There are so many amazing flowers you can pipe with buttercream. I’m pretty good at roses and can do a fair daisy, but there are so many more flowers you can make! I had a good amount of Italian meringue buttercream left over from a cake I had just made to I baked up some of my no spread sugar cookies and started experimenting.
The Italian buttercream worked well but should really be chilled as it’s pretty soft, that said they were DELICIOUS!!!
Start off by using your 127 tip to pip three sharp petals onto a piece of parchment paper. Sharp end of the tip facing outward, start from the center and move outward bringing the tip back toward the center to create the triangular petal.
After you have the three sharper petals piped it’s time to pipe the two large semicircular petals using the same 127 tip. You can use a piping bag with a contrasting color on one side for a variegated flower, I did some all white, some pink and some purple. Try and lift the outer edge a bit so the petal doesn’t fall flat. You want more definition between the different petals.
The last set of petals to go on are the hooded ones in the center. For this I used a 401 tip with a buttercream colored a bit darker than the contrasting color I used in the larger petals earlier. I added points of yellow along with a darker purple or pink to the center of the flower using small round tips. You should do this before you add the two hooded petals. Further detail can be added with a toothpick dipped in the darker buttercream. Once you’re done pop the flower in the freezer to set before adding it onto the cooled cookie.
Steps to Make These Cookies
1. Sift flour, salt, cornstarch into a medium bowl. Give it a whisk.
2. In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Scrape down the bowl. Add eggs. Mix until combined. Add dry ingredients to the wet. Mix on low with a paddle attachment until just combined. Drizzle in vanilla.
4. Transfer dough to parchment paper.
5. Roll into a disk. Chill for about 1 hour.
6. Roll dough to ½ inch. Use 2.5 inch circle cookie cutters. Bake at 375F for 12 min.
7. In a medium saucepan add 1 cup sugar and 1/3 cup water, then place on medium-low heat. Stir until sugar melts and becomes clear. Maintain at medium-high heat.
8. Beat the egg whites, salt and cream of tartar and slowly add in 1/3 cup of sugar. Continue beating until soft peaks form. When the kitchen thermometer reads 235-240F, drizzle the sugar into the mixer immediately.
9. Run the mixer until meringue is cool/tepid. Switch to a paddle attachment.
10. Add room temperature butter into running mixer one tablespoon piece at a time. Add vanilla. Beat until butter is combined and mixture has reached a silky consistency. Transfer to a piping bag.
11. Transfer buttercream to multiple piping bags fitted with a 127 tip and 401 tip. Use the 127 tip to make a small base.
12. Pipe 2 large semi circular flat petals using the 127 tip with the thick side facing inward. Use the 401 tip to create 2 hooded petals in the center. You can pipe some yellow or purple petals in the center using a small round tip. Add little details with dark coloring. Chill until ready to serve.
If you’ve tried these cookies out then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Flower Cookies
Ingredients
INGREDIENTS
For the Cookies:
- 4 cups all-purpose flour 480g
- ¾ tsp salt 3g
- ½ cup cornstarch 60g
- 2 sticks butter 220g, room temp
- 1 cup sugar 200g
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract 5mL
For the Italian Meringue Buttercream
- 4 large egg whites
- 1 1/3 cups sugar 265g
- pinch kosher salt
- 16 ounces unsalted butter 454g, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract 5mL
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar 1g
- 1/3 cup water 80ml
Instructions
INSTRUCTIONS
For the Cookies:
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- Sift flour, salt, cornstarch into a medium bowl. Give it a whisk.
- In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy.
- Scrape down the bowl before adding eggs.
- Add eggs. Mix until combined.
- Add dry ingredients to the wet.
- Mix on low with a paddle attachment. Drizzle in vanilla. Mix until combined.
- Transfer dough to parchment paper.
- Roll into a disk.
- Chill for about 1 hour.
- Press to flatten and roll between 2 pieces of parchment paper.
- Roll dough to ½ inch.
- Use 2.5 inch circle cookie cutters.
- Place cookies onto a baking sheet with a silpat.
