Welcome to the first in what I plan to be a recurring “How-To” series here on Brown Eyed Baker. While recipes are all well and good, there are some techniques that are best explained in a step-by-step method, with pictures included (at least this is how I learn best). As I was decorating my Stanley Cup Playoffs cookies last week I thought that doing a tutorial on how to decorate cookies with royal icing would be a great first How-To post.
I was always very good at baking snowmen, Christmas trees, angels and the like in December, slapping on some buttercream, a few sprinkles and calling it a day. Not that it isn’t good. It is definitely good. But then royal icing came onto my radar. The possibilities seemed endless – a completely smooth finish to the cookies and intricate designs? Now THAT looked fun! I’m here to guide you on a step-by-step tutorial on how to achieve any design you want on any shape cookie. Ready? Let’s begin!
Step 1: Find a Good Sugar Cookie Recipe
This might seem obvious, but not all sugar cookie recipes stand up well to heavy-duty decorating. If you don’t already have a favorite, let me point you to mine: Dorie Greenspan’s All-Occasion Sugar Cookies. They’re incredible.
Step 2: Cool Cookies Completely
Again, maybe elementary, but we’re going step-by-step here. You can’t decorate cookies that have just come out of the oven. Or even cookies that are slightly warm. They need to be completely cool before you can move on to decorating.
Step 3: The Equipment
Now, you don’t necessarily need fancy equipment for decorating with royal icing, but investing in just a few decorating tips and couplers, some disposable pastry bags and squeeze bottles will make your cookie decorating experience exponentially more pleasant. Here is a run-down of what I typically use:
♦ 12″ disposable pastry bags
♦ Decorating tips
♦ Couplers
♦ Squeeze Bottles. I use these for flooding my cookies. Since the royal icing is very thin at this point, it’s a much neater alternative to a cut-open pastry bag. Plus you can put the cap on and save any extra icing for next time.
♦ Small bowls or Tupperware (to color your icing)
♦ Toothpicks.
Step 4: Prep, Prep, Prep!
This got me the first time I decorated with royal icing, and is especially important if you are going to be using multiple colors and different tips. I flew by the seat of my pants and ended up making a huge mess, it took twice as long as it should have, and I was trying to fish used tips out of pastry bags to re-use them somewhere else. Your plan of action:
♦ Write down how many different colors you will be using and take out that many pastry bags and couplers and prepare them. Also figure out what size decorating tips you will be using and fit them to the pastry bags.
♦ If you don’t have squeeze bottles for flooding, add additional pastry bags for however many colors you will use for flooding, in additional to the bags of that color you will use for detail work (if any).
♦ Have your icing colors ready and as many small mixing bowls (Tupperware works great for this) as you have colors planned.
Step 5: Make the Royal Icing
The recipe for royal icing is very simple:
4 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons meringue powder
6 tablespoons water
Mix all ingredients on low speed for 7-10 minutes or until the icing loses its shine. Add more water by the teaspoon if it appears too stiff. At this stage you want to be able to pipe it easily:
Step 6: Color the Icing
Divide the icing into your containers based on how much you will need of each one. Proceed to color the icing and then cover each container with a damp paper towel. It is key when working with royal icing not to allow it to dry out.
Step 7: Outline the Cookies
You will want to outline the cookies with whatever color you will be using to fill them in with. Place some of the icing into a disposable pastry bag fitted with a #3 tip and outline the outside of the cookie. I find that keeping the tip about ½-inch above the cookie while moving it allows the icing to lay on the cookie more easily.
You’ll want to make sure that the outline is pretty well set before moving on to flooding the cookies, but I generally find that by the time I am done outlining the first ones are already dry.
Step 8: Flood the Cookies
Take whatever color you are using to fill in the cookies and slowly start adding a few drops of water at a time, until the icing reaches an almost liquid consistency. The test here is to pick some icing up with a spoon and let it drizzle back into the bowl – the drizzle should disappear into the bowl within 10 seconds. Once you have achieved this, you are ready.
Either fill a squeeze bottle with the thinned icing or transfer it to a disposable pastry bag with a ¼-inch hole cut off the end.
Now squeeze in the icing to almost completely fill the inside the cookie.
Then take a toothpick and gently use it to distribute the icing to any empty spots.
Once you are done the cookies need to dry completely before moving on to any intricate piped designs. Some bakers will let them sit overnight but I generally find that a 2-3 hour rest will do the trick.
Now use whatever colors and tips you’d like to achieve the design you want!
♦ ♦ ♦
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Tags: Decorated Cookies, royal icing, Sugar Cookies, Tutorials
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Finally! I now know how to do this correctly! I have struggled with this. thank you for your post!
This was really helpfull! I like that you included pictures so I knew what everything was supposed to look like.
Can you make and store royal icing ahead of time in fridge for a cookie decorating party? Is it okay icing to use with preschoolers in squirty bottles or should I use something else??? Can you substitute egg white powder for meringue powder?
Hi Heather,
Yes, you can store royal icing ahead of time in the refrigerator. Store it in a Tupperware-type container, with plastic wrap pressed down against the surface of the icing so that it doesn’t dry out.
You can definitely put royal icing in squirt bottles, in fact that’s often what I use to decorate since it’s much less messy!
And yes, you can substitute powdered egg whites for the meringue powder.
Enjoy your decorating!
