Make Planet Cookies

If you are fascinated by all things space, then you should definitely try your hand at making planet cookies. Although they look intimidating, they are actually quite simple to make. If you know how to bake basic sugar cookies and make royal icing, then you are all set to go. With some clever decorating techniques, you could end up with some truly spectacular pastries!

Ingredients

• ½ cup (100 grams) unsalted butter, softened
• ½ cup (100 grams) golden caster sugar
• 1 egg lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2¾ cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting

Icing

• 2 cups (250 grams) royal icing sugar
• 2 to 3 tablespoons (30 to 45 milliliters) water
• Red, blue, green, yellow, orange and black gel food coloring
• Caramel flavoring or tan gel food coloring
• Gold edible glitter or sugar (optional)

Makes 10 cookies

Steps

Baking the Cookies

1. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then set it aside.
   • If you have a different sugar cookie recipe that you like to use, you can prepare it instead. Click to learn about cutting out the different planetary shapes.
2. Cream the butter and sugar. You can do this in a large mixing bowl with a handheld beater, in an electric mixer, or in a food processor fitted with whisks. Beat the two together until the mixture turns pale and fluffy.
3. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract. Lightly beat the egg in a separate bowl or cup first, then add it to the creamed sugar-butter. Pour in the vanilla extract, then mix everything together until no streaks remain.
4. Mix in the flour. It would be best to add in the flour in two batches. When the flour soaks up all the liquid, knead it a few times to gather everything into a ball.
5. Split the dough in half, then set one of the halves aside. You have enough dough to make two batches of planet cookies. You can make both batches right now, or you can wrap and freeze the other batch for another time.
6. Roll out one of the batches on a lightly-floured surface. Sprinkle your counter or cutting board with flour. Roll one of the batches of dough out until it is about ⅛ inch (3 millimeters) thick.
   • Save the other batch for later. This method will only use one batch from now on.
7. Cut the dough out using different-sized cookie cutters. The measurements do not have to be exactly like the ones below, but the proportions and amounts should be similar. The different sizes will represent the different planets. You will need the following:
   • One extra-large circle, about 3 inches (8 centimeters)
   • Two large circles, about 2¾ inches (7 centimeters)
   • Four medium circles, about 2½ inches (6 centimeters)
   • Two small circles, about 2 inches (5 centimeters)
   • One extra-small circle, about 1½ inches (3.5 centimeters)
8. Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheet, then tuck them into the oven. Bake them for 10 to 12 minutes, or until they turn a light, golden color.
9. Allow the cookies to cool off. Let them cool on the rack for about 5 minutes. Then, use a spatula to transfer them to a wire cooling rack. Let them finish cooling on the rack. They must be completely cool before you ice them.

Icing the Sun and Mars

1. Prepare your icing base. Pour the icing sugar into a mixing bowl. Pour in 2 to 3 tablespoons (30 to 45 milliliters) of warm water. Stir the two together with a whisk until you get a smooth icing. If you need to, add a little bit more water. It should be fluid enough to spread, but not runny.
   • If you can't find royal icing mix, beat together 1½ tablespoons of meringue powder, 2 cups (250 grams) of confectioner's sugar, and 2 to 3 tablespoons (30 to 45 milliliters) of warm water for about 10 to 12 minutes on high speed.
   • Have lots of small bowls and cups prepared to mix your colors. You will be using this icing base in the next three parts.
2. Mix 1 teaspoon of icing with some yellow food coloring. Measure out 1 teaspoon of the white icing into a small bowl. Stir in enough yellow gel food coloring to make it a bright, sunny yellow. Spread this over the 3-inch (8-centimeter) cookie using a mini cake decorating spatula. This will be the sun.
3. Mix 1 teaspoon of icing with some red food coloring. Measure out another teaspoon of the white icing into a clean bowl. Stir in just enough red gel food coloring to make the icing a bright red. Spread this over a 2-inch (5-centimeter) cookie for Mars. Remember to clean your spatula beforehand so you don't get any yellow in it.
4. Add some darker red streaks to Mars. Use a toothpick to add a few specks of red gel fool coloring onto Mars. Swirl these into the icing with the toothpick. Don't over mix them, or the streaks will go away.

Icing Uranus, Earth, Neptune, and Pluto

1. Create your base blue color. Pour 2 teaspoons of the white base icing into a small bowl. Stir in enough blue gel food coloring to might it a vibrant, light blue. You will be using this as your base color for the following planets: Uranus, Earth, Neptune, and Pluto.
   • Clean your spatula from the previous step so you don't get any red or yellow onto your planets.
2. Spread some of the blue base icing over a 2½-inch (6-centimeter) cookie. This will be Uranus. Do not use all of the blue icing for this. You need enough for the other planets in this set too.
3. Make the blue darker, then spread it over Earth. Stir in a few more drops of blue gel food coloring into your blue base. Spread it over another 2½-inch (6-centimeter) cookie to create Earth. Set Earth aside so that it can dry while you prepare the other planets in this set.
   • You will add land later, after the icing sets up a little.
4. Make the blue darker, then swirl it onto Neptune. Stir in a few more drops of blue gel food coloring into your blue base. Spread it over another 2½-inch (6-centimeter) cookie.
5. Add in some blue and white swirls to Neptune. Working quickly, use a toothpick to add a little bit of blue gel food coloring and some of your white icing base onto Neptune. Use the toothpick to swirl everything together. Be careful not to over mix; you want it to be streaky.
   • Don't use the same toothpick you used for Mars.
6. Darken the blue with black, then spread it over Pluto. Add a tiny amount of black food coloring into your blue icing base. Spread it over the 1½-inch (3.5-centimeter) cookie for Pluto.
7. Mix some green icing, then add it over Earth. Pour 1 teaspoon of your white icing base into another small cup or bowl. Stir in a few drops of green food coloring. Spoon the green icing onto Earth in blobs to make the continents. You may not need to use all of it.

