How to Make Mermaid Cookies with a Snowman Cutter
A few weeks ago I did something I thought I’d never do. I went through my cookie cutter collection and got rid of the ones that I rarely use.
Okay, before anyone faints, it wasn’t quite that dramatic. I didn’t actually get rid of them, I just put them into storage for awhile. We’re preparing to move, and for some reason my realtor thought that a dining room was a better selling feature than a cookie cave.
I know, I know…who wouldn’t want a cookie room? But he’s the expert, so, I sorted through all of my boxes and picked out four-hundred of my very favorites.
Among the four-hundred (you can stop rolling your eyes now) were many Wilton cutters, old and new. The snowman cutter, a definite keeper, is included in the 101-Cookie Cutter set and has appeared in many of my creations over the years.
Besides being a snowman (in more ways than the obvious), its also been a hula dancer, polar pal, nerdy graduate, ballerina, football player, scarecrow, monkey, giraffe, potted flower and a leprechaun (that I can remember), and I’m sure there are many more to come.
Today, it’s back, this time as a mermaid.
I’ve used this cutter to make a mermaid before, but after thinking about it for a year, there were a few design changes I wanted to make. So, this mermaid is actually the 2.0 version, but that’s neither here nor there.
Before getting started, use plain white paper to make a template like the one below. You can always skip this step, but I’m a big fan of templates because they’re a great way to create consistent cookies without a projector.
To decorate these cookies you will need:
- Food color marker (I prefer yellow)
- Flesh tone 20-second icing
- Mermaid green piping and flood icing (mix teal+ electric green+a touch of sky blue)
- Light mermaid green piping and flood icing
- Orange piping and 20-second icing
- Royal icing flowers (you can find a great written tutorial here but I highly recommend this class from Craftsy)
- Yellow piping icing (a small amount)
- Black piping icing (a small amount)
- Stiff purple icing (a small amount)
Begin by mapping out the design with a yellow food color marker. Notice that I used the same template to mark the tail. I also added a dot at the bottom of the cookie to mark where the tail should end.
Now you’re ready to decorate. First, use 20-second icing to flood the face.
Next, outline and fill the tail with mermaid green icing.
While we’re on the subject of tails, I’ve just gotta say, if Beyonce were a mermaid, she’d look like this. Baby got back.
Immediately drop a few lighter dots into the dark green as accents.
Next, use orange 20-second icing to make hair. A pointed tool like a toothpick or boo-boo stick is very useful for drawing icing out to the very edge of where the colors meet.
Give the face and hair a little time to set, then pipe the torso. At this point, it’s best to wait until the cookie is completely dry before moving on.
When the cookie is dry, use a #3 tip to pipe the top fin, and a #67 leaf tip to add tail fins.
Next, use a small round tip to add a swirl of hair and to pipe a braid. A royal icing braid might sound complicated, but it’s nothing more small hearts piped so that they are touching.
Complete this step by attaching a royal icing flower with a dot of orange icing. For more on how I made this flower, click here.
To finish up, add a few final details:
- Pipe a pistil (the fancy name for that yellow thing) with a #1 tip
- Add eyes
- Use a #16-#18 tip to pipe a shell bikini top
If you really want to go all out, use a bit of petal dust to create rosy cheeks
Use leftover icing to create coordinating accent cookies such as crabs, shells, starfish, and mermaid tails.
And remember, whether you’re a beginner or experienced decorator, Wilton cookie cutters are a must have. For more inspirational ideas check out the following links: