Up Your Holiday Cookie Game

Use a toothpick and icing to create stunning designs.

Dye the Icing

Whip up a batch of icing. Keeping half white, divide the other half into smaller bowls and tint portions with contrasting colors. Keep it festive — think reds, greens, golds or blues for the holidays.

Create a Canvas

Apply a base coat of Royal Icing (this can be white or a color) to a cookie. Make sure it’s even since this will be your canvas.

Start the Design

Before the icing base begins to dry, use a contrasting color to pipe lines, small hash marks or dots overtop. Be creative — these are the patterns your toothpick will enhance.

It’s Toothpick Time

While the icing is still wet, drag a toothpick through the icing to make your own designs. Swirl, swoop and wow with different dragging techniques:

1. Drag a toothpick perpendicular to icing lines, alternating directions, for a feathered or swirled look.
2. Drag a toothpick through icing hash marks around the perimeter of a circle cookie to create a wreath.
3. Drag a toothpick through icing dots in random directions for a marbled masterpiece.

Let Icing Dry

Give the icing time to set — no nibbles yet! Once dry, admire your handiwork before these cookies become the star of your holiday platter — or the envy of the cookie exchange.