An edible decoration is laser kiss cut from an edible decorating sheet by optically sensing at least one printed edible design on the edible decorating sheet relative to a laser cutting tool coordinate system and causing the laser beam to travel along a circuit of cutting locations defined in the laser cutting tool coordinate system to form a separation channel by laser ablation of at least a portion of the edible decorating sheet at the cutting locations while 304 leaving the releasable backing intact.
