How To Make Decorated Apple Name Tag Cookies

There’s something extra special about a cookie with a personal touch! In this tutorial, I’ll teach you how to make personalized cookies – Apple Name Tag Cookies. Perfect for back-to-school season or as a heartfelt thank-you.

DECORATED BACK TO SCHOOL CLASSIC APPLE NAME TAG COOKIES STEP-BY-STEP

I baked cookies using my tested sugar cut-out cookie recipe.

THINGS YOU NEED

• Get all the tools and supplies in Haniela’s Amazon Shop
• Apple Cookie Cutter, I used a 3.5 to 4-inch cutter
• Narrow Rectangular Cookie Cutter
• Gel Food Coloring: red, brown, green, black to make gray
• Palette Knife, Spatula, or a Small Spreader (I used Ateco Spreader-listed in my Amazon Shop)
• Tipless Piping Bags
• Scribe Tool
• Edible markers

This post contains Amazon affiliate links that earn me a small commission, at no cost to you. I only recommend products that I use and love. Learn more about my affiliate policy here.

PREPARE COOKIES

I don’t have an apple name tag cookie-cutter, so I implemented a simple technique of combining 2 shapes into one.

• Cut out an apple shape (step 1).
• Ideally, you’ll want to use a rectangular cutter that is a bit wider than your apple cutter, trim it if needed so it’s not too big (step 2).
• Trim the bottom of the apple cookie (step 3).
• Alight rectangular cutter with the bottom of the trimmed apple, and bake as usual (step 4).

ROYAL ICING COLORS AND CONSISTENCIES

I used royal icing to decorate cookies. You can use standard royal icing made with egg whites (there are 3 recipes using meringue, fresh egg whites, pasteurized egg whites in a carton recipe), vegan icing (using aquafaba), or glaze icing.

• Red icing: 15-second consistency (apple),
• Green Icing: 20-second consistency (leaf)
• Brown Icing: 20-second consistency (apple stem)
• White Icing: 15-second consistency (lined paper, reflection on an apple)
• Gray Icing: 15-second consistency (3 dots on lined paper)

NOTEBOOK PAPER LAYER

• Outline and flood the rectangle with 15-second consistency white icing. Smooth it with a scribe tool (steps 1-5).
• Immediately after, pipe 3 gray dots into the white icing. Gray icing should be about 15-second consistency. You want the icing to sink into the white base (steps 6-8).
• Allow the icing to crust for 20 minutes before adding the red apple.

DECORATE RED APPLE

• I used 15-second consistency red royal icing to outline and flood the apple portion of the cookie (steps 1-3).
• Use a scribe tool to distribute the icing across the cookie evenly (steps 4-5).
• Immediately after flooding, take 15-second consistency white icing and curved lines on each side of the apple to create a reflection (steps 6-8).
• Make sure to let the red icing crust for 20 minutes before adding the stem and a leaf.

• To make a stem, use brown icing (20-second consistency).
• Create a triangular shape that is tapered towards the apple, and then fill it with icing (steps 1).
• Use your scribe tool to smooth the icing evenly (steps 2-3).
• Allow the icing to crust before adding the adjacent leaf.

• I used 20-second consistency green icing to pipe the leaf.
• Outline the leaf and fill it with icing, and then use your scribe tool to shape the icing (steps 1-6).
• Let icing dry for 8-12 hours before making the lined paper design.

LINED NOTEBOOK PAPER DESIGN

• Once the white icing is dry, you can create a classic notebook paper design.
• With a fine tip edible marker, make straight lines across (steps 1-2).
• Notice I used lined paper under the cookie as a guide and a piece of cardstock with a straight edge to draw the lines onto the icing (steps 3).
• Draw a perpendicular line with a red edible marker (steps 4-5).
• Both Markers are by the Rainbow Dust Brand.

WRITE WITH EDIBLE MARKER

• Use piping consistency icing or edible markers to write the name onto the dry icing (steps 1-3).
• Avoid touching the lines with your fingers so you don’t smudge them.
• If you plan on packaging these in clear polybags, you can use a little bit of cornstarch over the edible marker lines and writing to help prevent ink from sticking to the poly bag and accidentally smearing. Dust the surface with a light amount of cornstarch, using a fluffy food-only paintbrush, and then remove excess with a rubber dust blower.

APPLE NAME TAG COOKIES VIDEO TUTORIAL

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HOW TO MAKE PERFECT CUT-OUT COOKIES

• Tested Cut-Out Sugar Cookie Recipe
• Ultimate Guide to Cut-Out Cookies
• How to Make Chocolate Cut-Out Cookies
• Popular Vegan Cookies for Cookie Decorating

COOKIE DECORATING TOOLBOX

• Beginner’s Guide To Cookie Decorating
• Ultimate Guide to Cut-Out Cookies (tips, tricks, troubleshooting)
• Royal Icing Recipe
• Small Batch Royal Icing Recipe
• Cookie Icing Recipes (includes vegan royal icing, glaze, fondant)
• Guide To Royal Icing Consistencies with Visual Help(what is stiff, flood icing, etc.)
• How To Freeze Royal Icing
• How To Make Royal Icing Transfers
• Royal Icing FAQ ( for example: how to make black icing, color bleeding, storage, and more)
• How To Make a Cookie Cutter Template
• Ultimate Guide To Cookie Decorating Tools