I’m about to show you a fun and easy way for decorating amazing cutout cookies without the hassle and time involved with royal icing! First is my technique of making roll-able sugar paste frosting from any ordinary buttercream. You can use homemade buttercream or in a pinch you can also use pre-purchased prepared frostings. Sometimes I stock up on hard to make darker colors such as black or red as they become available at holiday time and use these with cookie decorating in mind.
Today I will be making a platter of “sushi cookies ” taking you step-by-step of how I first make the roll-able sugar paste and then how each individual cookie technique is done.
First to make the rolled buttercream –
step one is to color your homemade buttercream or take a big spoonful of your pre-colored prepared frosting, and begin mixing it with confectioners sugar.
Start with a few tablespoons and add more as it thickens. ( I create the paste by gauging texture and not so much by measurement – sometimes I need only a small amount thus I make a teaspoon worth while other times I might make a cup worth of a different color.
Continue kneading more sugar in until it becomes thick like play dough. It should not stick to your hands. Wrap in a ziplock until ready to use. If left air exposed it will become cracked and dry.
Let’s make some sushi cookies! First thing is to make whatever type of sugar cookie cut out recipe you prefer. For sushi cookies I used simple shapes of
circles and rectangles for my base. I then freeze my cut cookie dough for approximately 10 minutes prior to baking to help retain shape and prevent
spreading. I bake for approximately seven minutes at 375° – taking them out and they look barely just finished. Once cooled on the countertop still on the parchment paper, they will set up beautifully and remain slightly chewy and not overly crisp.
Starting with my round shapes to form a traditional sushi roll, I roll out my white sugar Dough on cornstarch and cut with the same shaped cookie cutter.
Brushing on a dollop of corn syrup, I adhere each circle and gently smooth with my finger to attach.
Then taking a straw , I squeeze the tip to make the opening oblong shape ( like rice ) and use this as an embossing tool for the surface of each cookie. I gently stipple each cookie until a rice like texture appears .
Next I roll out some black paste and use an herb chopping wheel to cut into even skinny strips. I put a tiny bit of water on the side edges of my cookies and gently press the strips around to create the black seaweed look of the roll.
Repeating for each circle cookie as well as cutting a cone shaped and attaching for my “hand roll “. Next I crumble a bit of tinfoil and emboss the triangles of hand roll to have texture.
Onto making some sushi fish! I take part of yellow and parts of white sugar dough & gently knead together to create a marble effect for yellow tuna.
Using a toothpick I draw lines for texture and shape into a rectangle – attaching to one of my cookies. I repeat with orange and add a bit more white
lines to mimic a piece of salmon sashimi.
Finally I use some pink/orange/white and hand sculpt a small piece of shrimp – fanning the tail by pinching between my thumb and first finger to hold shape. The sugar Dough will keep whatever shape you mold it into – how great?! Again I repeat drawing lines with my toothpick to enhance texture.
Next, working on my cucumber roll – I first attached my “rice and fish” to the center and then rolled some light green sugar paste smoothing into place for the cucumber base. Here I took a bit of moss green petal dust and with a thin paintbrush dry dusted on some darker tones again for enhanced texture and look.
Now for adding details to all… using small bits of all of my colors, I create the fish for the center of all of my roles – here I roll a small ” snake “of light brown and use my empty kitchen pen ( Center removed – perfect small circle for making impressions) I press dots all over to create the look of softshell crab legs to peek out of the center of one of my rolls.
Finally it is time to work on some garnish! A small squeezed chunk of light green can become wasabi paste. Light pink pinched out and rolled up into a rose will become the ginger flower.
A dark green rolled rectangle I then sliced grass style lines & continue by rolling it up to create a faux grass garnish for the plate.
Now comes the time for styling! I carefully arrange for my cookies on a gold platter, trying to balance my arrangement evenly. I add two barbecue skewers as chopsticks and my sushi cookie plate is now complete!
Thank you so much for following my step-by-step on how to make a fabulous sushi cookie display! You can use these techniques transferred to any specific theme to make amazing decorated sugar cookies! Enjoy !!!
Samantha
Hi Samantha, I love these, they are super cute! I always use SMBC, I'm just wondering what kind of buttercream you are using as a base. Also, how do they taste?
Hi ! I am using a shortening based buttercream for the white. & pre colored frosting for the deep tones as mentioned on the article ... They are delish as they keep a soft sugar cookie feel with a cake type taste ( a la frosting instead of royal ) plus no dry time :-) thanks & enjoy !