UPDATE (November 2011): I know, I know, I’m grasping at anything for credit and kudos. It’s kinda pathetic. But the melting snowman cookie that has gone viral? This is the original, made by yours truly. I’m still waiting for some sort of paycheck or windfall of riches…
how to make a melting snowman cookie
Oh, poor snowman. If you don’t like the sentiment this expresses, you’ll see I’ve added the option of making your snowman smiley. That way, it will appear the snowman understands his inevitable demise and doesn’t mind so much the nature of things.
you will need:
dough
icing
Americolor soft gel pastes (Bright White, Orange, Electric Green or any color for buttons)
sharp knife
frosting bag with 4 tip
small spatula or knife
white rolled fondant
Black Americolor gourmet writer
light corn syrup
optional: frosting bag with 2 tip, Chocolate Brown soft gel paste (can also use a black or brown gourmet writer)
notes on supplies: You can also substitute concentrated pastes for the soft gel pastes, but I much prefer Americolor, as they are tasteless. Concentrated pastes, the frosting bag and tip, the rolled fondant, and maybe even the gourmet writers are available at major craft stores. Or, check on the Americolor site for links on the many, many places you can buy on the internet.
step one: bake your blob cookie
Roll out your dough and cut out a blob shape with a sharp knife. I drew my shape first on paper and cut around the paper. Don’t make the blob too big, about 4 inches. If the edges are rough from cutting, pat with your fingers to smooth. Bake on a parchment paper lined baking tray and let cool.
step two: frost your blob
Color some frosting with the Bright White gel paste and fill the bag with the 4 tip. Outline cookie with frosting and let set a good half hour. Take some frosting in a bowl, color white and add water, little by little, stirring until it’s syrupy. Pour the runny frosting onto the middle of the cookie and spread to the edges with a small spatula or butter knife. Let set til firm a good two hours, even longer if possible.
step three: make your snowman parts
Take a few teaspoons worth of fondant, knead (you can add a few drops of White coloring to brighten) and roll between your palms to form a sphere. If the fondant gets too sticky, let it sit for ten to fifteen minutes. Set on a piece of parchment or wax paper to harden for about an hour. Do the same with the carrot and buttons. Knead a small amount of fondant with the Orange color and form a triangle with your fingers. Set on the wax paper so the tip of the carrot points upward. Knead any color into fondant and roll small spheres for your buttons.
step four: make your face
When the snowman head has dried til firm enough to write on, make your face with the black edible gourmet pen. Choose from smiley (happy about melting) to shock (not happy about melting).
step five: assemble your snowman
To adhere the fondant pieces to each other and to the cookie, dab your finger in light corn syrup and rub on the areas that will be adhered. Start with the head and press firmly but gently onto the blob. Next, attach the carrot to the face. Then the buttons. For the sticks, I used brown frosting in a bag fitted with a 2 tip and piped. But you can also just draw them on with a brown or black edible pen.
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46 Comments
What a wonderful idea! Brilliant!But you knew that already…..lolNice cookie humor.
This is sooo cute! It is perfect for a Californian like me!
This is so cute! I love it!
too freaking (can I say freaking?) cute!!!!
Absolutely freekin adorable!!!! I LOVE THIS!!!! I will definitely have to make some of these!!
omgod that is soooo adorable!
Wahaha! that cracks me up! I love it!
I love it!!! I remembered Calvin and Hobbes snowmen when I saw these cookies in your blog, it’s a great idea.
Hilarious! I am going to have to try making these. My kids would laugh themselves silly.
OMG, how adorably funny! I can just imagine my kids having fun making these.
I love it!
haha those are great! Could do the same for the wicked witch in Wizard of OZ. Very creative!
These are so absolutely adorable and creative. You know this idea will be stolen and reused in elementary school bake sales everywhere!
oh my, this is the cutest cookie i have EVER seen! I am definitely bookmarking this page for future reference-so so cute!
What a super creative and super cute idea, I love it!
Thanks for allll your lovely comments! Mr. Melty seems to have struck a chord out there.
Found you via food gawker. Your little guy’s adorable. And the novice baker/decorator appreciates the step-by-step instructions.
