Pretty Autumn Color Palette

One of the things I love about autumn is the shift from bright  fun summer colors, to the deep rich tones derived from nature.  Orange, red, and brown are staples of the autumn color palette.  Rather than settling for color straight from the bottle I like to combine several to create a palette completely my own.  These are the colors I’m digging lately.

I used the colors below to create this entire palette.  If you don’t have them all, it’s okay to improvise.  In most cases a similar color will produce a similar result.

When I make any shade of orange, I prefer to combine tulip red and a yellow shade such as lemon, egg, or electric.  I’ve found that orange Americolor can have a bitter taste {more noticeable to some people than others} that I like to avoid.  You can read more about it HERE.

To create the colors above simply add the proper amount of gel color to approximately half a cup of icing.  To create more intense shades double the color or reduce the icing.  Do the opposite for lighter shades.

  1. Pretty Pumpkin Orange: 3 drops egg yellow + 3 drops ivory + 1 drop tulip red
  2. Autumn Green: 5 drops electric green + 3 drops ivory + 1 drop warm brown
  3. Autumn Russet: 6 drops tulip red + 5 drops egg yellow + 3 drops warm brown
  4. Simple Ivory: 1 drop ivory {Okay, that one is straight out of the bottle but why mess with perfect?}
  5. Dark Chestnut Brown: 4 drops warm brown + 1 drop gold +1 drop ivory + small squeeze of black icing*

*When adding black to ANY color, it’s wise to use black icing rather than gel.  You’re much lest likely to over add.

Another great tip is to add white to leftover icing for a lighter shade of that color.  Not only do your colors coordinate, not a bit of icing is wasted.  See?

Even with the simplest of cookie designs these colors make a beautiful statement.

I hope everyone is as excited as I am about the upcoming holiday season.  It truly is the most wonderful time of the year!

For other interesting tips about color and other fun autumn cookie ideas, be sure to check out these posts:

Happy baking, cookie friends!