Soft peak meringue
Sift the icing sugar and incorporate to the meringue. Add the almond extract and beat for 5 minutes, on medium high speed until the icing forms stiff peaks. This is almost the same base as above, but if your uncomfortable with using raw egg whites the meringue powder works just as well. (Sydney and I prefer the taste of the liquid egg white royal icing).
Stiff peaks base
Once the cookies have completely cooled we covered the cookies with a lightly watered down base to cover the cookies without having to outline.
We have found the amount of water changes depending on a plethora of conditions
Sydney finds using a paint brush works easier for her to help guide the royal icing; I find a wooden dowel works best for me.
For royal icing satin finish, the constancy should fall from the dowel or brush with a thick ease. Start in the middle of the cookie and coax the royal icing to about 1/8-inch from the edge of the cookie. Allow the icing to dry until completely hard.
For Sydney’s Champagne bottle and glasses.
Resembling Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Brut.
Sydney filled a paper cone, the hole was about the size of a #2 tube, with a slightly thicker consistency of the statin finish royal icing and she lined the stem of the glass with a diamond pattern. For the label she used a technique from Julia Usher’s Ultimate cookie cookies called wafer paper. (I highly recommend this book).
For Bobbies Champagne bottle and glasses.
Resembling Perrier Jouët Belle Epoque Rosé
I also lined the stem of my glass with a diamond pattern for the glasses. We both beaded bubbles on the statin finish icing on top of the glass. Since the champagne bottle has beautiful hand painted flowers; I decided to pipe rose buds with the base royal icing mixed only with a little pink food paste, I lined the vine and cut the bottom of a paper cone with a slit through the bottom to form a leaf. I could have used a leaf tube, but it was easier to use the same paper cone I had used to create the vine.
Voila!
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