Use this cookie decorating tutorial to learn how to make decorated sugar cookies that look like poppies!
I grew up in an era of Trapper Keepers, Garbage Pail Kids (Although totally taboo and a little bit naughty...EVERYONE I know had at least three collectible stickers), children running generally amok while wearing cut-off jean shorts and t-shirt rings, (who knew you could still BUY those?!) Jellies, E.T. and "improving yourself".
Self-improvement took many different forms. Some people lived their lives in leg warmers and headbands while grooving around with their new best friend - Richard Simmons. Parents were suuuuuuper concerned about their children having this new thing called self esteem. And my personal favorite self improvement channel -- "making new habits". I'm going to be real honest with you right now and let you know that ACTUALLY...it wasn't my favorite. I felt like adults everywhere were trying to convince me that if I just tried something for 21 days...it would be a habit. I could basically do ANYTHING if only I would determine to be miserable for 21 whole days.
As I'm sure you can imagine, I did NOT fall for that kind of pressure. Nobody could make ME do any of those good-habit-y things for three whole weeks. Mostly because at that age, I was pretty certain that I didn't have any habits that need changing. I mean...all teenagers are near perfection, aren't they?
But now that I'm adult, I can say with absolute certainty that I still don't believe in the whole 21 days to change a habit theory. Because I have cut sugar out of my life for entire months (*GASP*) (WHY?! WHY WOULD SOMEONE DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT?!!) and the second the "challenge" or "competition" was over (THAT. THAT is why I would do something like that. Simply because I'm competitive. I can't help myself.) I would eat every ounce of sugar I could manage. And then, again...since we're being all honesty and best friendy right now -- I would eat more. Because I like sugar. A lot.
I think I would have married sugar if that didn't cross all kinds of social and legal boundaries. It might not have been the healthiest of all relationships though. I think I would definitely have been more of a taker. I guess it's all for the best that sugar got friend-zoned. Now we can be best friends watching Fraggle Rock while having a twinsies spa nights for the rest of our lives. We'll never have to worry that some real or imagined falling out will change our relationship in an irrevocable way. And I don't know about you...but sugar looks PRETTY GOOD after a weekend makeover. I mean...just look at these poppies! Tell me that sugar doesn't look good!
How To Make Decorated Poppy Sugar Cookies
Step 1.
Outline and fill the flower area of the cookie with a medium consistency red icing. I like to outline each petal before filling in the center...but you can do it however you want to. Let it dry for an hour.Step 2.
Pipe some wonky looking leaves with a medium consistency green icing. Let it dry for another hour.Step 3.
Outline the petals with the same red icing. Pipe a squiggly line inside the flower area - as high up as you can without touching the petal outlines. It should look kind of like a sad, sad mountain range...or the letter "m"...but with an extra bump. Pipe the bottom half of the inside petals as well. This one looks more like an open mouth. Let it dry for four hours.Step 4.
Use a #1.5 tip and black icing to pipe a half circle of black icing inside the center area of the cookie. Immediately sprinkle with black nonpareils. Gently shake off the excess nonpareils.Step 5.
Use a fine tip black food color marker to draw lines radiating out from the center of the poppy. Pipe tiny dots of black icing at the end of each line.
See the video tutorial for decorated poppy cookies here.
ALSO -- I made you a template for the "Mr. & Mrs." cookie. I used the heart from the Sweet Sugarbelle Shapeshifter set of cutters. And since I know many of you are as obsessed with those cutters as I am...I thought you might like to have the image.
NEED MORE??
Get the cutters: Poppy, Cake, Diamond, Wedding Rings, "i do" Heart, "Mr. & Mrs." Heart, and Wedding Dress.
Get the supplies: Fine Tip Black Food Marker, Black Nonpareils, Wood Grain Stencil, Chantilly Lace Stencil, and Vintage Script Stencil. (The Vintage Script Stencil is a little different than the one I used...but it's the closest I could find!)
See how I made the BOUQUET FLOWER COOKIES.
Get my tutorial for the DIAMOND COOKIES.
Add some RUFFLED WEDDING DRESS COOKIES to make things fancy.
Or go for fun with these JUST MARRIED CAR COOKIES made with a cupcake cutter!!