Since the holidays are here, I wanted to make some cute Christmas cookies to celebrate. Plus, I can definitely use the season as a reason to practice piping. I’ve only made decorated sugar cookies a handful of times, but I think I get a tiny bit better each time I try them.
So naturally I made ice cream cones for Christmas.
Kidding. I kid. But I did use this ice cream cone cookie cutter to make something else.
I have a limited supply of Christmas cookie cutters, so I had to improvise, you see.
I like improvising.
Simply turn it upside down and it makes a great base shape for Santa.
Lots of Santas.
I used a recipe in the book, Cookie Craft to make these chocolate sugar cookies.
Click here and go to page 7 and 16 for the recipes.
P.S. – I love this book. It’s fantastic if you want to learn the ins and outs of cookie decorating.
So – I used the shape of the cookie cutter to draw several different Santa heads on a sheet of paper. Then I made a few facial variations to help me practice.
My kind of homework.
After the cookies cooled, I drew the faces on the cookies with an edible ink pen, hoping this would help me when I start piping.
I can trace. I’m a good tracer.
But not so good at piping. The drawings did help, but I have to tell you – this stage had me a little worried.
They don’t look so hot, huh?
I think it would be easier with larger shapes, though.
The cutter I used was about 3 inches tall. So the mustaches and such were really small.
Small for me anyway.
But I piped and flooded forward.
And thank goodness I kept going, With the help of some sprinkles and sugar crystals and an edible ink pen – they all turned out pretty cute.
I definitely think the different textures help pull off the look.
Some have cute rosy cheeks.
Some have big brows.
Some have curly locks.
And the fun part is …
… if you change the drawing on the inside of the ice cream cone shape and use different colors of royal icing…
You’ll end up with some of Santa’s little helpers.
So, don’t give up.
Pipe on. Practice makes good.
I’m still trying for perfect, but I think I need to make decorated cookies more than once or twice a year.
Guess I’ll just have to keep playing.
It is sweet fun.
And if you want to play, too… I can make up a downloadable template of different Santa faces… using basic shapes like ice cream cones, circles, or hearts as the base – so you can make your own … If you like.
These look adorable. I love them so much!
Thanks so much for the tip on the specific brand of edible ink pens you used. I have an upcoming project and just ordered a few for practicing. I’m not the best piper, either, and needed a way to do fine line facial details on iced cookies. Hopefully, the pens will do the trick.
love it so much since i was two! now i am 9
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I wouldn’t have commented if I didn’t eventually (because i didn’t read i just scrolled through) realize you used the ice cream cone cookie cutter for the santas and elves. It was one of those ah-ha moments. Nice cookies and Merry Christmas.
hi! what icing did u use for piping? thank u very much
Hi there! I came across a photo of your Santa cookies from 2010, and I’m determined to make some this Christmas. I just love them! Can you tell me what kind of candies you used for the noses? They look like pink red hots, which I’ve never seen before. These are so cute, and I, too only decorate cookies like this once or twice a year, so I’ll probably have “piper’s cramped” hands forever after making these, but so worth it! Thanks for sharing your idea!
I’m 13, and i think i just might make those! I love your website, cause it helps me practice for when i get older! Thanks! Oh, And those are ADORABLE. (:
As always, so adorable! I found these through Pinterest, you do an amazing job!!
I featured these on my blog today, feel free to stop by & check it out :)
http://artsyfartsymama.blogspot.com/2011/12/pinteresting-features-n-shtuff-12.html
Wow!..So cute & pretty…Love them~
Great Piping! I love how you think! Christmas Dilemma? No Problem for Bakerella! Ice cream cones to Santa and Helpers, never would’ve thought of that!
OMG, its sooo cool! I wonder how 2 make it?
Too Cute
CUTE!!!!!!!!!
I tried the chocolate sugar cookie recipe, I don’t know if it is me but that cookie mixture sticky. Did you have this problem or is it something I have done wrong?
Those are awesome! I never thought about using the cone cutter that way, although we do use the gingerbread man cutter upside down for reindeer ;)
Wow! I just found your blog today and I LOVE it! I have been reading it all afternoon! I went to Amazon and now I’m buying your book on Cake Pops. I can’t wait to get it. I think you’re amazing. Thank you for sharing all those awesome ideas.
You are so gosh darn creative!
