The Sweet Escape Issue 01 by UNSW Baking Society

the sweet escape

A UNSW BAKING SOCIETY PUBLICATION

ISSUE 01 - MARCH 2013

(C) 2013 UNSW BAKING SOCIETY All Rights Reserved. The text, images and graphics used within this publication have been reproduced with permission where applicable from their original owners/writers. No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced or used in any manner without the prior approval of the publisher. The UNSW Baking Society is proudly sponsored by ARC

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WELCOME A place for bakers, tasters, writers and photographers to come together and share our love for the sweeter side of life...

WITH THANKS TO... editor-in-chief Katherine Eugenio

unsw bakesoc president Ahmad Shah Idil

graphics & design Hugo Chan

special contributors Hugo Chan Katherine Eugenio Natalie Fung Ahmad Shah Idil Kayla Medica Andrew Shim

recipes and tips Katherine Eugenio Natalie Fung

Welcome back everyone! It’s 2013! The end of the world has come and gone, and yet here we are, still eating cake, our priorities clearly in order. We started out with just three people in an apartment in Kensington, and now look at us! Over 500 members and one of the most popular societies on campus, really a great feat in a single year. 2012 was a good founding year for our society. We’ve had a lot of successes, and we’ve had some failures along the way as well, but we’ve kept going. From patisserie trips to baking classes, we’ve been branching out to all sorts of venues trying to find our footing for UNSW students. Now that we’ve gotten into a good rhythm, you can be sure that there’ll be many exciting events for you enjoy in the future. Here’s to a successful 2013!

The President, Ahmad Shah Idil

a note from the editor

the baker in command To old faces and our new members, welcome to UNSW Baking Society 2013! Here’s to another year of baking classes, baking secrets and whole heap of unnecessary sugar rushes. This year we’re coming back with even more opportunities to get you all excited to eat cake and not worry about the kilojoules. We’re bringing back some of your favourites including cupcakes, doughnuts and especially macarons! And if you happen to miss out on some of these events, don’t worry! There will be plenty more events popping up throughout the year for you to be involved in. We’ve decided to kick off this year of the Baking Society with our new online publication, which means YOU can get involved in BakeSoc online as well!

Have a recipe you want to share? Send them in! Got any baking questions? Send them in! Been to any interesting patisseries or had a crazy dessert experience? We want those too! Here’s your chance to show us (and fellow members) pictures of your baking successes, and a chance for you to read what’s been going on in Baking Society during the month. So start sending your stuff to publications@unswbakesoc.org with the subject ‘The Sweet Escape’ and you might be in our next issue! In this issue, we’re recapping what went down in our kitchens during 2012 to give you a taste of what to expect this year. Don’t forget to LIKE us on Facebook and join our UNSW Baking Society group!

Katherine Eugenio, Sweet Escape Editor

contents

THE NEW LEADERSHIP

The 2013 Executive Introduced

p. 09

2012 YEAR IN REVIEW

Macaron Madness by Andrew Shim p. 13 Cupcakes for Cancer p. 15 Classes - Cakes | Bagels | Doughnuts p. 17

CAKE CRITIQUES

Laduree by Katherine Eugenio A Bakerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Story by Kayla Medica Why Engineers Bake by Ahmad Idil Tea in the Orient by Hugo Chan

p. 21 p. 23 p. 25 p. 27

PROCRASTIBAKE

Chocolate Cupcakes p. 31 Potato Doughnuts p. 33

BAKING 101

Royal Icing By Natalie Fung

p. 37

Introducing the new UNSW Baking Society Executive:

the 2013 connoisseurs of cake To cope with the growing demands of our society, six new executive positions were created for 2013, boosting the executive to nine people. With the new specialised positions of event management, liaison, promotions and publications, we will be able to provide our members with an even better BakeSoc experience.

PRESIDENT

AHMAD SHAH IDIL

TREASURER

SECRETARY & ARC DELEGATE

JEMBA BALACHANDRAN

HUGO CHAN

EVENTS & FUNCTIONS MANAGER

MEMBERSHIP & LIASION OFFICER

PROMOTIONS & PUBLICATIONS MANAGER

JACQUELINE YIP

KATHERINE EUGENIO

GENERAL EXECUTIVE

VERONICA MAZOUROVA

ANDREW SHIM

SAM KHUN

KAYLA MEDICA

In 2012 we held a total of four baking classes, one of which we worked alongside the Jewish Society. Find out more on page 18.