Icing Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn

1. Prepare your beige base. Pour 1 tablespoon of the white icing base into a small bowl. Add in enough caramel flavoring or tan gel food coloring to get a beige color. This will be your base for the following planets: Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn.
   • Clean your spatula from the previous planetary set, otherwise your icing will turn green.
2. Spread some of the icing over Mercury with your cake decorating spatula. Take a 2-inch (5-centimeter cookie), and spread enough of the icing over it to coat it. Do not use all of the icing; you need enough for the rest of the planets in the set.
3. Add some darker streaks to Mercury. Add a few drops of caramel flavoring or tan gel food coloring onto Mercury with a clean toothpick. Use the toothpick to swirl them in. Again, do not over stir them, or the details will be lost.
   • Sprinkle some edible gold glitter or sugar onto Mercury for an extra touch. Do this while the icing is still wet.
4. Spread some of the beige base over Jupiter. Use one of the 2¾-inch (7-centimeter) cookies for this.
5. Add red and white swirls onto Jupiter. Start by adding some red gel food coloring and a little bit of your white icing base onto Jupiter. Use a toothpick to spread them into thick, swirly stripes. Next, swirl the toothpick on one of the red stripes to make a Jupiter's famous red spot. Be sure to use a new toothpick for this so the colors don't mix. Use one end for the white swirls, and the other end for the red.
6. Mix some yellow into the beige base, then spread it over Saturn. Use the remaining 2¾-inch (7-centimeter) cookie for this. This time, leave a ½-inch (1-centimeter) boarder around the icing. This will give you room to make Saturn's famous rings.
7. Swirl a little more yellow into Saturn. Add a few drops of yellow gel food coloring onto Saturn. Lightly swirl them in using a toothpick. Use a new toothpick for this so you don't get any red or white from Jupiter. Be careful not to go outside the border you made.
   • Don't add the rings just yet. You'll put them on after the icing sets a little.
8. Stir some orange into the base beige icing, then spread it over Venus. Use the remaining 2½-inch (6-centimeter) cookie for this.
9. Add some orange swirls to Venus. Add a few drops of orange gel food coloring onto Venus. Use a toothpick to swirl them in. Use the other end of the Saturn toothpick or a new one so you don't get any yellow in Venus. Again, avoid over stirring, or the streaks will go away.
   • Sprinkle some edible gold glitter or sugar onto Venus for an extra touch. Do this while the icing is still wet.
10. Pipe the remaining white icing onto Saturn to make the rings. Fill a piping bag with the rest of the white icing. Cut off the tip, then make two stripes around the center of Saturn. Make sure that these strips go from edge-to-edge of the cookie.
    • Use a tiny, round decorator's tip for more precision.
11. Let the cookies dry. This will take about 24 hours. It would be best to set them in front of a fan, but an air conditioned room will also work. Avoid drying them in a humid setting, or the icing won't dry properly.
    • If you see any air bubbles, pop them immediately with a pin. If you don't they will leave behind a large hole when they pop on their own.

Tips

• Some people don't consider Pluto to be a planet. It's okay if you don't. Feel free to leave it out.
• New photographs show Pluto as being more beige. Feel free to coat it with your beige base instead, then add some white swirls onto it. You can also swirl a heart-shape into the bottom corner.
• You can use the second batch off dough to make more cookies. You will need to make more icing, however.
• Some people find it easier to pipe a border around the cookie with stiff icing, then fill it in with more fluid icing. You can do this too, but you'll need to make a larger batch of icing.
• If you really want to get fancy, add another darker stripe between the two stripes on Saturn.
• Don't get discouraged if your planets don't turn out perfect.
• If you can't find cookie cutters in different sizes, choose a large, round cookie cutter, then make the icing different sizes on it instead. You can also coat the cookies entirely with icing; the colors should make them identifiable.
• If you don't have toothpicks, use a skewer or cocktail stick.
• Use a new toothpick for each cookie to avoid transferring colors.
• If you don't have a piping bag, use a small sandwich bag instead.

Things You'll Need

• Parchment paper
• Baking sheet
• Mixer
• Rolling pin
• Mixing bowl
• Whisk
• Wire cooling rack
• Toothpick
• Piping bag
• Mini cake decorating spatula
• Round cookie cutters, different sizes
• Lots of small bowls and spoons

Sources and Citations

See also

• Make Ethereal Whipped Cream Biscuits
• Make a Bear Heart Treat
• Make Tuxedo Cookies
• Make Cornflake Cookies
• Make Delicious Biscuits
• Bake Cookies
• Make Oatmeal Cookies
• Make Fortune Cookies
• Make a Giant Cookie
• Make Mummy Cookie Bites

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