- Bake for 12 - 15 minutes.
- Let the cookies cool before decorating
For the Italian Meringue Buttercream:
- Beat the egg whites, salt and cream of tartar, slowly add in 1/3 cup of sugar and continue beating until soft peaks form.
- In a medium saucepan add 1 cup sugar and 1/3 cup water then place on medium-low heat.
- Stir until sugar melts and becomes clear.
- Maintain at medium-high heat until temperature reads 235-240F.
- Drizzle the sugar into the mixer immediately.
- Run mixer until meringue is cool/tepid.
- Switch to a paddle attachment. Add room temperature butter into running mixer one tablespoon piece at a time.
- Add the salt and vanilla.
- Beat until butter is combined and mixture has reached a silky consistency.
For the Assembly:
- Use gel food coloring to dye the buttercream different soft colors.
- Transfer buttercream to multiple piping bags fitted with a 127 tip and 401 tip.
- Use the 127 tip to make a small base. Pipe 2 large semi circular flat petals using the 127 tip with the thick side facing inward. Use the 401 tip to create 2 hooded petals in the center.
- You can pipe some yellow or purple petals in the center using a small round tip. Add little details with dark coloring.
- Chill until ready to serve.
Dear John, I’ve used this cookie recipe multiple times and it’s always been a hit. Also, recently followed your Italian buttercream recipe and orchid flower tutorial to make a birthday cake for my mother and she loved it- delicious, not too sweet. She’s an avid orchid lover and I had been planning this for months. Thanks for having such a nice easy tutorial to follow.
Hi, I have never ever made cookies before. Your video looks amazing. Nervous and excited to try 🙂
Love this recipe and I have tried a few! Doesn’t spread, not too sweet and makes a LOT of cookies!! Thank you so much!! ????
Dear John,
I have become quite an addict of your YouTube videos. They honestly helped me relax enough to sleep soundly some nights while my husband was deployed. Today, he is home safe, and wonderfully enough, we are snowed in our snug little Washington home. We made this recipe for Valentine’s themed cookies. They turned out so sweet! We don’t have all the cool gadgets you do, but we still had success. With love and thanks from our kitchen to yours… Yummy!
Hi Erin,
This makes me so glad! I’m very happy these cookies brought joy to the both of you, your home, and your bellies. 🙂
Happy baking,
John
This may sound weird but my chocolate chip cookies (not rolled) spread out terribly when I bake them and have brown crispy edges. Would adding cornstarch help to counteract that or is it only for rolled out cut cookies?
Hi Rachel,
I don’t usually bake cookies that are not cut out with cornstarch. When you baked these cookies did you line your pan with parchment paper or a silpat?
Best,
John
I made these with my 3 yo daughter and they turned out wonderfully. Thank you!
Hello John,
I liked the crunch and shape of the cookies, however would it be possible to increase the sweetness a little? Thanks
You can add a few more tablespoons of sugar if desired.
Can you double the recipe?
Hi Denise,
Yes, you can double the recipe!
Best,
John
Thank you for sharing your knowledge and wonderful recipes, I appreciate your thoroughness and pleasant delivery of information. Can you please clarify the gram based measurements for the sugar detailed in this recipe? You list 1 cup as being 240 grams and then you have 1 1/3 cups of sugar as being 304 grams, which doesn’t quite match up. Thank you again for your recipes and terrific site, I am new to your site, but definitely a fan.
Hello!
This was a terrible typo that has been corrected!! Thank you for supporting Preppy Kitchen! I hope you enjoy the cookies.
Best,
John
Hi. Could you also share the recipe for icing the sugar cookies. Thanks
Hi Pallavi,
The icing recipe is on this post. It is the Italian meringue buttercream.
Best,
John
Can you safely cut this recipe by half? Thanks!
Hi John,
Yes, you can! Enjoy making the cookies!!
Best,
John
thank you love your recipe
Hi Helene,
Thank you so much! Did you make these flower cookies? If so, how did they turn out??
Best,
John
Beautiful works of art! Well done!