O-Week is where our numbers grow and where we meet new fellow bakers and dessert lovers. Come over and say hi, have a cupcake and greet our new BakeSoc executive. Or, if you want to volunteer your time to helping us find new members for the New Year, send us an email at events@unswbakesoc.org.

Each year, our members get to enjoy a little time off from their own baking and savour the desserts and treats from well-known patisseries around Sydney. Stay in touch with us on Facebook to find out when and where The Baking Society will be heading next.

The Baking Society joined together with AUJS UNSW in our kitchen in Bondi to learn to make traditional honey cakes. These honey cakes were then sold the next day, where the proceeds went towards OzHarvest.

It wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be a Baking Society without a few hundred cupcakes and a fundraiser for a good cause. All it took were a few late nights, hardwork and co-operation and a few bakers who wanted to make a small difference. Find out more about the event on page 16.

MACARON MADNESS It was the lucky last baking class of 2012, and the one everyone had been waiting for: French Macaron. Eight BakeSoc members, including four of the executive attended a professional class hosted by CofiArt and attempted to learn the art of baking these elusively difficult almond cookies. by: andrew shim

Macarons. That dreaded ‘M’ word. Oh, how we love and hate thee.

As the crown jewels of a pâtissier’s repertoire, these dainty confectionaries have rendered many amateur bakers to tears with their cracked shells and malformed feet. At the first sight of moisture, they can be as capricious as an ex-wife and are also beyond pricey, each morsel costing more than $3 per bite. Macarons, essentially, are overglorified almond biscuits. However, since the rise in fame of Zumbo’s macaron tower, these finicky biscuits have captured our imaginations. People wanted to know how to master the macaron, despite the countless failures and frustrations in the kitchen. They needed to know. Cracked shells and split ganaches be damned. Hence, we at BakeSoc decided to oblige the foodie trends and attend Cofiart’s Macaron Class. Mt Macaron, we decided, shall be conquered. On the positive, the class was practically a steal at $20 per head, thanks to Arc’s support. For three hours of hands-on tuition with our teacher, a shrewd man called Calvin, we learnt certain pressure points in the macaron recipe. For example, the differences between French Meringue and Italian Meringue: the French Meringue, which Cofiart used, involves adding sugar straight to egg whites, while the Italian Meringue is more complicated and involves creating a hot sugar-syrup, which is then added to egg whites.

Mister Calvin also reiterated the importance of sieving the almond meal. Without sieving, the macaron mixture may possess lumps, which in turn ruins the shell. Moreover, moisture was the Dementor’s Kiss: for optimal results, the almond meal had to be as dry as humanly possible. These handy tips were what made the class worthwhile. Calvin’s correct pronunciation of the word ‘maca-RON’ (not ‘maca-ROON’) also reassured us. However, the class was not as hands-on as I would’ve liked. Most the time, Calvin was simply showing what we were supposed to do, instead of actually allowing us to develop the skills ourselves. Additionally, the lack of experimentation with flavours (the recipe only gave us vanilla and chocolate) was disappointing, considering that one of the macaron’s virtues is its versatility. All-in-all, the class was a success. For $20, it was a fantastic deal and served a long way to consolidate our pâtissier prowess. However, mastery of the pastry still eludes our grasp, and perhaps with another baking class, we shall be able to wipe the tears of frustration from our faces and conquer Mt. Macaron.

CUPCAKES FOR CANCER 200 eggs 30 kg sugar 27 kg butter over 1200 cupcakes

Cancer is a leading cause of death in Australia â&#x20AC;&#x201C; more than 42,800 people are estimated to have died from cancer in 2010. Cancer accounted for about 3 in 10 deaths in Australia. Many of us have lost loved ones to this ravaging range of diseases, and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve all been affected by cancer in some way. For a week in August, the UNSW Baking Society decided to do its part in the fight against cancer. We took our favourite cupcake recipes, gathered our keen members as volunteer bakers and sellers and set out in front of the library lawn to help raise money for cancer research. It took five nights of intense production-line style baking, but altogether we raised over $4500, a great feat for our fledgling society. With two flavours a day, our final menu came down to: Lemon, Vanilla, Double Chocolate, Peanut Butter and White Chocolate, Chocolate-Mint, Red Velvet, Rasberries and Cream and Salted Caramel. We hope to see some of our new members help out with the effort in 2013!

