Tasty attire: Father’s Day cookie necktie

The traditional gift for dads on Father’s Day has long been the necktie….
but we all know the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach!

What to do…What to do?!

Combine the two!

It’s easier than you think!

Because Dad doesn’t want another “real” tie

The traditional gift for dads on Father’s Day has long been the necktie…

but we all know the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach! What to do… What to do?! Combine the two! It’s easier than you think!

What you’ll need for the sugar cookie necktie:

Sugar cookie dough
Necktie template
Tie-shaped gift box
Royal icing and coloring
Pastry bags, squeeze bottles and decorating tips
1 1/4- x 8-inch strip of card stock

Prepare sugar cookie dough

Ingredients:

2-3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup room-temperature unsalted butter

1 cup granulated sugar
2 room-temperature large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl. Mix well with wire whisk. With an electric mixer or stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla, beat until light and fluffy. Beat in flour mixture until smooth.

Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator one hour or overnight

Roll to one-quarter inch thickness, using flour as needed to prevent sticking.

Prepare your necktie template

Print your template. Print necktie template

Cut out shapes. Cut out the shape in the necktie template

Tape the two pieces together. Tape the pieces together

Check the size of the necktie template against the size of your tie box. Check the size of the cookie against the necktie box

Cut out your sugar cookie

Place your rolled-out cookie dough on your cookie sheet. Place a sheet of parchment paper or a silicone baking mat under your dough.

Using a thin knife, trim around your template, cutting out your tie. Cut out the necktie cookie shape

Remove the excess cookie around your shape. Remove excess dough

If you have room, move your template over and cut out a second necktie. (Always make an extra if you can, no need to tempt fate.) Cut second shape (just in case you need a second)

Bake your cookie

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.

Before you bake your sugar cookies, use a long spatula to space them evenly on your cookie sheet. This will help them bake evenly and not spread into each other. Space the necktie cookies on cookie sheet

Baking times will vary from oven to oven.

These were baked for 9-1/2 minutes, but I began checking them at 8 minutes. Baked Father's Day cookies

You want the edges to be just turning brown.

*This is a BIG cookie. If it is too soft, it won’t hold up to the royal icing.

Prepare your colors

If your Dad has a favorite necktie, I would definitely use those colors!

For this tie I used…

Dark blue: 10 second flood and piping icing — Mixed with navy blue, a little violet and a drop of black.
Light blue: 10 second flood and piping icing — Mixed with a small a drop of royal blue.

Dark and light blue icing for the necktie

Orange: 10 second flood icing — Mixed with equal parts orange and electric orange.
White: 10 second flood icing

Orange and white icing for the necktie

Flood your necktie cookie

Put your dark blue piping icing in a pastry bag fitted with a #2 decorating tip.

Line your card stock up with the bottom diagonal of the tie. Pipe a line along the top edge of the card stock. Pipe a dark blue line along edge of the card stock

Now pick up the card stock and place it directly above the line you just made.

Using your light blue piping icing (in a pastry bag fitted with a #2 tip), pipe a line above the card stock. (The dark blue line is now directly below it.) Pipe next line (light blue) on the edge of the card stock

Using the card stock will ensure that your diagonals are both equally spaced and straight! Continue moving up the tie, alternating colors as you go. When you get to the top, draw a horizontal line at the bottom of the knot.

Make sure you draw the stripe on the knot in the opposite direction! Connect your stripes along the outer edges with alternating colors. Connect the stripes

Let the icing dry approximately 30 minutes.

Pour your flood icing into squeeze bottles fitted with #3 decorating tips.

Start by flooding your first diagonal section. Flood until almost full, using pastry tip to push icing into corners. Add flood icing the appropriate color blocked areas

Immediately pipe a straight line across the section with orange flood icing. Add orange stripe directly onto blue flood icing

This is called a “wet-on-wet” technique. The orange will settle evenly with the dark blue and leave a smooth surface. (y’know… like a necktie)

Fill all the dark sections and let set approximately 30 minutes. Fill in all the dark sections

Continue this same technique with remaining sections using light blue and white icing. Fill in all remaining sections using light blue and white icing

Let the Father’s Day cookie dry overnight! No touching!!

The next day your icing will be dry and touchable.

While you’re waiting for the icing to dry, make dad a matching Father’s Day shirt card.

Love is in the details

The final touches always make your cookie extra-special.

With your dark blue piping icing and a #2 tip, pipe lines where your sections meet, skipping the knot at the top. Add details to your Father's Day cookie

For the knot, use your light blue icing and a #2 tip. Pipe a horizontal line where the knot meets the body of the tie. Finish off the knot on the necktie cookie