Merry, Merry, friends!
I’m sorry for posting these cookies so close to Christmas, but I couldn’t resist sharing them with you–better late than never, perhaps? We’ve certainly been cookie-ing more than normal this year, and I really wanted to make some decorated cookies for my cakelets’ teachers, so this is what we came up with: super-cute-and-slightly-sauced-looking-Santa paired with his fancy-but-adorable reindeer. The things Christmas cookie dreams are made of, we think.
The reindeer are simple white and gilded and their big pink candy noses are super-cute. I came across a few gilded antler deer cookies on Pinterest and I loved the idea, because the sweetness of the reindeer’s face paired with the elegance of the gold antlers is a perfect holiday cookie, in my opinion. An ideal New Year’s cookie too!
We went for a “cute” Santa as well, because I’m convinced that cute cookies are always irresistible and possibly more fun to make than even the fanciest of designs. For Santa I used the design on the cutter box for inspiration, but gave him teeny, tiny eyes and shiny pink nose, which makes us giggle (too many rum & eggnogs, Santa?), and of course a poofy moustache, just ’cause.
We used The Perfect Gingerbread Cookie recipe I posted awhile ago–some with the more mild fancy molasses, and some with the darker cooking molasses–because one thing about classic gingerbread men that my cakelets always point out is they just don’t have enough icing. They LOVE royal icing (I think everyone does, really), and these frosted delights did the trick.
For our Santa and reindeer shapes, I used my Meri Meri Jingle All The Way Cutters (I’m obsessed), which really inspired me to create these cookies at all. Of course you can use any Santa or deer/reindeer cutters you may have or come across. I think this would work well on many different styles. What holiday cookies did you create this year?
Okay, so let’s make these cookies! The girls and I are actually making another round of these on Christmas Day, to bring to our family gathering a few days later. Can’t wait!
- 1 recipe The Perfect Gingerbread Cookie
- 2 recipes Royal Icing
- AmeriColor gel paste colours in Gold Super Red
- Food marker in black
- Luster Dust in gold see Notes
- Sixlets in Pink for the reindeer noses
- Candy beads in pink for Santa's nose
- Petal Dust in pink or red for Santa's cheeks
- White nonpareils for Santa's pom pom
- Disposable medium-sized pastry bags
- Couplers
- Pastry tips #3 20
- 2 food-safe small paint brushes
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Roll out the cookie dough using the santa and reindeer cutters, and bake according to recipe. Let cool completely. Prepare the Royal Icing and keep well-covered with plastic wrap.
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Tint about 1 1/2 cups of icing gold using using AmeriColor gold gel paste. Add a few drops of water and stir until the icing flows with a 10-second consistency (a line run through the icing with a knife with disappear in 10-seconds). Fill a pastry bag fitted with a coupler and #3 pastry tip with about 3/4 cup of gold icing and cover the remaining gold icing with plastic wrap. Pipe the antlers on each reindeer.
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Use the black food marker to outline the shape of Santa's face on each cookie. Add a drop of red gel paste to the remaining gold icing to create a skin-tone icing. Add the icing to another pastry bag fitted with a coupler and another #3 tip, and outline and fill each Santa face using the black marker outline as your guide.
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Fill another two-thirds full with pastry bag fitted with a #3 tip with 10-second consistency white icing and outline and fill the entire reindeer below the antlers. Let dry completely, overnight if possible.
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Use the same white icing to outline and fill Santa's beard and rim of his hat. Let dry completely, overnight if possible. Reserve the remaining royal icing and keep covered with plastic wrap.
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Once the cookies are dry, tint about 1 cup of 10-second icing red and fill another pastry bag fitted with a #3 tip no more than two-thirds full. Outline and fill Santa's hat and let dry.
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Mix a small amount of the gold luster dust with clear extract or vodka, and use a food-safe paint brush to paint the reindeer antlers. Use the black food marker to draw on the reindeer's eyelashes and Santa's eyes.
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Use another small food-safe paint brush to dust on a very tiny bit of red or pink petal dust onto Santa's cheeks.
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Use the thicker, un-thinned reserved royal icing to "glue" on the pink sixlets for the reindeer's nose. Fill a pastry bag fitted with pastry tip #20 (or similar) with about 1 cup of reserved icing and pipe Santa's moustache. Add a pink candy bead nose by pressing into the top of each moustache. Pipe a dollop of frosting on the top of Santa's hat and sprinkle with white nonpareils.
Sweetapolita’s Notes:
- For the cookie shapes I used the Meri Meri Jingle All The Way cutter set.
- For the eyelashes and Santa’s eyes, I used the AmeriColor Food Writer in Black.
- Just a note that, depending on where you live, there are different regulations about using pure gold luster dust in terms of being “edible” and “non-toxic.” For gold luster dust that is deemed “edible” I recommend Chocolats Roxy & Rich Lustre Dust in Golden Bronze
.
- I used pink CK Products Sixlets
for the reindeer noses.
- For Santa’s nose I used CK Products Pink 7-Mm Candy Beads.
I will be back right after Christmas with another sweet recipe, but I sincerely hope you have a magical holiday season, my friends! xo
Oh my goodness, I am loving the reindeer eyelashes! How absolutely adorable. Thank you for sharing, Rosie, and Merry Christmas!
Thanks so much, Julia! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas! xo
I so want to do this… obviously not this year.. but I am printing this off for next year! Thank you so much for all the inspiring things you do!
Thank you so much, Cherie! xo
These look absolutely gorgeous! I am making these on Christmas Eve now, and look at santa’s mustache…So fluffy!
Thank you, Lyba! Happy New Year!
Oh my these are so adorable! I love the gilded antlers of the reindeer – so classy and cute at the same time! Wishing you and the cakelets a Merry Christmas!
Thank you so much, Jolena! Happy New Year to you!
What cute gifts for your daughters’ teachers! These cookies are too adorable, I do love those gilded antlers and pink noses. Merry Christmas! :)
Thanks, Beth! Hope you had a wonderful Christmas!
LOVE these! The reindeer is beyond adorable and those gold antlers – LOVE!
Thanks so much, Jacquee! Hope you have a fabulous New Year! xo
These are adorable! I’d love to be gifted these cookies. Super cute.
Thank you, Ceilidh! xo
Oh Rosie, pure perfection!
love it!
Thank you for the sweet comment, Maribel! xo
These cookies are so lovely!! Your daughters’ teachers are lucky ;)
Thanks so much! Have a wonderful New Year!
These are gorgeous! I wish I had the steady hand to ice like you do!
Oh my, I love these! Santa’s mustache and the reindeers eyelashes are just the cutest things ever!
Thank you, Sian! xo
Could you please supply a link on where to get a #3 pastry tip?
The eyelashes are so cute on the reindeer! Does anyone know where you can get these cutters from in Australia?
The knowledge is really helpful
Can I no longer get the cookie cutters for these cookies?