THE ART OF BAKING We began our baking classes in Semester 2, one night every two weeks in a commercial kitchen at Bondi. It was a place where our baking members came together to learn the art of baking, icing, piping, kneading, shaping and of course, gathering around to share and enjoy our creations. Last year our classes included cupcakes, bagels, doughnuts and honey cakes.

Following the success of these classes, we hope to continue teaching our members different types of baked goods, and new techniques and methods for everyone to add to their collection of skills. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t worry, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve heard you! A macaron class will eventually come. But for now, enjoy these pictures of a few of our lovely members baking away!

cupcakes bagels doughnuts

Teaching our members how to make iced cupcakes: Vanilla buttercream and chocolate with peanut butter icing.

We held a class teaching our members how to make New York style boiled bagels.

We held a class teaching our members how to make yeast-leavened potato based doughnuts. We covered them in cinamon sugar, icing sugar and all sorts of glazes.

The ultimate sweet escape can come from simply eating out at cake shops to experimenting with new ways to create mouth-watering desserts. This month, Katherine reviews Sydney’s very own Laduree and Hugo talks about his High Tea trip in Asia. We’ve even got some of our other executive members to share their funny stories and experiences, including Kayla’s oven flaming disaster and our very own BakeSoc president sharing his thoughts on Baking and Engineering Life. We hope you’ll share yours too by sending us an email at publications@unswbakesoc.org. Enjoy!

CAKE CRIQITUES

By: Katherine Eugenio One of the most famous and well-known French patisseries finally lands itself in Sydney. In its early days of opening, our editor Katherine took a trip into the CBD and visited the long awaited LadurĂŠe. See the full review and more pictures on her blog KatCakes.TUMBLR.COM.

Get ready for many pictures of macarons and labels of fancy French words.

It’s here! It’s finally here! The famous French patisserie Ladurée has finally opened up in Downunder. Gone are the days of anticipation and waiting for what macarons would finally reach the hands of ‘macaronaholics’ and foodies. The cameras come out and the blogging begins. In my ‘something’ years of being a serious foodie, one of my ultimate ‘foodie dreams’ was to go to France and visit the one and only Ladurée. When I heard of its opening in Sydney, excitement rushed over me and I knew I had to visit it. Rose, pistachio and violet flavoured macarons would be calling out to me. Ladurée is quite small for a cafe and only sits a few people, so it’s suitable for groups of no more than four. Lining up for a seat might also take a long time, so that might explain why people decide to take the take-away line and take their macarons away in little boxes. I assume that as business grows and time goes by, the cafe will expand in the food items they have available and more and more people would want to dine in with a cup of tea. At the moment there aren’t any cakes available, but who knows how much longer we might need to wait. Surrounding the dining area are marbled tiles and sealed glass cabinets of decorations and other gifts, from perfume bottles, to hat boxes and Ladurée bags. Moving closer to the macaron window, I come across three small macaron towers encased in a glass cabinet. There are so many macaron towers all over the cafe, inside the cabinet and

displayed outside, all with different colours. Candies and other sweets were on display, as well as a range of different gift box designs. Macarons are at $3.20 each, which actually surprised me considering these macarons would’ve come from overseas and therefore, might have been a little more pricey. I was relieved at the price and decided four would be enough for now. I decided on Almond Marshmallow, Blackcurrant and Violet, Pistachio and Violet Marshmallow. I was indecisive with my choices because there were so many I wanted to try, but I knew that I would go for ones that I knew I might not be able to try anywhere else. I really wanted the Cherry Blossom flavour, but that wasn’t currently in stock. All the macarons were super smooth, with a light crisp and soft shell. In other words, delicious and absolutely worth the 30 minute wait. I think the next time I’ll visit Ladurée will be when the cakes come in and I can have a chance to sit and dine in. Until then, I’ll be admiring my Ladurée bag and dreaming of the next time I’ll be there.

Ladurée, Sydney Level 3 Westfield Sydney Corner Pitt and Market Streets

A BAKER’S LIFE By: Kayla Medica baking can be enjoyable, creations can even be amazing, but when things go wrong, they can go really, really wrong...

There’s always one major mistake that a baker makes that they will remember for the rest of their baking life. For me it was the time I set my oven on fire, at a time when I was home alone. Last semester I was roped into taking part in the Foundation Day scav hunt. Each team was required to have a fruit or vegetable as their mascot and one of the items on the list was to make a cake in the flavour of your mascot. Luckily enough ours was a pineapple and of course the first thing to come to mind was an upside down cake. Simple enough, right? Right. Except I made the mistake of using a spring based pan. Despite following the instructions of pouring the sugar syrup into the pan, my mistake caused the sugar syrup to leak out of the pan and drip into the element which is inconveniently placed on the floor of my oven. Even worse than that was that I put the cake into the oven and walked away so I never noticed the smoke billowing out the back of my oven. And I didn’t notice the yellow flames that were lighting up my kitchen brighter than the actual light on. This is where my smoke alarm saved the day and I finally saw my poor, poor oven.