Absolutely gorgeous!
wow soooooooooo cuuuuuuuuute!!
I tried to make these, using the round template that you posted. mine were not NEARLY as cute as yours. i guess i wasn’t as good as piping as i hoped. oh well… i’ll keep trying. when the santa’s didn’t work out, i made ornaments :)
p.s. where can i find an edible ink pen?
YOU´RE SUCH AN ARTIST!!!!
THIS COULD BE CALLED EPHEMERAL ART FOR SURE, BUT HOW GREAT AND CONFORTING IT IS…
I LOVED IT!
MY REGARDS FROM BRAZIL
HAVE A VERY NICE CHRISTMAS
Those santas and elves are really fantastic, you never cease to amaze, you are a talented woman! Merry Christmas!
I’m having problems with the link… its just a book review not the recipe.. PLEASE HELP!!!
Wow it`s so cute~ linking my bolg
I just wanted to thank you for recommending such a great recipe for rolled cookies. Everyone I have tried kept spreading out and not holding it’s shape. I dont have santa (ice cream cutters) but i do have a tree. i am got my decorating inspiration form your tree cake pops (the white ones you made for your friend’s party). i can’t until these cookis cool and i can start decorating !!!
thank you!
I can’t believe you think you need practice!!! These are absolutely perfect! No knocking yourself! That needs to be your New Year’s Resolution! Look at what you’ve done with your life!!! You’ve become a baking rock star!
Soooo Cute! I LOVE them! Your amazing!
Omg, these are so perfect and beautiful and clever
very very NICE:)
happy holidays;)
I am SO going to use the chocolate cookie recipe! I throw a cookie decorating party every year. Now that my daughters (and therefore their friends) are pre-school aged, they have higher expectations than they did as toddlers! Plain old gingerbread men and circles won’t cut it any longer. :)
Does anyone have a good tasting recipe for color flow icing? The one I have does not taste very good.
Can you explain flood icing and how you get it to go on so perfectly? You said yours were bumpy but they looked beyond awesome! If you were selling them at the store we’d be your buyers!!! My kids loved seeing the photos! Thanks!
Julie
Hi Bakerella….. just wanted to start by saying love you website and your ideas… I was searching for cupcakes about 3 months ago and I ended up on your website. Ever since then I decided to create a blog and since I have a little one I thought it would be a great idea to start my own cake pops and so I did… Your doing a great job,, love reading more and more… I go to your website everyday just like if im going to check my email… Keep up the Good work and God Bless You. ! Have a merry christmas.
it’s very nice, so cuty !!!!
These are so adorable. I wish i had time to make them. Maybe next year. Your creativity amazes me everytime.
Kimm
this is so cute! now, i want to learn how to bake cookies. I love your work. happy holidays!!!
These are adorable! Were you inspired by the Ice Cream Truck Santa ornaments from Teatro?
omgosh you’re a genius!! these are adorable!<3
OMG. I wish I would’ve seen these a long time ago. I would’ve bought all the stuff and began practicing. These woulda been a hit for sure at my Christmas!!
Delicious and gorgeous! Can’t wait to make a gluten-free version :-)
the link for the cookie recipe doesn’\t work – please repost!
thanks
You’re just all around amazing! I am so happy for you! :)
hi bakerella! i can’t get the link to work for the recipe either?? i am almost going to do a run to go buy the book? can you please repost?? thank you!!!!!
They are sooo cute. I wish I could do that. I think I will try with my son. He loves to bake with me. Looks like it will be fun. Thanks for the template.
FAB-U-LOUS! And thanks for sharing the templates.
i love your idea of using an ice cream cookie cutter to make the santas! very creative! :)
I wish I could do this! Have you ever done a class for all of this? I’m trying to teach myself how to do this because we don’t have any classes offered nearby.
So nice…as always!
These are super adorable! They look perfect to me!
Thanks so much for the Santa Templates! You are so talented!
Merry Christmas!
XoXoXo
Joy
They’re so cute!!!! :)
These are just too adorable.
these looks pretty! thanks for the improvising tip! :)
Very cute! For a cookie amateur, you sure are good! Love the idea of using an ice cream cutter for a santa head!
These look really cute! For the royal icing do you recommend using liquid egg whites or the power? Where can I find the powder?
I would love the templates. Please do them.
