A Stitch In Time

There’s no question that cake decorating requires tremendous amounts of time and patience. For one thing, besides what you actually see on the finished product, there’s an enormous amount of prep. I’m not just talking about oven baking time, flour sifting, research, cleanup etc. Many decorating techniques are done in stages, some taking up to a week or more to complete.

When I first laid eyes on this embroidered cookie design I was enchanted and intrigued. They’re delicate and elegant yet at the same time fun and creative. While it looked like a lot of work, I figured there were probably many shortcuts, or tools created specifically to cut down on the time it takes to decorate just one cookie. Templates maybe, or stencils.

None of the above.

Sure, there are plenty of videos explaining and demonstrating the technique. One woman says it takes her between half an hour and an hour to finish just one cookie. I watched several tutorials and kept expecting someone to let me in on the secret. But all they did – one after the other – was cheerfully demonstrate piping line after intersecting line of icing. Then filling in the squares to create an intricate overlay design.

Now it’s possible that there’s a secret society, kind of like magicians who play it close to the vest, only revealing the inside scoop amongst themselves. But it’s unlikely. Cake decorators seem to revel in the elaborate and slightly insane; the more arduous the task the better.

And I’ll confess, I loved making these. I made only 37, took breaks and chose not to time myself, but the minutes flew by. Each one needed to be different, yet similar enough to fit in with the others. And I had to try and avoid developing carpal tunnel syndrome. But it was worth it! Now, what price to put on insanity?