Actually my oven is horrible and I hate it. Anyway, I turned the oven off, opened the door, opened all the windows and doors in the house and used a tea towel to get rid of all the smoke. I figured out that it was the sugar syrup pretty quickly, tested my cake which miraculously wasn’t burnt, wrapped the pan in foil to catch any syrup and put it back in to finish baking. And yes, the syrup that was on the bottom of the oven did flare up twice more, but I was pretty determined to bake that cake. The second time I put my priorities in order and took a photo and to this day it remains my most liked photo on Facebook. In the end the cake baked. It wasn’t too bad but it was pretty dry. Completely unburnt though! And now this is the part where I put a giant asterisk next to every word I’ve written and add do not try at home.

COOKING MECHANICS: WHY ENGINEERS BAKE By: Ahmad Shah Idil

mathematician, ENGINEER AND...BAKER? AHMAD SHAH IDIL EXAMINES THE REASONS BEHIND WHY THE SUPPOSEDLY ‘UNCOOL’ NERDS OF ENGINEERING HARBOUR A SECRET DESIRE TO BE CULINARY GENIUSES...

The best cooks and bakers know their ingredients intimately and how they interact with each other. This precision and exactness really appeals to the analytical nature of the engineering mind.

Whenever I tell people in BakeSoc that I’m doing engineering, their first reaction tends to be: “WHAT?! YOU’RE DOING ENGINEERING!? BUT YOU’RE THE PRESIDENT OF THE BAKING SOCIETY!! YOU CAN’T BE DOING ENGINEERING!! YOU’RE TOO COOL!”

In fact, more than anyone else, engineers tend to be more experimental with baking, changing old classics and taking them to extremes in some sort of gastronomic finite element analysis (HOW MUCH BUTTER CAN I PUT INTO THIS BEFORE IT BECOMES BUTTER?!)

Ok, I may have added that last one, but I do really get the strong vibe from people that engineers just aren’t supposed to be baking. Well do I have news for you: Tons of engineers bake. Sure, many are in the closet about it (don’t worry, you are still a big strong manly man even if you love making cupcakes on the weekends) and we, as conscientious people will not out them, but baker-engineers are out there! Lots of them!! Just pop over to the baking forums on “Cooking for Engineers” or any other internet baking forums and you’ll find them abound.

Ingredients can work together in funny unexpected ways and one of the joys of baking is finding out what combinations work. Watermelon and cheese? Delicious. Soy sauce and pineapple? Even better. It sounds super weird, but it’s amazing. Try it!

A third of the BakeSoc executive are engineers actually. That’s a pretty good representation from all the nine faculties at UNSW. So this begs the question: What is it about baking that seems to appeal to engineers? I think it comes from the fact that, besides being a fun hobby that gives you something delicious to munch on and makes you really popular with your friends, baking is actually a pretty technical skill. People really underestimate the amount of technical knowledge that can go into a dessert. The best cooks and bakers know their ingredients intimately and how they interact with each other. This precision and exactness really appeals to the analytical nature of the engineering mind. Maybe that’s the secret to good cooking: approaching the current lack of delicious food in my mouth as an immediate problem that has to be solved. See, with us engineers, it’s in our nature to try and understand things. We’re not going to take any old recipe that’s a hundred years old at face value and just follow it. We’re going to find out why you do x, y and z, and if there’s a better, quicker way to do it, then we will. We’re a lazy bunch.

Developing an intuitive sense of what flavours complement each other is just the first part; just as every good engineer has a set of skills at their disposal, every good baker has their well-developed repertoire of techniques. “But don’t you just follow the recipe? What’s so hard?” NO. Why is it that we can make so many different types of pastries and desserts from just the few basic ingredients of flour, butter, eggs & sugar? Because there are so many baking techniques available. There are so many ways we can beat, knead, whip, mix, fold, combine, boil, fry, burn and “insert-verb” everything together that having a few core ingredients in your pantry is all you need to make pretty much everything. Sure, this article is full of sweeping generalisations and possible untruths, but you have to admit, engineers are pretty awesome. Baking is pretty awesome too. So naturally, we go together very well. You may disagree now, but when that delicious cake we make comes floating into your mouth, I’m sure you will agree too. --Some excerpts originally published in YouThink Magazine, reproduced with permission.

