Decorated Cookies Take A Lot Of Time!

Baking By PinkLisa Updated 14 Dec 2009 , 9:47pm by cookiedecorator

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PinkLisa Posted 9 Dec 2009 , 12:31am
post #1 of 28

I am new to making decorated cookies but they take me A LOT OF TIME. For Halloween, I covered them with fondant and then used RI for details. It took a fair amount of time to color the fondant many different colors, roll it out then cut it to the shape. This all had to be done in conjuction with the baking cookies.

For Christmas, I decided to tried Toba's glace. I love doing the detail work but filling in the whole cookie with the glace takes a lot of time. I worked today on my daugher's birthday cookies (Hello Kitty) so they are not too detailed but each one takes a long time.

Am I doing something wrong? How long does it take you to decorate one cookie from start to finish. I know that's a hard questions since there is drying time in between but just working time.

I know I'll get faster as I get more experience but these cookies seem very tedious.

27 replies
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Elise87 Posted 9 Dec 2009 , 12:47am
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I know what you mean.......don't worry, I take forever icon_rolleyes.gif Not sure how long, but I envy people who do them alot faster. I think i need to just do simpler designs then i wouldn't take so long

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auntmamie Posted 9 Dec 2009 , 12:51am
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I limit myself to 3 colors per cookie, but they still take alot of time, especially since it's all fine detail work....and my coworkers wonder why I'm asking $30 a dozen....hmmmmm

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indydebi Posted 9 Dec 2009 , 12:53am
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Lisa, you WILL get faster as you go along, but I think you're learning what many cookie civilians don't understand either ..... these cookies *DO* take a lot of time and that's why you can't buy them for 50 cents. thumbs_up.gif

Rolling/cutting fondant .... you might try doing all of this before baking the cookies. I pre-cut my fondant pieces, lay them on the counter, then cover them with a big sheet of saran wrap to wait for the cookies to bake.

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TracyLH Posted 9 Dec 2009 , 1:03am
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I second Indydebi - you will get faster as you go. I am not one to 'wing it' and have all of my steps figured out before I even start the cookie, but I am doing several of the same design and I need to work it all out ahead of time as I make my own template and cutters. I find that by doing a prototype or two beforehand, I can increase my speed as I have already worked through the steps. Also, I use Antonia74's RI recipe which is here on CC. It dries faster than the glace so that I can get my details going sooner. If you try her recipe, mix it to creamy and thick, not fluffy. Also, her MP has vanilla in it whereas ours in the U.S. does not, so I add all-natural flavorings from Spices Etc. A discount code is listed with my pumpkin pie cookie if you are ever interested.

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Brendabeeper Posted 9 Dec 2009 , 1:30am
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I stoped in a awesome cookie shop this past week people were really bragging this place up! They are on line and have ads, LET ME TELL YOU... if you get a chance walk inside. The photos do not do these cookies justice. THEY ARE VERY AWESOME. The smell alone when you walk in beggs you to buy some. They are large , very cute and $7.00 each! no discount for a group of them either. The company name is
Cookies buy design. The girl I talked to was very nice says it takes about 3 minutes to decorate each one.... ( must be after alot of experience on each type) These cookies are large, colorful and just awesome overall.

3 min.each... Mine take alot longer. web site is cookiesbydesign.com

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Kitagrl Posted 9 Dec 2009 , 1:49am
post #7 of 28

Cookies are almost TOO much work!!!!! I like to do them only once in awhile...about 3 times a year gets it out of my system...seriously. I stand in awe of the cookie people around here!

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indydebi Posted 9 Dec 2009 , 1:53am
post #8 of 28

kita, try the fondant method. Seriously I had 3 mother's day bouquets (6 cookies each = 18 cookies) mixed, cut out, baked, covered in fondant, arranged in the container and on the shelf ready for pick up in under an hour, using fondant. thumbs_up.gif

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Brendabeeper Posted 9 Dec 2009 , 1:55am
post #9 of 28

Tracylh.....oh my gosh your cookies are so very well done....I just looked at your photos...very professional job!

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endymion Posted 9 Dec 2009 , 1:55am
post #10 of 28

Cookies by design already has the icings in all different colors, ready to go. I'm sure the "3 minutes per cookie" didn't include the time to make the icing, clean up, etc. which are some of the major time sinks....

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Kitagrl Posted 9 Dec 2009 , 1:56am
post #11 of 28
Quote:
Originally Posted by indydebi

kita, try the fondant method. Seriously I had 3 mother's day bouquets (6 cookies each = 18 cookies) mixed, cut out, baked, covered in fondant, arranged in the container and on the shelf ready for pick up in under an hour, using fondant. thumbs_up.gif




Hm. Cool! thumbs_up.gif

That's fondant on slightly warm cookies, right? Never tried it that way yet....

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indydebi Posted 9 Dec 2009 , 1:59am
post #12 of 28

Yes, Have the fondant pre-cut and ready to go as soon as the cookies come out of the oven. The heat melts the fondant slightly, just enough to adhere it really well. I lay the fondant and then gently rub my hand over it to give it a little 'push' to adhere (like using a fondant smoother on a cake).

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verono Posted 9 Dec 2009 , 2:44am
post #13 of 28

I like to say that cookies are a labor of love lol !

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staceycake Posted 9 Dec 2009 , 3:09am
post #14 of 28

I timed it last week and it took me 8 hours (spread out over 2 days), to mix the dough, bake the cookies, mix the frosting, flood the cookies, let them dry, pipe the detail work, let that dry, and then package them each individually. How many cookies did I make? 24!!! Yes, very time consuming. Hopefully I'll get faster as I get more practice in.