These are so cute and I could use some practise too!
You are very talented. I love each one of them.
I’m the same… When I click on the recipe link all I get is the site advertising the books for sale. Can you revise the link???
Also….thanks so much for coming to Toronto to see us!! Finally we Canadians get to meet you too!! We had a great time and I love that picture of my grandaughter in your Toronto review….she’s our cupcake!! Hope you liked our gingerbread cupcake cookie suckers!!
Oh my, how do you come up with these ideas? I wish I was that creative! :)
How do the cookies taste? Are the recipess from this cookbook really good?
I think these look great!
YOU ARE THE BEES KNEES!!!! So cute!
Oh my gosh! The cuteness! My sister and I are baking this weekend and templates would be so great!! We are also making cake pops for the first time with the new book! You are amazing. Thank you for sharing.
Wow.
These are so cool & you are so creative! (I love that you turned that cutter upside down… fantastic.)
I will definitely be trying this!
xo
Kristin
Now I’m drooling! YUM they are so cute!
These are really good! I tried (miserably) to decorate cookies ala piping too this weekend. Boy they weren’t pretty. I can’t get the consistency right. Oh well, they’re still edible!!
Yes, please give us the Santa templates! Also, will you tell us what you used for the accessories (i.e., rosy cheeks, etc.) and textures? Soooo cute! Wish I had even a fraction of your talent & creativity!!
OH MY GOD! I’m from Brazil and I am so excited with your website… it’s amazing!
Now you have one more fan.. congratulations!!!
OMG, you are amazing, Your creativity is incredible, I love them.
SO cute and SO creative! Love them! I think your piping and flooding turned out perfect!… What kind of icing did you use?
I LOVE these!
Not just because they are so cute, but because you made that cookie cutter work for its money and multi-task! : )
Hope your Holidays are Happy ones!
Angela
I would love the template please!
Yes, please! I’d definately like a template! This are adorable. Thanks for sharing.
These are so adorable!
oh my goodness. those are perfect and adorable!
that was amazing! :D
can you tell me if there is a blog out there with icing instructions/tutorials/step by step pics?!
i would LOVE to learn this!!!
I was wondering if you could share your royal icing recipe…Thank you!!!!!!
Oh my goodness! You are so clever! Yes, please give us a template….yes! I would love to start a tradition with my daughter to make sugar cookies and decorate them for Christmas. She just turned 10 months so next Christmas will be perfect to start. Until then, I’ll just practice when I’m not chasing a crawling baby all over the place. :)
These are priceless! ps. the best part about piping “practice?” …destroying (eating) the evidence of disasters…
Still trying for perfect? They look amazing! I am absolutely making elf cookies soon. Too cute.
SOOOOOOOO UNFAIR!
It’s SO unfair to don’t live in the USA.
You have way more patience than I do, and an obvious talent. Beautiful cookies. Thanks for sharing.
Suzanne
Your cookies look awsome! I think it is a great idea to use an upside down ice cream cookie cutter. My son has been asking me if I have a Santa cookie cutter to make cookies; I think we will make some cookies over the Christmas break.
Stop being so hard on yourself! The cookies (and the piping) are fantastic!
This is so clever! As soon as I saw the cutter upside down, I saw an elf for sure!! It would make a great gnome from that travel website too! I also love the tip of using the edible markers to draw on the cookies before starting to pipe. LOVE IT! Thanks for all of the tips and awesome ideas.
I love this idea! The Santas are so cute!
Oh, my goodness I am so going to have to do this now! Dang it Miss Bakerella you always add something to my to do list!!!
The little Santies are sooooo cute. I am not sure I have the patience to pipe; I love the way piped cookies look but they seem so time intensive. Anyway, I am happy you are back baking. I loved reading about your travels and am happy about your blog/book success but love your baking posts too.Thanks!
Hi Bakerella!
I was trying to find your email but couldn’t find it! I really hope you will read this comment and help me!
I live in Vietnam, and follow your blog for over a year now! >>totally in love!
End january is my son 1st birthday! I would love to make cakepop as favors for guests. But have no idea how to decorate them! my theme is safari with cute animals!
Can you help me with some inspirations??
Thank you soo much!
Been doing the same thing and definately practice is the key. But even less than perfect piping makes a cute cookie. Yours are adorable.
very clever, as usual. I am in the baking/decorating kind of mood today myself and I think I have a ice cream cookie cutter…YEAH!!
