Decorating cookies with wafer paper can be done a few different ways, but the common denominator is that wafer paper attached to a crumb-free surface best.
There are a couple of ways to achieve this kind of surface, including royal icing, fondant, and modeling chocolate, each of which has a different flavor. So how do you use wafer paper with cookies?
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What kind of cookies to use with wafer paper.
To use wafer paper on cookies, start with a cookie that’s covered in chocolate, royal icing, fondant, or candy clay.
Put some piping gel or corn syrup on the back of the wafer paper, then press the paper onto the cookie. Press gently to adhere the wafer paper, making sure that the edges are secured.
The best kind of cookies to use with wafer paper are sugar cookies, or any type of cookie that has a flat surface to work on. Cookies that don’t rise very much are optimal, since that will avoid the issue of a domed surface that is difficult to attach a flat image to.
The sugar cookie recipe that I used for my custom baking business was a good basic recipe that didn’t puff up very much, and had a good vanilla flavor.
You can also experiment with other types of extract to give the cookies a different flavor. I used lemon and orange oils with this recipe instead of the vanilla to give them a different flavor profile. I’ve added the recipe at the end of this article so that you can try it out.
If you don’t want to bake, or you’re short on time, you can also use store-bought cookies. Get some that have flat backs, or iced tops.
What to cover the cookies with
To create a firm, crumb-free surface on cookies that the wafer paper will attach to, you can use royal icing, candy clay, fondant, or chocolate.
Chocolate, fondant and candy clay will be ready to decorate the same day that you apply them to the cookies, but make sure to let royal icing dry overnight before pressing the paper onto it.
Royal icing has the benefit of being pretty easy to make using a bag mix, or by mixing 1 pound of confectioner’s sugar with 3 Tbsp of meringue powder and about 6 Tbsp of water, added a little bit at a time and beating until it’s at the consistency for flooding.
However, it does take a lot longer to dry, so it slows down the production process.
One trick that I used to use for royal icing cookies was to decorate the back side of the cookies that baked against the cookie sheet.
This both covers up the browned areas, and it gives you a flat surface to flood with the icing in case the top of the cookies puffed up during baking.
I prefer to use candy clay or modeling chocolate instead of royal icing to cover cookies for a few reasons.
First, you can make the shaped pieces ahead of time and store them until they’re needed.
Second, they don’t need to be piped onto the cookies like royal icing does, so it’s easier on your hands.
And third, the cookies will be ready to decorate when the candy clay cools off along with the cookies.
Candy clay, or modeling chocolate, is a mixture of chocolate or candy melts, and corn syrup that has a texture similar to tootsie rolls candy.
It can be rolled out and cut into shapes that mimic the shape of the cookies it will be put on. This video shows how to make it:
Prepping the cookies to decorate.
To get ready to decorate, cut out the wafer paper shapes that you’ll be attaching to the cookies and store them in a plastic bag or other container away from moisture.
Wafer paper can be cut with a regular pair of scissors, but be careful not to twist it too much or it can tear the paper while it’s being cut.
How to cover cookies with candy clay or modeling chocolate.
Start by rolling out the candy clay on parchment or waxed paper to about 1/8″ thick.
Using the same cutter that you’ll be using to cut out the cookies, cut the same shapes out of the candy clay.
Stack them on a cookie sheet or a tray in layers, separating them with waxed paper if needed to keep them from sticking to each other.
You can refrigerate them if it’s warm and they start softening up. Make a few more than you think that you’ll need in case you mess one up or end up with extra cookies.
Roll the cookie dough evenly.
Roll the cookie dough out using some dowels to make sure that the rolling pin keeps an even thickness.
Use the same cookie cutter that you used to cut out the candy clay, and bake according to the recipe directions.
When the cookies come out of the oven, take the modeling chocolate pieces and put them directly onto the hot cookies.
Don’t wait until they cool off, you want the chocolate to melt onto the cookie so that it sticks when it cools off.
The candy clay shapes will start to melt onto the cookies, and they’ll look soft and shiny, but that’s okay.
Now for the important part…DON’T TOUCH THEM WHILE THEY COOL OFF!!! You’ll be tempted to test them, but don’t.
The chocolate will soften up and get oily-looking and melty, but it will solidify again when the cookies are totally cool. If you touch them while they’re still soft you’ll leave fingerprints and oily marks and you don’t want that.
When the cookies and the chocolate cool off completely the chocolate will be a solid surface ready to decorate.
For an article about decorating cookies with multicolor candy clay, click here.
How to attach the wafer paper to the cookies.
Using the edible wafer paper that you want to put on the cookie, add some corn syrup or wafer paper to the back of the paper image.
This can be done with a squeeze bottle or with a paintbrush. Add the edible glue around the edges of the paper and on the back, but don’t put too much on or drips can happen.
Place the wafer paper image on the cookie and move it to position it where you want it to be.
Make sure to press the edges of the wafer paper shape onto the cookie so that it adheres well.
You may need to hold some edges in place for a bit to make sure they remain stuck to the cookie, but even if the edge doesn’t stay stuck down, the shape should still be attached.
I don’t recommend drying the cookies upside down with the image pressed against the counter, because if excess corn syrup oozes out it can make the cookies stick to the surface and ruin them.
Let the cookies dry and store in sealed containers as you normally do.
Sugar Cookie Recipe
You can also print the recipe from this article: Sugar Cookie Recipe
Note: Use good quality butter or these will brown more than you want them to!
12 tsp (1 1/2 sticks) softened unsalted butter
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
Variations:
Add 1 tsp orange or lemon zest for citrus flavor
Add 1/2 tsp flavored oils for fruit flavors
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
- Prepare cookie sheets by lining them with parchment paper. Insulated cookie sheets are a good choice to prevent over-browning.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter until soft.
- Add the sugars, then cream until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl between additions.
- Add the egg and vanilla and mix until incorporated.
- Add the flour and mix until incorporated.
- Remove the dough from the mixer bowl and form into a ball on the sheet of parchment paper that’s been cut to fit the cookie sheet. You can roll them out on a floured work surface, but using the precut parchment will avoid adding additional flour to the dough.
- Roll out to about 1/4″ thick, using a little flour on the surface of the dough if needed to prevent it from sticking to the rolling pin.
- Cut the cookies using the cutters, and remove the extra cookie dough from between the shapes.
- Place the parchment that the cookies are on onto the cookie sheets.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees.
- Remove from the oven and slide the parchment off the sheet onto racks to cool.
- If you’re adding candy clay shapes to the cookies, this is the time to do it!
- If decorating with royal icing, wait until the cookies are completely cooled to do it.
- Store airtight when they’re completely decorated and the coating on the cookies is dry and solid to the touch.
