So this is my recent order I’ve been doing cookies for about 1 year now mostly for family and a local bakery during holidays.
I will do a Franken frosting recipe usually but when I’m in a pinch I’ll do quick basic frosting
So my recent cookie order was for my family and the designs on top kept cratering.
Problem number two my colors were just not vibrant no matter how I mixed it.
Anyways here’s the outcome. I want to make more cookies more often to branch out and try new designs and start my own business
But before I do that I need to tackle all the problems I’m coming across.
by Far_Angle5253
4 Comments
For vibrant colors you really need to let royal icing overnight. It might be the same for Franken frosting?
Frankenfrosting normally needs some white food coloring added to it. It is slightly translucent making colors added not as bright. By adding the white you can more easily brighten those colors
What brand coloring do you use? That can make all the difference between vibrant colors and dull ones. Personally, I use chefmaster and americolor with good, reliable results.
As for the cratering, do you use a fan/dehydrator to dry your cookies? Drying small piped areas fast is a great way to prevent cratering. You could also use thicker icing for small areas, that also helps a lot.
I do frankenfrosting too. Are you using gel or paste colors, as opposed to liquid? Definitely start there if not. My best, most vibrant colors come from Sugar Art colors. That being said, Americolor is what I use most often, and I started off with Hobby Lobby brand. I still use what I have of those. I can’t staaaand chef master, except for airbrush colors.
As for cratering, it’s best to start with thick thick icing. I beat mine on high for 6 min after it’s combined, so it really gets that thick structure. My recipe tells me to add 2 Tbsp in and mix by hand after I take it off the mixer. I don’t. I leave it thick and covered with plastic wrap until I need to mix a bag. Then I scoop some into a small bowl, add color to it until it’s where I want it to be, and THEN I add just enough water to get it to the consistency I want. Which is almost always when I lift the spoon, turn it over, and the icing “plops” back into the bowl followed by a slight ribboning. If it just plops then I have to shake the cookie extra to get it to settle flat. (I do like this thickness if I really want to add some good dimension though.) If the icing just flows off of the spoon quickly without the plop, that’s too thin for me and I get craters. I also get craters if I’m putting a color on top of a flood layer that’s completely dry. I never put the squiggles underneath like some people do. Some people poke holes where they intend to pipe but I haven’t tried that. I just know if I pipe before the lower layer is completely dry, and with the thicker icing it’s usually fine.
There are just so many variables with recipes, mixing technique, meringue powder, weather, etc that you need to just experiment and find your personal sweet spot. I hope something I said here helps you to keep on keeping on!