For today’s Works for Me Wednesday post, I thought I’d share my favorite new cookie decorating product with you… It’s luster dust! It may not be a big secret to those of you who do lots of cookie decorating and cake decorating, but it’s easy to use and I think it can make a big difference… Even if you’re new to cookie decorating!
Luster dust is an edible powder that can be added to cookies or cakes to add shimmer or glitter. You can order luster dust online, but you may also find Wilton pearl dust at a local craft store. While I’m not a fan of their food coloring (you’d be much better off using Americolor), I have had some success with their pearl dust!
You can use luster dust in two different ways…
- Overal Shimmer – Simply brush it onto your (dried) decorated cookies to add shimmer… I used this technique on all of the bridal shower cookies that I made over the weekend using a white luster dust. It adds a nice shimmer that isn’t too over the top… Just a little something extra for your cookies!
- Painting – If you want to add shimmer in a specific area of a cookie, you can mix the luster dust with a few drops of clear extract or vodka and then use it like paint. I used the painting technique to add the gold trim on the Baltimore Ravens cookies that I decorated a few weeks ago, and I also used the same technique to add gold color to the lettering on my heart shaped bridal shower cookies.
So, the next time you are decorating cookies, consider adding some luster dust to give your cookies a little extra something… It works for me!
So pretty! Your cookies are too gorgeous to eat:)
I am so thankful there are gifted people like you around Jen! Seriously, just do not have the patience for this kind of beautiful detail work!! Bless you!
love this tip! I am so interested in cookie decorating these days, which is why it might seem like I’m stalking your blog. I plan to use some of your ideas! :)
Pretty, Pretty, Pretty!!!! I can’t wait to venture into the world of cookie decorating. I really want to do it, but for some reason, I’m scared!! I have no idea why.
Great cookies! I love gold with silver.
ohh love the shimmer on the cookies! they look so pretty! this is such a great way to make cookies look extra elegant and special :)
So sparkly, and edible! I want some… I neeeeeeeeed some…
Now I have to pick up some of this dust and pray that my cookies turn out as gorgeous as yours.
Love your site, and appreciate your tips on luster dust. I have a question– when you mix the luster dust with a liquid, and then paint it on, doesn’t the frosting start to ‘melt’??? I ask only because I did wedding cookies last weekend, and while decorating, wanted to add color to the cookie with luster dust mixed with vodka– when I ‘painted’ it on the frosted ( royal icing) cookie, the frosting ‘melted’. Wondered your thoughts on this.
Thanks again for your great site– very inspirational and so educational as well.
Kelly – I have not had any issues with the frosting “melting” on my cookies. But, I imagine it would depend on what type of frosting/icing you are using. My cookies are decorated with royal icing, which completely hardens when it dries. I let the cookies dry overnight before I did any painting with the luster dust/vodka mixture. If the cookies were not dry or a softer type of icing was used, I imagine that the technique would not work properly. Hope that helps!
Kelly, make sure your icing is extra, extra dry before you try painting on your luster dust and alcohol combo. Also, use as light a hand as possible with almost a dry brush (not too much color) so it won’t bleed off the higher surface onto the base color. I think the melting you spoke of was due to rushing the painting. Was it royal icing you used? Just my 2 cents.
I love the look this dust gives the cookies! They look so magical!
Everytime I walk by the decorating isle at Wilton I’m tempted to buy some of the shimmer powder..your cookies look gorgeous!
Ohh good job. I would get the luster dust all over me.
The magic of luster dust. Give those cookies a nice pizzazz. Tempting to eat more than one.
So pretty! I love the shimmer. :) I will have to try this when we do our Christmas cookies this year.
Yep, I’ll be ordering me some of this stuff for my Christmas cookie decorating. Gorgeous cookies Jen!
Oh oh oh!!! Want! But wait – I can’t decorate cookies like you do. Am wondering about this for macarons? Would that work sprinkled on them before they bake? Or could I paint it on after? Hmmm….