This is the cutest thing – EVER. I had to call my mother in FL and made her go to foodgawker to show her. Cutest cookie I have EVER seen! What an imagination! I’ll be checking your blog from now on – Thanks for sharing!
Absolutely the cutest thing I ever saw in a cookie!
Thanks everyone for your super lovely fabulous comments! Means so much to me (just in case you’re back on my blog reading comments….)
You are so my cookie hero. I’m posting this on my blog and linking back to you. I hope that’s okay. (It will be up Monday)
Yummyyyyyyyy
Thanks so much for posting such great directions. I’ve always wanted to make cute iced sugar cookies, but have never had any success. I made these and they turned out perfect! I will be checking back soon and rushing to buy your book!
OH EM GEE!! My little town up here in Manitoba, Canada has had NO SNOW!! Can you believe that?! So when I saw these, I was like, NO WAY, these are perfect cookies for me! Thanks!
It would be even COOLer if for the snowman’s head, you use a cake ball -or whatever they’re called- that are used for cake pops. =)
wow cute idea
The melting snowman…pure cookie genius. Although my kids would insist upon making it a witch and making it in my likeness(just a coincidence, mom, really), the snowman stole my heart! I wish you could have won some sort of financial applause. At least you know you’re a cookie genius.
I love this cookie with all my heart!! I realize it is supposed to be a Christmas cookie but I am tempted to try it just before the temperatures reach triple digits… again… here in Arizona. Just adorable!
Ha ha! Love them x
Love this cookie! I once saw a Valentines’ Day card with melting snowman. The snowman’s heart was melting, also. It read… “When I think of you, I just melt.”
I Love your cookie idea and Lucky for you I saw it first here from you so the credit Is All yours from my point of view! =o) Happy Creating and don’t give it up from one stolen idea!
YOU are brilliant and creative! No one can take that away from you!
awwwww, thank you Chelsea! And wise words!
What a wonderful idea – I want to tell you this is going to be a traditional item on our Holiday table from now on…. our four grandchildren are going to go wild with helping Gramma in the kitchen…
Aw, thank you so much Monique!
I shouldn’t be surprised they started with you! Thanks for another great idea! I “found” the idea and made them last Christmas for the church party. They are soo cute! I found little plastic black top hats at Hobby Lobby 40% off that fit mine PERFECTLY and were tooooo adorable. Wish I could post a pic here!
Thank you Lynette!! ANOTHER reason I so wish I had a Hobby Lobby near me!!
This is the most creative cookies I’ve ever seen. I love Mr. Melty. Can’t wait to make them. I know they will be a huge hit no matter where I bring them for the holidays. They actually make me smile to see them. Thank you for sharing, a truly BRILLANT IDEA!!!!
Spotted: Melty snowman look alike found on page 22 of Rachael Ray’s Dec 2012 Magazine. I saw it and thought of YOU (and how I love the idea).
Seriously Victoria! The melty snowman is taking over the world!
Wish I got paid for it…. or credit, wait, one more 
.
Hey, isn’ there are way to copyright stuff…kinda like intellectual property??? I know, hard to prove or prosecute. As I tell my boys (when a younger sibling copies their ideas), take it as a compliment–which I am sure you do. But, I agree: it would be nice to have a little silver to jingle in your pocket and a little pat on the back. Too bad RR magazine didn’t at least gave you kuddos (though she might have stolen it from another melty imposter).
Your ideas are great! My recreations don’t look as good (that is why I sit here and you sit there). Keep up the great work!
These are awesome, you totally deserve credit! And, you should get royalties, or something! At least a very Merry Christmas? I’ll post on pinterest to spread your talent!
Seriously, this is one of my favorite cookies ever and I hate that people don’t give you credit for it. I was in Target today and saw that they had a kit to make them…please tell me some of that comes your way….it better or I’ll park myself in front of the rest of them and show people your website!!!!
Thank you so much Karen! I’m afraid you’ll have to stake out the Target… Nope, I get zippo from that, but I did hear about it. I’ve yet to see it in a store, I might cry!
Clever idea…my nephews wold love making this!