pumpkin cookies

FOUR LITTLE PUMPKINS

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Who said pumpkin-shaped cookies need to be always orange and brown, same old same old?
Today I share four versions that expand the horizons of the Pumpkin World.

VERSION #1

WOODLAND PUMPKIN

I was absolutely smitten by this design, created by Marlyn, from Montreal Confections. You can see her tutorial clicking here. I modified just a few little details, like using chocolate dough, so that the background was already dark and I did not need to paint it.

Cookies are baked with a circular indentation in the center, then the outer region is flooded with orange Royal icing. Once that sets, thick Royal icing dyed with a marbled brown makes the decorative stems. Little decorations are added (mine were painted fondant), and you are all set!


Of course, I had to make a little Halloween version at the time….

VERSION #2

BLACK AND WHITE PUMPKIN

This was my own design, could not be simpler. Just flood the center portion of the pumpkin with white, wait about 15 minutes, flood the adjacent sections and immediately pipe black dots of icing. Once that sets, add the details in black, with thicker consistency icing.


VERSION #3

THE HAUNTED PUMPKIN


If you miss Halloween, here is a little comfort for you… can a design be any more adorable? This was posted by Haniela in a Facebook live a couple of weeks before Halloween. She gilds the lily using air-brush, but if you don’t have that, a little luster powder will work too. To watch her tutorial, click here.

General steps shown below…


VERSION #4

PLAID PUMPKIN


Another super cute design by Haniela, I lost my pictures of the different steps in the design, but it is quite straightforward, and you can watch Haniela demonstrate it with a click here. All wet-on-wet, flood with the color of your choice, and then add straight lines in two contrasting colors. Allow that to set, then add details. Mine were Royal icing transfers in the shape of sunflowers and small leaves. I need more practice with the fine lines, so I consider these a “work in progress.”



I hope you can find some inspiration in this set, as the season for pumpkin in cookie shape is still going strong… I know for sure I am not done yet!


ONE YEAR AGO: Zentangle Cookies, Tangled up in Zen

AMY’S STACKABLE PUMPKIN SET

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To join Amy’s Facebook group and be on top of future online classes, click here. 


Here I am to report on yet another great online class taught by Amy. If you don’t want to cut the cookies by hand (which is what I did), the set is available at dotsandbowsdesigns, with a click here. Amy’s classes are great to teach several different tricks using the same basic cookie and this was no exception. This particular set takes the pumpkin concept to a higher level of elegance, and it would be a perfect centerpiece to a Fall get-together or a Thanksgiving meal. I learned so many cool tricks… So let me just briefly walk you through the process. Obviously, I cannot share specific details, as it is part of her class.

The cookies are baked, and the pumpkin piped in stages to allow the different sections to have enough definition…

This step is quite straightforward, the only thing you need to master for that is the icing consistency, but that is pretty much the most important aspect of cookie decorating, and only practice will give you what it takes. Keep in mind that no one was born with that skill, we all more or less struggle through the learning process until it becomes second nature. Do not get discouraged. The real fun begins with the side floral panels, and a progression is shown below.

Every step of this process used a new technique. Once again, it is all in the consistency and I got all of them ok, except the blue roses, the icing was just a tiny bit too soft. But I think I still got the shape to stay. My favorite bit is the grapevine, such a cool way to pipe it! And the little pumpkin shown from the top, another brilliant way to bring that to life. Cookie life, that is…


To finish the set, I just added a little shading to the pumpkin and a little touch of luster powder (Khaki color) on the stem and leaves.

I just love all the details and how much I learned in this class. Amy is very encouraging, and even when we need to do something that is intimidating, she insists it is easy and doable, and makes us try it on parchment paper first. That really helps a lot.

Amy, thank you so much for this fantastic online experience!


ONE YEAR AGO: Sally Cookies Sally

MARLYN’S SUNFLOWER PUMPKIN

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I cannot lie, I hate that Summer has ended, but I must also admit that Fall might very well be the greatest season for cookie decorating… because…. pumpkins, autumn leaves, and let’s not forget: HALLOWEEN! So, to start things on the best possible mood, I kick the season with a set of cookies created by Marlyn. I fell in love with them at first sight: a mixture of pumpkin and sunflower, in a composition full of small details that make a simple design shine. You can watch her tutorial with a click here.

The background of the pumpkin is made a little more special by spray painting the edges and then splashing some gold on the whole surface. I love that technique, which she demonstrates very well in the video. Just adding these two additional steps to the background makes the cookie special. But, of course, the icing on the cake is the sunflower, petals piped over a ring of icing to give it a little more lift. With Marlyn, it is all in the small details. Below, you can see some of the steps in the preparation of the cookies.

I loved making these cookies because you slowly see the image coming to life. Moreover, they stand as a very nice lesson in decorating, because you need to work on so many skills: a nice smooth flooding, then some air-brushing, working with luster powder, and finally piping designs with different icing consistencies (for the flowers, leaves, and fine line details).


For the sunflower center I used two different methods: black sanding sugar, and adding texture to Royal icing using a fondant ball. I like them both, but working with sanding sugar can be tricky, if you go that route, make sure the petals and areas around the center are fully set so the sugar won’t glue to them.

I hope you enjoyed this set, that represents the essence of Fall so well!

ONE YEAR AGO: Welcome to Fall!

AND NOW FOR PUMPKIN COMPLETELY DIFFERENT

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Dedicated to all Monty Python fans out there.

Count on Marlyn to turn the pumpkin cookie, pretty much mandatory this time of the year, into something unusual and special. If you read my regular food blog, in the last In My Kitchen post I shared a little silicone mold to make a filigree type decoration. It is exactly what I used to decorate the pumpkin cookies, following Marlyn’s design (detailed video available here).

The making of the cookie is actually very simple. For a watercolor effect (starting around 8 min of Marlyn’s video), flood with white and then add patches of color with very diluted gel food dye (Everclear works best to dilute it). Let it dry, and add the fondant decoration, painted with gold luster dust (I used Egyptian gold). Alternatively you can just flood with a solid color like the one on the left side below.

The fall leaves were inspired by Amber, from @sweetambs (watch quick video here). The same watercolor technique, but applied to the naked cookie, so the colors will end up much more vivid. Then the veins are piped and painted with gold or copper. I really love the look of these cookies, and they both are pretty simple to decorate, plus the fall leaves will please those who prefer a cookie without too much Royal icing.

Visit my recent https://bewitchingkitchen.com/2021/10/01/in-my-kitchen-october-2021/In My Kitchen post to see the silicone mold I used for the decoration. There are plenty of options available in stores like amazon, etsy or aliexpress, make sure you consider the size of your pumpkin cookie cutter to get the appropriate mold.

A little play with coral colors in different techniques: air-brush with stencil, textured icing (laying crumpled parchment paper on the wet icing and waiting 24 hours to remove it), and the watercolor pumpkin.

I am a lover of all things Summer, but I have to admit that the Fall with all the warm colors and interesting shapes is one of the best seasons for cookie baking and decorating. Stay tuned for a lot more…