Mardi – I think you could use it on macarons… but definitely brush on (sans vodka) after they are baked. It doesn’t sprinkle well… It’s more of a powder than a sprinkle. I think it would be fabulous on macarons, though… and you can get all sorts of colors. Let me know if you try it out… I’m sure it would be great!
I LOVE the gold lettering! It’s so pretty on your white cookies!
A guy at the cake decorating store swears by mixing it with EverClear. I still use vodka…EverClear had scared me ever since college ;), but I keep meaning to try it.
Great post!
Hi, Iam trying to make a cake using fondant and then decorating it on top with readymade frosting. I want the frosting to have a shimmering gold look, brighter than what your cookies have.What should I use for the frosting? Is painting over the dried frosting ok? Which dust do you suggest ? Iam so confused.
I think it depends on what kind of frosting you are using. If it is a pre-bought “decorator icing” that dries hard (similar to royal icing), you should be able to mix just a small amount of vodka with the luster dust and paint it on to the frosting. However, I would not recommend using the luster dust on a softer frosting like buttercream or typical store bought cake frosting. If you are using a softer icing, I think you would have to use an airbrush technique (which I have not done myself) to paint gold onto the frosting so that it would not affect the shape/consistency of your frosting.
Hope that helps!
Thanks.
I am not sure if I can handle royal icing. I usually use betty crocker cake frosting ,easy to handle:(
Hi, I hope someone can help me. I want to paint my icing gold using gold glaze but cannot use any alcoholbased spirit to mix the dust for painting, Does anybody know any alternative?
Sorry to pop in again Jen but I saw this question as I hit send on my other comment. To sd9808: you can use something like lemon extract for mixing with the luster dust if you don’t want to use alcohol.
I have asked around about this, just to be sure… I do not think that it is possible to “paint” a glaze on soft icing, such as the store bought icing or even a homemade buttercream frosting. The icing won’t hold up.
Your options would be to use an airbrush with a gold glitter/paint or to find a gold spray (I believe they are sold at some craft stores or you can find it at Global Sugar Art).
BEAUTIFUL cookies Jen. So elegant and clean looking. As for your reader with the melted icing…Kelly, make sure your icing is extra, extra dry before you try painting on your luster dust and alcohol combo. Also, use as light a hand as possible with almost a dry brush (not too much color) so it won’t bleed off the higher surface onto the base color. I think the melting you spoke of was due to rushing the painting. Was it royal icing you used? Just my 2 cents.
Thanks.
I am thinking of using wiltons decorator icing, this will be the first time I will use laster dust so Iam not sure about the outcome:( Also which shade and brand of gold dust would you prefer for a bright and real gold colour? There is so much variety available on net???? Lemon or vanilla or even almond extract has alcohol as an ingredient too.
I would try the Super Gold Luster Dust… It is available on Amazon.
So im doing 160 cake pops with dust to make it look like a disco ball. How much dust do u think I need to order? And does the dust stay on?
Tiffany – I am not sure how the dust would stick to the cake pops… If you are coating them with chocolate, it might be easiest to try getting the dust to stick on while the chocolate is still wet. Also, I would look for a product called disco dust vs. luster dust, since it will probably be closer to what you are looking for. You can purchase it on Amazon (Silver Disco Dust), and I would probably order 2 – 3 containers of it. Just be sure to use it over a coffee filter or something else that can catch the excess so you can gather it up and keep using it! Hope that helps!
Can I mix luster dust with clear Rose Essence?
Hi, Caressa – I have not personally tried it, but if it is alcohol based, it should be OK.
I would like to know if luster dust or pearl dust, glitter is used on, loveyberries, found on Facebook. Strawberries are covered with glitter, and what is the shiny or metallic look on the strawberries, I would like your opinion. Thank you linda
Linda, I’ve looked at those berries and nearly choked–some of them are covered in disco dust, which is PLASTIC CRAFT GLITTER. It should NEVER be put on food! It doesn’t matter that it’s non toxic–it’s a scrapbooking supply!
If needing “blingy” food, you should use edible products. Edible glitter is made from gum arabic [cake sparkles], sanding sugar, or gelatin.