Valentine Hearts Cookie With Sanding Sugar

Yes yes, time to do some Valentine hearts cookies since I'm in the mood for Valentine. I used coloured sugar to decorate the cookies. It adds a little glam to the cookies isn't it? Well if you wanna know how I decorate the cookies, read on!

Here we go...

The term for coloured sugar is actually "sanding sugar". 

Sanding Sugar

"Sanding sugar is a large crystal sugar used as an edible decoration that will not dissolve when subjected to heat. Also called pearl sugar or decorating sugar, sanding sugar adds "sparkle"  to cookies, baked goods and candies.  The sparkling affect is achieved because the sugar crystal grains are large and reflect light."

http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/Articles/Ethnic-Unique-Foods-Ingredients-645/sanding-sugar.aspx

Technique

I use 2 techniques here. The first is applying the coloured/sanding sugar on a still wet icing. The second is applying the sugar on a dry icing.

Make Your Own Sanding Sugar

I make my own sanding sugar using fine granulated sugar (gula pasir halus). Put the sugar in a plastig bag. Squirt some colour that you like in the bag and then you mash the plastic bag with your hand till the colours are evenly mixed. Then lastly put some corn flour (just a little) in the bag and mash again to mix. Then you are done. Only take about 3 minutes to do your own sanding sugar. Will post the pics soon so you guys understand better. One more thing, I have never tested my sanding sugar in the oven and I don't think that it can stand the heat. So just use it for decoration purposes only.

The Cookies! - First Technique

First step, flood the cookies using 10 seconds icing . Let them dry completely.

Flood the centre with soft pink icing.

Sprinkle my home made soft pink coloured sugar to the still wet pink icing.

Then gently shake off the excess sugar.

Second Technique

Decorate the cookies and let the icing dry out completely.

Well, for me, I mix 1 teaspoon of meringue powder with 2 teaspoon of water to make the glue. 

Brush on the surface that I wanted to sprinkle the sugar.

Sprinkle some red coloured sugar.

Gently shake off the excess sugar. For the hard to reach places, use a brush to dust off the sugar.

Walla, done!

Thats it :-) Easy Peasy.