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Gilded Reindeer and Santa Cookies

December 23, 2014 - 31 Comments

Gilded Reindeer & Santa Cookies via Sweetapolita

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.

Gilded Reindeer & Santa Cookies via Sweetapolita

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!

Gilded Reindeer & Santa Cookies via Sweetapolita

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.

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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!

Print
Gilded Reindeer and Santa Cookies
Ingredients
  • 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
You will also need:
  • Disposable medium-sized pastry bags
  • Couplers
  • Pastry tips #3 20
  • 2 food-safe small paint brushes
Instructions
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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.
  8. Use another small food-safe paint brush to dust on a very tiny bit of red or pink petal dust onto Santa's cheeks.
  9. 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

 

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Filed Under: Cutout Cookies for Decorating, Decorated Cookies Tagged With: cookies, gingerbread, gold, reindeer, rosy cheeks, santa

« The Perfect Gingerbread Cookie
Purple Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting »

Comments

  1. Julia@Vikalinka says

    December 23, 2014 at 11:57 am

    Oh my goodness, I am loving the reindeer eyelashes! How absolutely adorable. Thank you for sharing, Rosie, and Merry Christmas!

    Reply
    • Rosie @ Sweetapolita says

      December 29, 2014 at 1:56 pm

      Thanks so much, Julia! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas! xo

      Reply
  2. Cherie says

    December 23, 2014 at 12:25 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Rosie @ Sweetapolita says

      December 29, 2014 at 1:56 pm

      Thank you so much, Cherie! xo

      Reply
  3. Lyba says

    December 23, 2014 at 1:06 pm

    These look absolutely gorgeous! I am making these on Christmas Eve now, and look at santa’s mustache…So fluffy!

    Reply
    • Rosie @ Sweetapolita says

      December 29, 2014 at 1:57 pm

      Thank you, Lyba! Happy New Year!

      Reply
  4. Jolena @TheRubyKitchen says

    December 23, 2014 at 1:37 pm

    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!

    Reply
    • Rosie @ Sweetapolita says

      December 29, 2014 at 1:57 pm

      Thank you so much, Jolena! Happy New Year to you!

      Reply
  5. Beth @ bethcakes says

    December 23, 2014 at 2:41 pm

    What cute gifts for your daughters’ teachers! These cookies are too adorable, I do love those gilded antlers and pink noses. Merry Christmas! :)

    Reply
    • Rosie @ Sweetapolita says

      December 29, 2014 at 1:57 pm

      Thanks, Beth! Hope you had a wonderful Christmas!

      Reply
  6. Jacquee says

    December 23, 2014 at 2:54 pm

    LOVE these! The reindeer is beyond adorable and those gold antlers – LOVE!

    Reply
    • Rosie @ Sweetapolita says

      December 29, 2014 at 1:58 pm

      Thanks so much, Jacquee! Hope you have a fabulous New Year! xo

      Reply
  7. Ceilidh says

    December 23, 2014 at 10:16 pm

    These are adorable! I’d love to be gifted these cookies. Super cute.

    Reply
    • Rosie @ Sweetapolita says

      December 29, 2014 at 1:58 pm

      Thank you, Ceilidh! xo

      Reply
  8. Maribel Cota {Bruni's Boulangerie} says

    December 23, 2014 at 11:56 pm

    Oh Rosie, pure perfection!
    love it!

    Reply
    • Rosie @ Sweetapolita says

      December 29, 2014 at 1:58 pm

      Thank you for the sweet comment, Maribel! xo

      Reply
  9. IFeelCook says

    December 24, 2014 at 10:16 am

    These cookies are so lovely!! Your daughters’ teachers are lucky ;)

    Reply
    • Rosie @ Sweetapolita says

      December 29, 2014 at 1:59 pm

      Thanks so much! Have a wonderful New Year!

      Reply
  10. Natalie @ In Natalie's Shoes says

    December 29, 2014 at 3:13 pm

    These are gorgeous! I wish I had the steady hand to ice like you do!

    Reply
  11. Sian says

    December 31, 2014 at 5:00 am

    Oh my, I love these! Santa’s mustache and the reindeers eyelashes are just the cutest things ever!

    Reply
    • Rosie @ Sweetapolita says

      January 2, 2015 at 3:50 pm

      Thank you, Sian! xo

      Reply
  12. Allie says

    December 2, 2015 at 8:05 pm

    Could you please supply a link on where to get a #3 pastry tip?

    Reply
  13. Liz Jacobs says

    December 21, 2015 at 10:01 pm

    The eyelashes are so cute on the reindeer! Does anyone know where you can get these cutters from in Australia?

    Reply
  14. 2k16 vc says

    May 5, 2016 at 11:07 pm

    The knowledge is really helpful

    Reply
  15. Tonia Cassetta says

    July 1, 2016 at 3:05 am

    Can I no longer get the cookie cutters for these cookies?

    Reply

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Hi, I’m Rosie! Welcome to the new (and even sweeter) version of the Sweetapolita blog! You will now find frequent new recipes + so, so much more: lifestyle posts themed around my life as a baker, mom-preneur, sprinkle-tosser, lover of travel, photography, fashion and all things happy!
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