Shah Idil, A. (2012), “On Baking, Dessert & Life”, YouThink Magazine, accessed 10 October 2012, <http://www.youthink.com.au/index.php/lifestyle/item/37on-desserts-baking-and-life>

A Touch of Extravagance - Tea in the Orient By: Hugo Chan high tea isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t something exclusive to sydney, or even to the english. hugo chan examines how the tea trade has thrived and been indulged while away in THE FORMER BRITISH COLONY OF hong kong over the summer break.

Caught between lunch and dinner, I was hit with that awkward desire for food, again. That inescapable yearning within me longed for a mix of something savoury and sweet. What could be more relaxing and logical than to indulge in the English tradition of High Tea? But a good afternoon tea isn’t just about how sparkling the silverware is, or how intricate the cakes are, or whether you should take your tea black or white. It’s also about where you’re having it. In short, a good afternoon is also about location, location, location… Taking afternoon tea in Hong Kong could not be more enriched then, by being next to its iconic and picturesque waterfront, Victoria Harbour. Nowhere but The Lobby Lounge at the Intercontinental Hong Kong can boast a glamorous and delightful afternoon tea set for two, served behind a backdrop of the steel and glass which forms the city’s striking skyline. Glistening under the afternoon sun, first comes the tea, the leaves blended by none other than the French gourmet tea company Mariage Freres and then, a modern twist on the three tier tea tray, layered of course, in uniquely different treats. Perhaps to my slight disappointment, they might have forgone the traditional macarons but then again, not every High Tea can be made perfectly by the book.

Actually though, let me take that back. They’ve certainly tried to make up for this loss. After all, biting into one of the sandwiches, I immediately knew it wasn’t only plain old tuna. A moment later and what undeniable taste did I sense? Nothing less than Italian black truffle. Just that little spot of elegance to tip any foodie over the edge. Two hours and eight pastries on, it was almost a disappointment to know my afternoon was coming to an end, but just before, I noticed that little sparkle topping the coffee caramel pastry. Well, it turns out that sometimes, all that glistens really is gold leaf… So there you have it, exotic tea, exotic food, and an exotic location. And really, is there anything more you could ask for in a sweet escape?

The Lobby Lounge The Intercontinental Hotel Hong Kong

We’ve got your baking needs covered this month with our favourite recipes from our baking classes. Our classic BakeSoc recipes have proven to be popular and have become our ultimate ‘to-go-to’ recipes for meetings and fundraisers. If you can’t get enough of these classics and need something to procrastinate with on the weekends, ‘procrastibake’ with these recipes!

PROCRASTIBAKE

chocolate cupcakes with peanutbutter icing

One of the BakeSoc favourites, and always a hit at our bake sales. A moist chocolate cupcake with creamy peanut butter icing: what could be better!

(makes 12 standard cupcakes) 1 cup milk 1 1/2 cups sugar 125g butter, melted 1/4 cup cocoa powder 1 tsp baking soda 1 1/4 cup self raising flour 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

(makes 2.5 cups icing) 1/2 cup butter 1 cup peanut butter (creamy) 4 cups icing sugar 1/3 cup milk or cream

Sift together flour and baking soda. Beat together all ingredients other than flour mixture with an electric mixer until mixed well. Fold in flour mixture in two portions. Spoon into cupcake cases (halfway and bake in an oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack before icing.

In a large bowl, beat butter and peanut butter until light and fluffy. Slowly beat in half the icing sugar. Mix in 1/4 cup of the milk or cream. Beat in the remaining icing sugar. If necessary, add a little more cream or milk until the frosting reaches a good spreading consistency.

potato doughnuts

with vanilla glaze and chocolate glaze This recipe is a twist on the classic yeast-risen doughnut: it uses potatoes! The additional starch gives the dough a fluffier texture you’ll be sure to love.

5 tsp yeast 1 cup warm milk ½ cup mash potato 2 cups plain flour ½ tsp salt ¼ cup white sugar 2 tbsp vegetable oil

Chocolate Glaze

Place the warm milk in a large bowl and sprinkle the yeast on top. Let it sit for approx. 5 minutes until the yeast mixture begins to foam.

