Yoda Cookies

“Do, or do not, there is no try.”  Even if you aren’t a Star Wars nerd, there’s a lot of wisdom in those words.

I’ve always loved Star Wars, but it wasn’t until I watched Episode III that I really began to love Yoda.  I guess I like the idea of guys that speak softly but carry a big stick {or lightsaber in this case}.  I’ve seen the Revenge of the Sith a gazillion times, and  I still get a little teary during the fight scene with Emperor Palpatine. Anywho, before I REALLY show my nerd, let’s get to cookies.  Your little Padawans will love you for it!

Although Williams-Sonoma sells a Yoda cookie cutter, I prefer to use  a simple spider cutter like the one in this kit.

With a little stretching, it quickly becomes the perfect Yoda face.

To make Yoda cookies you will need:

  • Yoda green piping, flood, and 20-second icing {I made mine with a mixture of leaf green, warm brown, egg yellow, and ivory, but you can use avocado Americolor gel to keep it simple}
  • white 20-second icing
  • a small amount of black 20-second

If you need help with 20-second icing, you can read about it HERE and HERE.

Begin by outlining the cookie as shown below.

If you have trouble with icing craters, skip steps two and three and use 20-second icing for the forehead detail.  If you need to, use an edible marker to sketch out guidelines to follow until you’re comfortable with the design.

After outlining, fill in the spaces with icing with 20-second icing.  To prevent craters, start close to the surface of the cookie and flood from the bottom up.  Use a toothpick to make sure there aren’t any air pockets in the spaces.

It’s important to flood the cookie in alternating sections to get the dimensional look of Yoda’s forehead.  The drying time between sections is the perfect time to add Yoda’s eyes.

To create eyes I used white 20-second icing to make an eyeball, then, after a minute or two I added a drop of Yoda green 20-second icing.

After the forehead has had a bit of time to dry, fill in the remaining spaces including the lower portion of the face.

Notice in the picture below that Yoda’s eyes are cratering?  This happened because I made the mistake of using thinner flood icing for the pupil, rather than 20-second icing.  Luckily, it’s easily fixable later, I just wanted to throw that out there so you don’t make the same mistake.

Let the cookie dry for an hour or two and then flood the rest of the face.  At this point, let the cookie dry overnight.

The next day is when the fun begins.  Making Yoda is all in the details.  Begin by using the black 20-second icing to add pupils.  Just to be safe, use a number one or two tip for this.  You don’t want to get carried away with the black.

Next, use 20-second Yoda green icing to add the details shown below.  I think a #2 tip works best.  Again, let the cookie dry for a bit before moving on.

To finish up, add the upper lip, wait 20 or so minutes, then add the final details.  I used the brush embroidery technique for the ear detail.

Give the cookie a bit more drying time, and you’re finished!

If you love Star Wars as much as I do, be sure to check out how I made 15 Star Wars characters using holiday cutters and light saber cupcake toppers.

I promise you can make this cookie.  It’s a bit tedious to add all of the layers, but the limited color palette makes up for it, I think.

I hope everyone has a great Monday.   May the force be with you!