How to Make It: Top 5 Tools for Custom Cookie Success

Starbucks Fox Cookie

As I pulled into the Starbucks drive-thru today to grab my first PSL of the season I noticed their newest cookie—an adorable fox that looked very similar to one of my very first cookie designs!

This made me happy. And miss the cookie life oh so much.

Seeing this cute baby fox reminded me that I needed to keep the spirit of cookies alive somehow; being barred from completing orders in Canada and forcing myself to take more control of my health, cookies have been in short supply around here. A year ago I could find at least 3 bags of powdered sugar in my pantry on any given day, but today, I opened my baking cabinet to see an empty space with a perimeter of sweet white powder from where the last bag sat.

So what’s a girl to do while on a temporary hiatus?

Write about it!

While I’m out of commission for a bit, I will do my best to help YOU learn more about the art of cookies. And that starts with my list of imperative items for cookie success. With that said, let’s cut to the chase and get started.

#1: Parchment Paper

Of all the things in my life that I cherish so much, parchment paper is higher on the list than one might expect. Its versatility in baking, crafts, chocolatiering, and cooking proves priceless. Parchment paper keeps your cookies from sticking to the bottom of the baking sheet and acts as a protective layer. It catches royal icing and allows you to quickly clean up any messes. It acts as a perfect vehicle for royal icing transfers. Cut it into little strips to line your cake pans. Cut it into squares and line your muffin tins all fancy. Make an origami frog. Crunch it up and lay it on top of your flooded cookie for a cool concrete-like effect. Parchment = everything!

My favorite parchment paper comes pre-cut from King Arthur Baking Company. Find it by clicking the button below.

Get the parchment paper

#2: Fan

Not only are they useful for the summer, or (in my case) being left on 24/7 as an emotional support item, fan’s are crucial to achieving a quick and shiny finish on your cookies. I got by just fine with a medium sized. circular fan which I run on low and placed cookies in front of. Keep in mind that if you get a black fan it might pick up the flour particles in the air and they will eventually recirculate trough the fan. If your kitchen/working area is large enough, you might not even have to worry about this.

Grab that fan

#3: Silicone mat

While parchment paper worked at the beginning for me as a mat, once I discovered my silicone mat, things changed. They got better. The sun shined brighter in the morning. This is because I rested assured that the surface I was making cookies on was clean, and could easily be cleaned when necessary. It didn’t slip or slide. And when I was done I could fold it up and rinse it in the sink. Silicone mats are like an extra layer of protection in your cookie game. They just make sense. Similar to parchment paper, but they are reusable and serve many purposes. I even airbrushed on mine and it rinsed off *flawlessly*.

Snag the mat

#4: Pastry bags & piping tips

Without pastry bags, you might be able to flood your cookies, but the fine details might be hard to achieve. Luckily there are many types of pastry bags and tips available to you. But it’s important to choose the right size and weight of material for your preferences and task at hand. For example, if you are flooding (we will discuss in further detail later) 60 cookies you might want to use a large piping bag with a thinner weight. When piping intricate details with a smaller amount of thicker icing, I often learn towards a smaller pastry bag with a thicker weight, giving me more control over my piping. There are SO many tips out there, and some of them look so similar that I don’t even bother. I mostly guess. When I’m making flowers, I know it’s important to know your tip.

Explore my favorites

#5: Scribe tool

When I first began cookies I was cruising on sites for supplies and came across these needle like tools called scribes. They were often decorated with shiny beads and themes. They are used to pop bubbles in icing, smooth icing into small crevices, and ultimately fine-tune any messy bits on your final piece. Lucky me, I came across a scribe which has a pointy end AND a scraper on the opposite end. I bought a few of them. They are incredibly helpful, and it’s nice to know that you can choose the tool you find most appealing or helpful!

Snatch a scribe

There you have it. These are my top 5 tools for custom cookie success. Essentially, these are tools that will allow you to make and decorate basic sugar cookies. For more intricately designed cookies, or those with logos and patterns, stay tuned for my advice on tools for taking your cookies from 7 to a 10.

Thank you so much for taking the time to check out my blog. I hope I have inspired you to create and share your sweet treats with the people around you. If I have, please share with me by leaving a comment or contact. I'd love to stay in touch!

Until next time! Bake it till you make it.

Love,

Megan