Add all ingredients into a medium saucepan over gentle heat and whisk until smooth a glaze forms. Remove the glaze from the heat and dip doughnuts into the glaze. Reheat if hardening occurs.

Add the potato, flour, salt, sug-ar and vegetable oil and mix together until a dough begins to form. When it comes together into a ball, sprinkle flour onto the bench and knead the dough on the bench until smooth and elastic. Place back into bowl and allow to rise (in a warm place or a proofing box) for 30 minutes to an hour until doubled in volume. Punch down dough to remove excess air. Shape as desired (balls, rings, crullers, etc). Fry in vegetable oil at medium heat (180-190°C if oil thermom-eter available) flipping halfway through, about a minute on each side. Allow to cool before filling and glazing.

1 ½ cups icing sugar 4 tbps cocoa powder 3 tbps milk 2 tsp vanilla extract

Vanilla Glaze 1/4 cup milk 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups icing sugar Heat milk and vanilla in a medium saucepan and over low heat until warm. Add icing sugar, and whisk slowly until smooth and well combined. Remove the glaze from the heat and dip doughnuts into the glaze. Reheat if hardening occurs.

BAKING 101 the anti-disaster guide for all

Need help with new baking techniques? Each month, we’re bringing you step by step tutorials on different methods of decoration and secrets to making your baking experiences successful. Royal icing might take a lot of time and patience to use for decorating cookies, but Natalie Fung of What’s in the Box shows us a simple way to use this decorating method. This month, Natalie shows us a quick way to recreate these scrumptious cookies, which were inspired by Disney’s latest animated film. visit natalie’s facebook page for more of her delicious creations at: facebook.com/pages/ Whats-in-the-box/227135894081352

Wreck it Ralph!

Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing

By: Natalie Fung Hello fellow keen bakers! Has anyone seen Wreck It Ralph lately? If you have, then these cookies might look familiar to you. These cookies are inspired by the movie, so I’m going to demonstrate how to imitate the cookie medal that Vanellope gave to Ralph by using royal icing. To make these cookies, you will need: • Heart shaped sugar cookies • Hundreds and thousands • Wilton gel icing colour in Teal (or you could just use blue food colouring) • Writing piping tips (I am using Wilton no.1 and no. 2) • Piping bags (I prefer disposable ones since I am lazy!) • Tooth picks • A bag of Queen’s royal icing mix (You can find them from supermarkets) • Preferably Wilton’s whitening gel (to show the genuine colour pigments)

Step one: prepare the royal icing! Pre-made royal icing mix is so much easier than beating egg whites with powdered sugar. All you need to add is water! To get the right consistency, you only need small amount of water. Start with a teaspoon of water and two tablespoons of powder. Add in more water to thin the consistency or more powder to thicken it up. What should the consistency look like? I consider the consistency on the left as too thin as the royal icing won’t hold its shape. Add a teaspoon of powder at a time until you get the consistency a bit thicker than the picture on the bottom left. We are after an in-between flooding and outline consistency, two in one for convenience! The right consistency is achieved if you draw a pattern and it doesn’t disappear within 10 to 15 seconds.

Step two: Colouring and filling! After you’ve achieved the right consistency, add couple dashes of whitening gel and mix until it’s no longer transparent. Now get your piping bags ready! Trim off the tip of the bag and push a no.2 tip in till its tight and secure. Twisting the bag can prevent the icing from dripping out while you are still filling it in the bag.

Step three: Decorating! What you want to do is squeeze a line of icing out from the tip and let it drop on where you want to outline the shape. Unlike piping buttercream or whipped cream, you don’t pipe it directly on the cookie! The outline doesn’t have to be perfect as we can easily fix it up later when the middle is filled in. Once the outline is drawn, start roughly filling it in. As soon as you’ve filled it in, take your toothpick and spread the icing out. By scribbling circles around the edges you can fix up any outlining errors you made. Once the cookies are completely filled, tap the cookies (without breaking) to remove any air bubbles that might prevent a smooth surface. Leave to dry.

Step four: Repeat with blue and finish them off! Use the same technique to fill the cookies in with the blue royal icing. Use a toothpick to add a very small amount of gel icing in as the colour is extremely vibrant and if you’re not careful, it can stain! While the icing is still wet, sprinkle on the hundreds and thousands around the edges! Wait for it to dry and just pipe whatever message you feel like putting on it! Thicken the icing even more and use a no.1 tip to write! There you have it! Good luck!

feel like contributing to the next edition of the sweet escape? drop us an email

publications@unswbakesoc.org