In Sweden, semlor buns are usually served right after Christmas in the run-up to Lent, but this is a Christmas version of the traditional cream-filled yeasted bun, and as they’re so tasty they deserve to be eaten more often. These buns are so adorable you won’t be able to bear eating them, but at the same time they are delectable, so it’s sure to be a polarizing decision. If you don’t have time to make the almond paste, then use store-bought marzipan instead.
Different people like to work with different consistencies, but I like to work with what is called a “15-second icing.” This means that after stirring the mixture, the surface will return back to its former smooth state in about 15 seconds. This consistency will work for both outlining *and* flooding, so is much easier than making two batches. The definition of 15-second icing varies for everyone though, as everyone counts differently, so it’s mostly about practicing and getting the feel for the correct consistency. My royal icing recipe below should get you to roughly the consistency you will need, so hopefully you can work from there!
Disposable piping bags
Good disposable piping bags are your friends! You want to buy some that don’t have a seam, as this can get in the way when piping. For outlining and for piping intricate details, cut a teeny tiny tip from your piping bag. For flooding, cut a slightly bigger tip (depends on how big an area you are flooding). That’s it. No need for piping nozzles, which make washing up a lot harder! If you ever cut a tip that’s too big, or want to change to a smaller opening, then just pop the piping bag into another
piping bag. Cut the tip as desired and continue!
Cookie prep, planning, and layering
It helps to draw a guide of where you will pipe the outlines, directly on the cookie. It also helps to know what colors you are going to use before you start, so you can mix them all up and put them into piping bags. I don’t always know what colors I will want, so I always leave some white royal icing in a bowl that I can dye later. Just make sure to cover the bowl with plastic wrap, as the surface will crust up quickly.
Sometimes things come to you as you go along. A vague idea is all you need. That’s okay, too.
Useful Things: toothpicks, edible-ink pen, tiny paint brushes, edible luster dust and vodka, edible paint.
Cookie decorating does take some forward planning if you want to do more than one layer, in which case you would wait a few hours for the first layer to dry before working on the second, or third. For instance, you may have a background layer using the wet-on-wet technique to cretailing on a dress. The layer underneath would need to be dry before you can do all these things. While your cookies are drying, set them aside and find something to do (or not do!) to relax.
Outlining: When you first start piping royal icing in a neat line, you might find it tricky. It’s not like dragging a pen across a surface. You need to pipe, lift, and ease the line where you need it. Don’t expect to be perfect the first time! Practice and you will get better.
Flooding: No, not the psychological therapy used to overcome phobias—this is much nicer. Once you’ve planned and then outlined your cookie, it’s time to flood. All you are doing is just filling the space inside, and the outline will stop it leaking over. Use a toothpick to even it out and get rid of any bubbles before it sets.
Wet on wet: This is when you use two different colors and a toothpick to create some interesting effects. This is useful for polka dots, hearts, flowers, and scenes that involve a beautiful gradient of color (e.g., sunsets, skies, seas, fire).
Painting on royal icing: When your royal icing is completely dry (4 to 6 hours, but I generally just wait overnight to be sure), you can paint on it using food dyes or luster dusts mixed with vodka (it evaporates quicker than water). You can also brush on luster dusts to give depth, and draw on the icing using edible-ink pens—anything you can paint or draw, you can do on an iced cookie.
Recipe excerpted with permission from Christmas with Kim-Joy by Kim-Joy, published by Quadrille October 2020
—Food52
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