Glaze Icing for Sugar Cookies with Liquid Glucose

Happy Pongal To All My Readers

 

I hope you are enjoying Pongal. Even on this festive day I found myself baking and experimenting with glazed icing for sugar cookies. I’ve already tried buttercream and a simple icing-sugar glaze, and this time I tested a glaze made with liquid glucose. Corn syrup is the usual ingredient in many recipes, but where corn syrup isn’t available, liquid glucose is a reliable substitute. The glaze gave my cookies a lovely shine, although my wrist reminded me of the effort for a couple of days.

 

 

I used a heart cookie cutter and leaned toward Valentine-style decorations, so you’ll see many heart and love-themed cookies. To add a bit of polish, I sprinkled silver sugar pearls onto a few cookies before the icing set; they looked cute and were an instant favorite with my daughter. Simple polka dots are surprisingly effective and quick to do—stick to a design you enjoy and can finish neatly. I limited myself to two colors this time, but if you have patience you can make a colorful array to delight friends and family.

 

Allow cookies to cool completely before applying any icing. Even slight warmth will melt the glaze. Start by preparing a thicker icing for outlining; use a very fine nozzle for neat borders and let those outlines dry before flooding. Flooding is the technique of filling the outlined area with thinner icing. I aimed for a “20-second” flooding consistency: when you drag a spoon through the icing it should leave a line that disappears in about 20 seconds. If the line disappears too quickly the icing is too thin and needs more icing sugar; if it takes much longer you can thin it with a drop or two of milk. I read many blogs and did research before trying this—those tips really helped.

 

 

For flooding you don’t need a piping tip — fill a piping bag, snip a small hole, and use the bag to fill each cookie. Keep a toothpick or small skewer handy to nudge icing into corners or to remove air bubbles. The outline keeps the flooded icing from running over the edges, but be careful not to overfill. After flooding, let the cookies dry fully before adding decorative details. I placed mine in the oven with the door slightly open and left them overnight; the next day they were ready for final decoration. Once decorated, let them dry again for at least four hours before storing in an airtight container—this keeps them crisp for a week or longer.

 

 

 

 

This sugar cookie dough was easy to work with and, unlike many roll-out recipes, it didn’t require refrigeration. Knead, roll, cut and bake right away. Because the dough can be slightly sticky, dust your work surface with flour. These cookies hold their shape and don’t spread much, so they’re great for cutting detailed shapes. The original recipe included an egg; I replaced it with 1/4 cup milk to make the batch eggless.

 

Butter – 1 cup

Granulated sugar – 1 cup

Milk – 1/4 cup

Baking powder – 2 tsp

Vanilla essence – 1 tsp

All-purpose flour (maida) – 3 to 3 1/4 cups

 

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (about 400°F).

2. Cream together the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.

3. Add vanilla and milk, and beat until light and airy.

4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder.

5. Add one cup of flour to the creamed mixture and beat to combine.

6. Add the second cup of flour and beat again until incorporated.

7. Add the remaining flour and finish mixing by hand until a soft dough forms.

8. If the dough feels sticky, add a little more flour until it’s manageable.

9. Dust the counter with flour and divide the dough into four equal portions.

10. Roll each portion to about 1/8″ thickness.

11. Dip your cutter in flour and cut out shapes.

12. Place cookies on a greased or lined baking tray.

13. Bake for 8–10 minutes. The edges should brown slightly; underbaking will leave cookies too soft.

14. Remove the tray from the oven and let it rest on the counter for about 10 minutes. Cookies are fragile when hot, so wait before transferring.

15. When firmed, gently lift cookies with a spatula and place them on a wire rack to cool completely.

16. Allow all cookies to cool thoroughly before icing.

 

Cream together butter and sugar.

 

 

 

 

Add a cup of flour and beat.

 

 

Mix the final cup with hand.

 

 

Make a soft non-sticky dough.

 

 

Roll into a 1/8″ thick disc.

 

 

Cut out preferred shapes.

 

 

Arrange on baking tray.

 

 

And bake until lightly brown.

 

 

Cool on a wire rack.

 

 

Liquid glucose adds a glossy finish and keeps the icing smooth. Always sift your icing sugar to avoid lumps that can clog a fine piping tip. I made two batches to cover four dozen cookies and stored leftovers in the fridge; chilled icing thaws and performs well at room temperature, so you can prepare it in advance.

 

 

 

Take liquid glucose.

 

 

Add milk and lemon juice and mix.

 

 

Sift icing sugar into the bowl.

 

 

Mix. If too thick, thin with a teaspoon of milk.

 

 

It should form a string when dropped from a spoon.

 

 

Insert a coupler or piping tip into the icing bag and place the bag upright in a tall glass for easier filling.

 

 

Now fill the bag with icing.

 

 

Trim the bag tip, attach the nozzle, and secure the end to prevent spills.

 

 

Begin piping at one point on the cookie and pipe a steady outline around the edge.

 

 

With steady pressure, pipe a clean border around the cookie.

 

 

Complete the outlines and allow them to dry before flooding.

 

 

Prepare the thinner glaze for flooding and transfer it to piping bags, securing the ends with a clip or rubber band.

 

 

Snip a small hole and start filling from the outline inward.

 

 

Fill the cookie evenly, and smooth small gaps with a toothpick.

 

 

Finish flooding all cookies and let them dry overnight.

 

 

The next day add your chosen decorations—dots, stripes, pearls or simple lettering—and allow final drying before storing.

 

 

 

Let them dry fully before storing.

 

Aren’t they cute!!!