Simple Tree Cookies with a Twist on Fall Color
Lately, I have been playing with the idea of using unexpected color to give simple seasonal designs more visual impact. I love the look of stylized trees on cards and such and I knew they would make beautiful and easy cookies.
Continuing with the idea from my last color post for Halloween I wanted to try playing around with the colors of fall. I think that as long as you use the expected shapes for a given season then you can use pretty much use any color scheme you like and it will still feel right. That's my theory anyway.
There are many ways to pick a color scheme but again I'm going to use the color wheel. The usual colors for fall are various shades and tints of red, orange and yellow. On the color wheel these colors are all right next to each other which is known as analogous color in color theory. Fall color schemes also have a little pop of green color from the other side of the wheel.
To choose a different color scheme with similar relationships we can simply rotate the color wheel to another set of analogous colors. In this case I chose purple blue and green for my analogous colors and a little bit of yellowish orange from the other side of the wheel. I also used a darker blackish brown and threw in a little spot of red violet just because I had it on hand.
For these color exercises I am trying to keep the overall design and decorating of the cookies as simple as I can. These tree cookies were cut using a variety of leaf cookie cutters. There is also a pumpkin or an apple cutter thrown in there. I used a letter "I" cookie cutter to cut a longer and straighter stem onto the leaves so they would be more like trees but that could be done just as easily with a sharp knife. I base-coated the baked cookies in white flood icing and let them dry overnight. Then I used a thicker flood icing (about a 20 count) to add the trunk and dots for leaves to the cookies. These are great cookies if you need something quick and easy!
You could easily use this simple technique to make a tree cutter out of basic shapes too like circles and ovals too but because I'm changing the color scheme up I wanted the shapes to have a very expected fall shape to keep the design in season.
The cool tones also give the color scheme a hint of the coming winter but I think the little bit of yellow still keeps them in the fall season. What are your favorite colors for fall?
Continuing with the idea from my last color post for Halloween I wanted to try playing around with the colors of fall. I think that as long as you use the expected shapes for a given season then you can use pretty much use any color scheme you like and it will still feel right. That's my theory anyway.
For these color exercises I am trying to keep the overall design and decorating of the cookies as simple as I can. These tree cookies were cut using a variety of leaf cookie cutters. There is also a pumpkin or an apple cutter thrown in there. I used a letter "I" cookie cutter to cut a longer and straighter stem onto the leaves so they would be more like trees but that could be done just as easily with a sharp knife. I base-coated the baked cookies in white flood icing and let them dry overnight. Then I used a thicker flood icing (about a 20 count) to add the trunk and dots for leaves to the cookies. These are great cookies if you need something quick and easy!
You could easily use this simple technique to make a tree cutter out of basic shapes too like circles and ovals too but because I'm changing the color scheme up I wanted the shapes to have a very expected fall shape to keep the design in season.
The cool tones also give the color scheme a hint of the coming winter but I think the little bit of yellow still keeps them in the fall season. What are your favorite colors for fall?
These are so lovely! Beautiful colors! I wasn't planning on doing Fall/Thanksgiving cookies, but now I may have to try these. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteOh Sarah, these are wonderful!!!
ReplyDeleteUmm - totally and completely gorgeous! I appreciate these posts about color; it doesn't come naturally to me, so I could use the help! ;)
ReplyDeleteLove these Sarah. The colours fit perfectly with fall even though they're not the actual fall colours. Mixing up the colour wheel like that definitely worked wonders on these. Love the use of different cutters too. They're so pretty.
ReplyDelete- Lisa.
Sweet 2 Eat Baking
These look amazing...so different from the ordinary fall cookie.
ReplyDeleteI have a question...how is it that none of your "dots" on the top turned into little craters. If I did this, either my dots would have big dips in them OR little tiny pinholes would appear when it was too late to do anything about it. It is so frustrating...do you have a special way you do this?
I can totally understand your frustration! Sometimes I get those pesky craters at the worst possible time but thankfully it doesn't happen very often. I haven't been able to figure out exactly what causes the icing craters to form but it seems that whatever is causing them they don't have time to sag or cave in if the icing dries quickly.
DeleteTry using the thickest icing you can get away with that doesn't form little points and peaks when you pull out the tip. (In this case I used 20 count icing) Since thick icing has less water it sets up faster.
I always dry my cookies with a fan and if it's cool or humid that day I use a small space heater set on low for a few minutes too. I've read on several blogs that decorators get good results using heat guns and food dehydrators as well.
I think I had good luck with this set too because I was working on a perfectly smooth base coat that was completely dry.
I hope that helps!
-Sarah
Thank you, Sarah. I have read many theories about why this happens, but I think it is really something that eludes us all! I think it could have something to do with the base coat being completely dry, because mine usually is not. I think I will try that next. I do use a fan, but I have never used heat. Lots of new things to try.
DeleteThanks again...love your blog!
Oh, and I used your cute little pumpkin faces on my Halloween cookies and they were a huge hit! TFS!
I love your style! Just made some takeoffs from your inspiration and they were a big hit. Simple design with lots of impact. Thanks so much for your excellent tutorial.
ReplyDelete