We're big fans of Matt Fradd, his book, and Jack loves the Pints with Aquinas podcast.
Matt was in town to speak at Jack's school and at our parish. He's funny, he's engaging, he's smart, he's REAL. Because of his Australian accent, I'm pretty sure most of us would sit and listen to him read the manuals to our vacuum cleaners, and that's a good thing because Matt talks about some fairly uncomfortable topics. This is a cookie blog, we don't talk of such things here, but our culture, our kids, and our families are being exposed to some pretty heavy stuff and Matt brings it out in the light and encourages us to do the same. That accent helps.
(Watch the first minute and half of this talk and you'll see why he's such an effective speaker.)
Soooooo, if you're still here, let's make some cookies. Remember the St. Francis of Assisi cookies? I used the same cutter combo for these...a candy corn and small circle shape. Here's a post on exactly how to put them together.
As always, my saint cookies are inspired by the beautiful felt dolls from Saintly Silver.
To make them, you'll need:
- cut-out cookies, as described above
- royal icing, divided and tinted with AmeriColor Copper, Chocolate Brown, Bright White, Egg Yellow and Super Black
- disposable icing bags
- couplers and tips, #2 & #1
- squeeze bottles
- toothpicks
- pink food coloring pen
- small food-only paintbrush
- edible gold food coloring paint
Use a #2 tip to outline a circle for the face in copper icing. Use #2 tips to outline the halo and robe using yellow, brown, and white icings.
Reserve some of the brown, yellow, and white icings before thinning the remainder.
Thin the copper icing with water, a bit at a time,
stirring with a silicone spatula, until it is the consistency of a
thick syrup. You'll want to drop a "ribbon" of icing back into the bowl
and have it disappear in a count of "one thousand one, one thousand
two." Four is too thick, one is too thin. Count of 2-3 is good. Cover
with a damp dishcloth and let sit for several minutes.
Stir gently with a silicone spatula to pop and large air bubbles that have formed. Pour into a squeeze bottles.
Flood the face portion of the cookies with the thinned icing, using a toothpick to guide to the edges and to pop large air bubbles. Fill in the other outlined areas; I suggest filling the non-touching areas first.
Let the icing dry at least one hour.
Use a #2 tip and piping consistency brown icing to add a strip of hair across the head. Use a toothpick to "fluff" the icing, giving it texture. Go over the robe outlines in brown.
Add white detailing to the bottom of the robe.
Use yellow piping consistency icing to add the detail to the robe.
With a #1 tip, add eyes and a smile to the faces.
Let the cookies dry uncovered 6-8 hours, or overnight.
Use the paintbrush to add gold edible paint onto the yellow robe details.
With the pink food coloring pens, "pink" the cheeks. (I love pinking cheeks.)
Tada! You made a saint! ♥
Stir gently with a silicone spatula to pop and large air bubbles that have formed. Pour into a squeeze bottles.
Flood the face portion of the cookies with the thinned icing, using a toothpick to guide to the edges and to pop large air bubbles. Fill in the other outlined areas; I suggest filling the non-touching areas first.
Let the icing dry at least one hour.
Use a #2 tip and piping consistency brown icing to add a strip of hair across the head. Use a toothpick to "fluff" the icing, giving it texture. Go over the robe outlines in brown.
Add white detailing to the bottom of the robe.
Use yellow piping consistency icing to add the detail to the robe.
With a #1 tip, add eyes and a smile to the faces.
Let the cookies dry uncovered 6-8 hours, or overnight.
Use the paintbrush to add gold edible paint onto the yellow robe details.
With the pink food coloring pens, "pink" the cheeks. (I love pinking cheeks.)
Tada! You made a saint! ♥