These are awesome! I made piped sugar cookies for the first time this week–they weren’t as cute as yours but easier than I expected! My adventures with cookies are at http://istherezucchiniinthis.blogspot.com/2010/12/one-hundred-dozen-cookies.html
This is just the inspiration I need to get some use out of my barely used icing set.
Fantastic!
You are incredible…thank you so much for all your inspiration!
Love love love all the designs, so clever.
Yes, please! I would LOVE a downloadable template to use! These cookies turned out fantastically and I would love to copy your idea for some cookies I am making with my two sisters and mom for the holidays.
yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay! just yay :)
Can I have some of your creative energy? k, thanks.
Oh my gosh! Those are so adorable!!! I wish I was brave enough to try those. Actually I wish I could find an edible ink pen that actually works
oH wow. I need to practice my pipping too. Your cookies look wonderful.
You are so creative. You inspire me so much!
Yes, I, too, would like the template… very much. The cookies were too cute. I’d love to try and make them. And maybe get my 4 yr old niece to put the sprinkles. She loves “helping” me make baked goodies. She would definitely enjoy doing this.
I LOVE your inginuity (did I spell that right?) I am always looking for different ways to use my cutters!!! If you don’t like your piping lines try using a tip 2 instead of 3 for your piping lines. I do cookie pop bouquets all the time and once I went down just that size, I instantly liked my lines better! Superb!!
I would love a template for faces!
Very cute! I’ve used cookie cutters for different things before too, and it’s fun to be creative about it.
I need to try piping Royal Icing though. It has me MEGA nervous!
Thanks for all your inspiration :)
Hey. I think you could come to Brasil (Rio de Janeiro) to promote your wonderful book, which is already selling at the best bookstores. Your work is amazing. I love this kind a light pink lol. Well, congratulations!
Xoxo Paula.
Please show us your templates. These are the most adorable cookies ever!
yes, I do like!!!
I have an icecream cookie cutter, its funny what you see when your take a different angle, nice one! would love to see a downloadable template :)
Yes please on the templates”
These are so cute and would really work for Mr. Bingle cookies, considering his hat is an ice cream cone!
so cute! I bought cookie craft last year, after seeing it on your blog. I am dying to get into making my own. I’ve already mixed the dough for a few recipes, but I need to wait until all my house-work is done before I can dig in. Love your ideas too! Those elves are so cute!!!
The elves are so very cute. Don’t know where you come up with all those different interpretations for faces but you do–and its so inspirational. Now I want to try so a template would be sweet.
These cookies are so cute, I especially love Santa’s helpers! I love Cookie Crafts, such a great book!
Please please please do … love love love what you’ve done here …
I have that ice cream cone cutter! Thank-you for coming up with another use! These are so cute!
Those are super cute! You have amazing artistic talents to be able to sketch like that…my sketching looks like I never made it past 5th grade :P
That shape would make cute Gnome cookies!
the one elf with the reallyyyy swoopy bangs looks like the girl elf from prep and landing. :D
You are too creative! What a clever way to re-invent the ice cream cone cookie cutter. I thought Santa was cute and then when you show the elves too…that is just over the top!
So, how do you go from piping to smooth icing?? I want to know what icing you are using! You have PERFECTION in my opinion!!! You can come do my cookies!! Please! I love to repurpose cutters and make different things, but these are wonderful!
Happy Holidays!
Those look pretty darned perfect to me! Your creativity always amazes me!!
You did a fantastic job on these! They are adorable. Piping is hard for me too, and I think you did a pretty great job. :) Yay for multipurpose cookie cutters!
Wow. Quite impressive. One thing- how did you pipe it. With a piping bag or a bottle?
You must be kidding, these are perfect! So perfect I could never eat it :)
you are so creative! i love cut out cookies but i always get so tired when i comes to piping.
The santas are cute, but the elves are ADORABLE! I LUV them!
Absolutely, definitely, really cool!!!
Those are totally amazing and so cute! My kids would love those but I am not sure I could do them as cute. Great Job!!!
you call this practice???? They’re already perfect and I can’t imagine what they would be when you “perfected” piping. Wow, absolutely amazing. And please can you post the recipe? I really would want them on my Christmas dinner table. Cute!