How to Create Two-Tone Fondant Cookies

Make your cookie designs stand out with two contrasting fondant colours! This technique fills the recessed details of your 3D debosser with one colour, then transfers them onto a different-coloured fondant background.

It takes a little practice, especially with detailed patterns. Here’s how we do it at MEG Cookie Cutters.

What you’ll need

• A MEG Cookie Cutters 3D debosser and matching cutter

• Fresh fondant in two colours

• Cornflour and a clean, dry brush

• A smooth scraper suitable for use with your debosser

• A rolling pin

• Baked, completely cooled cookies

• Edible glue or your usual method for attaching fondant

1. Prepare your fondant

Choose one colour for the raised details and another for the background. We always recommend using a lighter colour for the infill and a darker colour for the background to help the design stand out.

We recommend Lidl’s white ready-to-roll fondant for the infill and Renshaw fondant for the background.

Use fresh fondant straight from the packet. Knead a small piece of your infill fondant between your fingers until it feels soft and pliable. Keep any unused fondant covered to prevent it from drying out.

Keep any unused fondant covered so it doesn’t dry out.

2. Lightly dust your debosser

Use a dry brush to apply a light dusting of cornflour across the patterned face, including the recesses.

Brush away any excess. You need a thin coating to help the fondant release, without filling the fine details with powder.

3. Fill the design

Press small amounts of your detail-colour fondant into the recessed areas you want to highlight.

Work it into the little corners and details. Start with a small amount and add more where needed.

4. Scrape away the excess

This is the most important step for a clean finish.

Hold your scraper almost flat against the face of the debosser. Apply firm, controlled pressure as you slide it across the surface, without digging into or scratching the tool.

Remove the excess fondant until it remains only inside the recessed design. Any fondant left on the flat surface can transfer onto your background and leave unwanted marks.

5. Add your background colour

Roll out your second fondant colour to your usual cookie-covering thickness.

Lay it over the filled debosser. Press evenly across the whole design, using your rolling pin gently to help the background fondant pick up the coloured details.

Keep everything in place while pressing to avoid smudging the pattern.

6. Peel away carefully

Slowly separate the fondant from the debosser, starting at one edge.

Your coloured details should lift out with the background fondant, revealing the two-tone design.

7. Cut and attach

Place the decorated fondant face up, align your matching cutter and cut out the shape.

Attach it to a completely cooled cookie using a little edible glue or your usual method.

Tips for a cleaner result

• Details staying in the debosser? Clean and dry it, lightly dust with cornflour and try again with a fresh piece of soft fondant.

• Smears on the background? Check that you’ve scraped all excess fondant from the flat surface.

• Missing details? Fill the recesses carefully and apply even pressure when adding the background.

• Fondant becoming dry or difficult to work with? Start with a fresh piece rather than repeatedly reworking the same one.

Start with a simple design, then work your way up to finer patterns as you get comfortable with the technique.