Tiger Cookies for Lunar New Year

These tiger cookies came together on a whim in a single day. It was my first time decorating this way—but it won’t be my last. 

Let me backup for a minute. Yes, these adorable tiger cookies are decorated in honor of the year of the tiger. But they are not just cookies. They are a nod to my family’s Ashkenazi-Asian heritage and my first big baking endeavor of 2022. 

A Mindful New Year Start

Instead of setting resolutions, I start each new year by reflecting on my mood and mindset. I ask myself how I want to feel in the coming year and what goals to prioritize. It helps me set a course of action. 

So far, 2022 has centered on flexibility and creativity. Like many people I’ve been largely staying home, mostly due to the continued pandemic and nippy winter weather. That has meant finding new ways to stay connected to loved ones and spend my days. I’m also setting myself up for new personal and professional opportunities. It’s not enough to rely on inertia—I’m creating new habits and letting go of old ones that don’t work for my current life. Flexibility and creativity have been essential. 

And so we return to these tiger cookies. I’d say they embody my efforts to be flexible and creative. The base recipe is the entry on Black-and-White Cookies from OMG! Yummy’s The Essential Jewish Baking Cookbook, which has been a favorite of mine since it came out in 2021. It’s full of delicious recipes that are accessible for novice bakers as well as experienced pros. Black-and-white cookies are beloved in the New York metropolitan area where I grew up, and a truly iconic bakery staple for many Jewish Americans. The recipe I’ve been using is also shockingly easy, and I always have the ingredients on hand. It’s quickly become a go-to cookie for me.

A Spin on a Classic Cookie

My creative twist was in the decorating. I turned the recipe’s white frosting into a lovely orange using two drops of gel coloring. Do not overuse coloring—a little goes a long way, and too much can leave an unpleasant aftertaste. I prefer gel coloring for icing because it has a vibrant color and doesn’t add additional liquid, unlike liquid coloring that is commonly found at supermarkets.

After creating bowls of orange, white, and chocolate frosting (the latter using a black cocoa powder so it looked very dark), I set out to decorate the tiger cookies. I made two kinds: traditional half-and-half colored cookies with tiger stripes, and the tiger faces. 

The tiger cookies that are half-and-half colored only needed an offset spatula to decorate. You could also use a knife. The tiger cookies with faces were made using a piping bag. You can apply the tiger’s orange fur and white mouth with a spoon or spatula, but a piping bag is key for the details like the nose, mouth, and whiskers. 

The frosting isn’t as rock hard like a typical sugar cookie frosting. Instead it sets to a glossy finish that is easily chewable. The cookies themselves are cake-like and not overly sweet. I saved these tiger cookies in an airtight container with wax paper between layers. They stay good for a few days—not that they actually lasted that long. They made great gifts to friends, post-dinner treats, and mid-morning snacks beside a cup of tea.