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indydebi Posted 9 Dec 2009 , 3:18am
post #15 of 28

stacey, I so know what you mean! I made 100 cookies shaped like dog biscuits for a wedding reception and it took me just under 3 hours (easy shape, one color), and that included bagging them.

So I get this order for 50 Hello Kitty cookies. Bulk packed. No bagging. This should be easy! I should knock these out in an hour, give or take! (she said naively!!) Holy crap, it took me over 5 hours JUST to decorate those suckers! icon_surprised.gif

Sometimes you just never know...... icon_wink.gif

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staceycake Posted 9 Dec 2009 , 3:22am
post #16 of 28

So true, Debi, so true. The saving grace is that in the end if you have a happy client (or in my case, a happy friend), it seems to make all of the hard work worthwhile!

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Elise87 Posted 9 Dec 2009 , 3:24am
post #17 of 28

and then sometimes after all that work NO ONE WILL EAT THEM COSE THEY LOOK TOO PRETTY!!! AAAHHHHHHHH!!!!

Drives me crazy when that happens!!! lol

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MomLittr Posted 9 Dec 2009 , 3:35am
post #18 of 28

I have an 8 doz cookie order to bring to the office on Friday. What I did was last nite made the dough (no fail sugar cookie), rolled out and cut all the cookies (finished the last doz tonite) and froze them. Tonite's job was to make the marshmallow fondant. Tomorrow nite will be straight baking and fondant covering the cookies, with Thurs. nite just doing details. This is the only way I could sanely do this many after being at work all day. BTW, I charge $20 per dozen, they are 3-4" cookies. Know that is not really alot, but this co-worker orders from me every year for the past 3 years, and I appreciate her orders during the year too.

deb

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verono Posted 9 Dec 2009 , 3:44am
post #19 of 28

It took me 40 hours to prepare 100 wedding cake cookies (6 cookies each).
But I don't have a commercial oven.. just a regular home oven.. so it took me like 12 hours to cook !
But the 12 hours is included in the 40 hours (which also include preparing dough, frosting, decorate, packing)

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GeminiRJ Posted 9 Dec 2009 , 3:59am
post #20 of 28

I decorate cookies because I LOVE doing them! I consider it my "therapy" time. The designs will dictate the amount of time it takes me to finish each cookie, but I seem to average about 5 cookies per hour. Sadly, I haven't gotten any quicker!

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mrsc808 Posted 9 Dec 2009 , 4:16am
post #21 of 28

Oh Lord I am starting to get worried about my 450 cookies. I decided to practice doing my cookies so I made some to go into my Christmas baskets and after the first dozen I tried to think of ways to stream line and my brain was fried! I think I will Indy's trick of cutting the fondant out first.

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linedancer Posted 9 Dec 2009 , 5:09pm
post #22 of 28

I'm with you GeminiRJ, I do cookies because I LOVE to do them. I don't sell them, it is just a hobby. My youngest granddaughter, who is 17 and a senior in high school this year, loves to do them too, so I get some help from her occasionally. We had a great time this weekend decorating some cookies to send to my family in OH.
LL

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traceyjade Posted 9 Dec 2009 , 5:20pm
post #23 of 28

Preperation is th key. I bake all my cookies and make my royal icing, color and bag all the icing and then ready to go. I have to do 72 gingerbread cookies for Sat. I will probably do a few detailed and then some easier. It doesn't take too long but I just go fairly fast. Good luck thumbs_up.gif

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rosiecast Posted 9 Dec 2009 , 9:42pm
post #24 of 28
Quote:
Originally Posted by linedancer

I'm with you GeminiRJ, I do cookies because I LOVE to do them. I don't sell them, it is just a hobby. My youngest granddaughter, who is 17 and a senior in high school this year, loves to do them too, so I get some help from her occasionally. We had a great time this weekend decorating some cookies to send to my family in OH.




Wow! thsoe are great!! is that a copy or did you actually use Ri to decoarte them to look like the tins?

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linedancer Posted 10 Dec 2009 , 1:09am
post #25 of 28

Thanks for the kind words. They are edible images on fondant. I scanned the lids, took them into Robomaster. That is the software for the Silhouette scrapbooking machine which is similar to the Cricut. I cut the eis with the Silhouette. First time cutting icing sheets and it worked great. Perfect circles.

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all4cake Posted 10 Dec 2009 , 1:43am
post #26 of 28

linedancer, those are beautiful!


I love the snowman cookies shared by pebbles--, JenWhitlock and others....I cut some circles with which to play...those things are like knitting...the end result, if ever completed, is great...but my goodness are they tedious...I've got 6 naked snowman cookies on the table (I ran into a, "I don't feel like doin' this shikaka" state before I could complete them...much like all the knitting projects I've got tucked in various areas of the house...)

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linedancer Posted 10 Dec 2009 , 1:47am
post #27 of 28

Thanks all4cake, I know where you are coming from, I have a number of those kinds of projects tucked away
icon_wink.gif

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cookiedecorator Posted 14 Dec 2009 , 9:47pm
post #28 of 28

At Cookies by Design the decorators generally do not do the baking. They are however, resposible for making icing and filling bags. But, yes, they generally can do a cookie in three minutes. Some of the more involved cookies take more time but the ones that are done on a daily basis can be done in a relatively short period of time.

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