New Home Cookies

Cottages are some of my favorite cookies to make.  You can click here, here, and here to see a few versions.

When my sister, who moved recently (boo), asked me to make some cookies for their realtor, I wanted to jazz them up a little bit.

So, I decided to make a little new home cookie collection.  When I make "collections," I really try to keep them in the same color scheme.  Using the same colors makes the cookies look really pretty and coordinated, and ALSO makes the decorating process so much easier.

Not only are they a nice treat for a great realtor, these make perfect housewarming cookies.  Remember that deal we made about welcoming new neighbors?!?

You'll notice on the houses that the door is filled in with piping consistency icing giving it a raised look.  This is either because I like the "textured" look of the door, or because I was feeling too lazy to thin another color of icing.  Or both.  You pick.

Rather than give you a post with 112 pictures and the tutorials for all of the cookies, I'll post the cottage tutorial in this post, and the picket fence, key and SOLD sign will come soon.
{Ooo...the suspense.}

To make the cottage cookies, you will need:

• house-shaped sugar cookies
• royal icing, divided and tinted with AmeriColor Bright White, Egg Yellow, Turquoise, Deep Pink, Electric Pink, and Leaf Green
• disposable icing bags
• couplers and tips, #2, #3, #1
• toothpicks
• squeeze bottles

Use #2 tips to outline the house and roof in white and yellow icings.  Reserve some of each of these icings for piping details.
{Yes, use WHITE food coloring.}

Thin the white and yellow icings with water, a bit at a time, stirring with a silicone spatula, until it is the consistency of a thick syrup.  You'll want to drop a "ribbon" of icing back into the bowl and have it disappear in a count of "one thousand one, one thousand two." Four is too thick, one is too thin.  Count of 2-3 is good.  Cover with a damp dishcloth and let sit for several minutes.

Stir gently with a silicone spatula to pop and large air bubbles that have formed.  Pour into squeeze bottles as needed.

Flood the cookies with the thinned icing.  Use a toothpick to guide to edges and pop large air bubbles.

Use a #3 tip to fill in the door with turquoise icing, using a back and forth motion.

Let the cookies sit for 1 hour.

With a #2 tip, add a doorknob and roof detail in yellow icing.  Add the window detail with white, also with a #2.

Use #1 tips to pipe the flower box details, in pink and green icings.

Let the cookies dry uncovered 6-8 hours, or overnight.

Home Sweet Home.

{literally}