out of dough.
How to Dam and Flood a Cookie
Almost all cookie decorating starts with this one crucial step, which will ensure that your frosting stays where you want it to. Royal icing oozes like lava, slow but unstoppable, but the Dam and Flood technique will keep it in its place.
First, make sure your cookies are completely cooled! No piping onto toasty warm cookies. Fit a piping bag with a #3 Ateco or Wilton tip, and fill with prepared royal icing. Prepare a second bag filled with the same color with a #5 tip. Make sure to cover any remaining icing with a wet paper towel or cloth so it doesn’t dry out.
Pick a spot and begin piping an outline of icing onto the cookie with the #3 tip (Figure 17). Your icing should flow in a solid line from the piping tip and not break. If it’s breaking, it is likely too thick. This creates a border or “dam” so the ‘fill’ icing does not flow over the edges (Figure 18).
After allowing the dam to dry for a minute or two, fill the middle of the cookie with the same color frosting from the bag fitted with the #5 tip (Figure 19). The reason for the larger tip is so it is easier to fill quickly. At this point, I like to pick up the cookie and give it a little wiggle to get it to settle nice and flat (Figure 20).
Keep a toothpick handy to pop any air bubbles or help push frosting into any intricate corners of your cookie shape (Figures 21 and 22).
Allow to dry completely before adding any additional frosting elements. (Or else don’t, if you need to press anything into the wet frosting, as you do with the Melted Snowman Cookies on page 246.)
How to Use Luster Dust
Luster dust can be painted onto just about anything to provide a little drama. It’s completely edible and completely faaaaabulous.
To paint onto chocolate or fondant: Luster dust will stick much better to both chocolate or fondant with a little condensation. Put the chocolate or fondant pieces in the fridge to chill for 5-10 minutes, then bring back to room temperature. Condensation will soon start to form, and when it does, get dusting with a large, soft brush (Figure 23). For even quicker condensation formation, wave your fondant piece or chocolate very quickly over the steam from a kettle (being very careful not to scald yourself)!
To paint small details: For a little gold button or any other equally tiny detail, mix luster dust with a few drops of vodka or other alcohol and paint it on with a tiny details paintbrush (Figure 24). Alcohol will evaporate, leaving the concentrated luster dust behind.
“The basic recipes from which legendary delights are conjured.”
Many of the creations in this book refer back to these tried and true basic recipes as their starting point. The secret behind Geek Sweets’ wide variety of flavors when selling at farmer’s markets was being able to take a single vanilla cupcake recipe and create four or five different varieties of cupcakes using different flavorings, colorings, fillings, and techniques.
These basic recipes will be your greatest ally on your journey toward baking wizardry. Learn them well, adventurer!
I know what you’re thinking: “A cake mix!? That’s cheating! Someone tell the DM!” Settle down, adventurer, and keep reading.
Below is a variation on a recipe very popular in internet baking circles, called ‘White Almond Sour Cream Cake’ (or ‘WASC’ to High Baking Wizards in the know). It bakes a cake that is consistent and sturdy, yet moist and light, making it ideal for stacked wedding cakes or anytime you need a trustworthy, foolproof recipe for a high-concept flight of baking fancy. It also takes well to added flavoring oils or mix-ins like nuts, citrus zests, and chocolate chips.
This recipe has been a constant companion throughout my baking adventures, and I hope it serves you just as well.
Makes 22-25 cupcakes
Preheat oven to 350° F and line cupcake tins with cupcake liners.
Add all dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl, or to bowl of stand mixer, and mix until combined. Add the remaining ingredients and beat on low speed until combined, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula as needed.
Using a large ice cream scoop or disher, fill cupcake liners two-thirds of the way full.
Bake 18 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Carefully remove from the cupcake pan and allow to come to room temperature.
Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to two months in airtight containers to decorate at a later date.
1 box white cake mix
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
¾ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 ¼ cups water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
Flavoring oil (as listed by the individual recipe)
Stand or hand mixer
Cupcake pan(s)
Cupcake
