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Gold Painted Cookies on a white plate
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Gold Painted Cookies

This step-by-step tutorial shows you how to make Gold Painted Cookies with edible gold luster dust. These cookies add elegance and style to dessert tables, cookie trays, and more.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 30 minutes
Dry Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings 24 cookies (approx.)
Author Meghan

Equipment

  • Paint palette dedicated to food
  • food grade paintbrush
  • disposable transfer pipette
  • toothpick or scribe tool

Ingredients

  • your favorite sugar or shortbread cookies

For the Cookie Icing:

  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • ¼ cup milk
  • ½ teaspoon extract of choice vanilla, almond, etc.

For Painting:

  • edible gold luster dust
  • Everclear or vodka
  • edible gold glitter optional

Instructions

Ice the Cookies:

  • In a small bowl, mix together the icing ingredients, taking care not to introduce too many bubbles. If necessary, add more milk or powdered sugar to achieve a dippable consistency
    2 cups powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon extract of choice, ¼ cup milk
  • Cover the bowl with a damp paper towel to avoid crusting.
  • Place a wire rack over a parchment or waxed paper lined cookie sheet or work surface. Gently stir the icing to make sure it's fully mixed.
  • Dip the top surface of each cookie into the icing and place the cookies on the wire rack to allow excess icing to drip off. Alternatively, use a silicone pastry brush to apply the icing to the surface of each cookie. Use a toothpick or scribe tool to pop any bubbles on the surface of the icing immediately after dipping.
    vanilla icing in a bowl next to cookies on a cooling rack
  • Allow the glaze to set at room temperature. You will want the glaze to be completely dry before painting with the gold suspension. Store the cookies in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature if painting will be done later.
    iced cookies on a cooling rack

Make the Gold Suspension:

  • Tap some edible gold luster dust into a well of a food-dedicated paint palette.
    gold luster dust in the well of a paint palette with an iced cookie in the center
  • Pour some Everclear or vodka into a small bowl.
  • Use a disposable transfer pipette to add a few drops of alcohol to the well with the luster dust.
  • Stir it around with a food grade paintbrush to make the liquid gold suspension. You may need to add more dust or more alcohol to achieve the right consistency.
    gold luster dust suspension in the well of a paint palette with a paint brush in it

Paint the Cookies

  • Dip the paintbrush into the suspension and then quickly brush it across the surface of the iced cookie. Try to use long brush strokes and work fast to achieve a more uniform look. The alcohol evaporates quickly. As you paint the other cookies, you may need to add more alcohol to the dust if the liquid starts to become too thick or clumpy. Make more of the suspension as needed to paint all of the cookies.
    a gold painted cookie in the center of a paint palette
  • As an optional last step, sprinkle with edible gold glitter for an extra sparkly look.
  • Store the cookies in single layers separated by wax or parchment paper in an airtight container at room temperature.
    a plate of gold painted cookies next to a paint palette

Notes

You're Gonna Bake It After All
bakeitafterall.com