Thank you so much for this wonderful tutorial!!!!! I have been all over the web looking at royal icing sites and yours was the first that made sense. I felt i was right in the kitchen with you!! I have one question. My daughter is getting married in the middle of June and we are making weddin cake cookies as favors at the reception. The cookies are all made and frozen. How soon can I decorate them and leave them bagged in indvidual bags before the big day? Thanks so muc!
Betsy
Hi Betsy,
I’m so happy to hear that this tutorial will be of great use to you! I would say that you could decorate and bag them about 2-3 days ahead of the wedding. Congratulations to your daughter!
Very helpful! I have done limited cookie decorating and had never heard the tip about outlining your cookies in icing before flooding them. I have always had trouble making them neat around the edges and now I know why. Thanks. Also, I would love some more instructions from you on decorating with royal icing, geared towards those of us with minimal artistic abilities.(aka tricks to make my cookies look fabulous, even though I can’t draw very well, and my letters are usually crooked).
This was wonderful, thank you! I would never have thought to do many of these steps, such as outlining, thinning out the icing flooding, and using a toothpick. VERY helpful tips. These will go a long way for me; I am so glad you posted this. Thanks again!!
I am scared to death as a 1st time royal icing user & your wonderful step by step’s are a life saver! I printed them & the pictures & will attempt 60 wedding cake cookies for my future dgt-in-law’s bridal shower. I wish I could give you a big hug for giving me a little more confidence. Thanks so very much.
This is helpful!I want to make black royal icing. I will be using quite a bit of black because I am making Groom cookies and black is used for the tux. Would you suggest to start with chocolate royal icing? Just add about 1/3 cup coco powder? Let me know! Thanks!!!
Hi Nicole,
I wouldn’t add cocoa powder to your royal icing, it would affect the consistency and the way that it sets on the cookie. I have made black jersey cookies and things like that and always start with just basic royal icing and keep adding the black gel until you get the black shade you are going for. Also remember that colors will darken as the icing dries.
Love your site. Helped a lot with your tips on royal icing. Thanks.
THis was a very helpful tutorial. I now have more confidence to make favor cookies for my daughter’s 2nd birthday. One question, any tips for using two colors to flood coat? Or doing polka dots with royal icing?
I have been decorating cookies with royal icing for awhile but I always have the same issue. Dark colours, especially black, bleed into adjacent colours. I did a bus cookie outlined in black (I allowed the black to dry almost 24 hours before I added the next colors) it looked great for a few hours but by the next day it was a mess because the black ran so badly. What is the solution to this problem? Is it because of humidity? Help…
Nicole
thank you so very much for the informative demonstration on decorating with royal icing! I have tried and tried with other instructions and these ones are by far the best. I am going to attempt some baby shower cookies for my stepdaughter’s shower and feel quite confident now in what i”m about to do. thanks again and God Bless!
this is my second comment and am adding it because I was reading further into your site and noticed something you said about placing your cookies back in the fridge before baking. I’m like you, in that I cut my cookies a bit thicker than the 1/4 in. I’m sure I’ll get chastised for this but I do not chill my dough prior to rolling and cutting. Since they are a bit thicker they come up fine so I cut them out, place on a c. sheet and then in the fridge to chill. then onto the oven. believe it or not it saves time chilling only about 15min. I make up three or four sheets then pop them in and rotate them out of the oven for a quick process to get lots of cookies. hope this is helpful!
This is such a great tutorial! Very helpful tips for the future when I decide to bake some sugar cookies of my own. Thank you!
FABULOUS step by step directions. I followed your tips on outlining, thinnig the icing and everything in between. While my bridesmaid cookies were adorable and cute, it’ll take soem time before they are as cute as your playoff jerseys!
Just wanted to thank you for your step-by-step tutorial. While I’ve been baking for years, I’ve never tried the intricate designs that you show here,(beautifully I might add). I now have a list of items to go get and do a test run before I need to do the real thing.
Thanks so much, your tutorial is the best I’ve found after looking for quite a while.
waow thank you so much…i love your site
Great tips! I’m so glad I stumbled across your website. In my area decorated sugar cookies start at $3 each and that adds up quickly. I want to use some edible pearls and glitter on the cookies that I will be making. At what point in the process should I add them? Should I do it right after I flood with the royal icing or wait for them to harden a bit? I’m worried that if I add them to quickly the pearls will sink. Please advise. Thanks!
I am new to cookie decorating and making. I have never been able to bake cookies let alone decorate them. This is so helpful, i am going to start this week so i will let you know how i did, wish me luck.
Thank you so much for your steo by step intructions. I decided to make football related cookies to send to my son. he recently left for college at University of Miami. I had time on my hands. Your guidance made this a fun, rewarding experience,The cookies look awesome. Go Canes.Thanks, ALyse
LOVE your site!! I am getting ready to start decorating cookies for a cheerleading competition. I just have one question how far in advance do you think I can make and store these cookies?
Hi Amie, Thanks! These cookies can definitely be done in stages over several day. What I typically do is make the dough one day, then throw it in the fridge to chill. The next day I bake the cookies. If I have time I will outline and flood them. Then let them dry overnight and do the details on top. Once they are decorated you can store them in an airtight container or bag (just be careful stacking!) for 1-2 days. Have fun!
Thank you so much for the detailed instructions on decoarting the cookies. I recently made cookies for my granddaughters birthday and school party but the cookies were rounded and uneven. I notice that the cookies I purchase and your cookies are flat. Any ideas as to why my cookies are uneven which makes it difficult to decorate them as well as takes away from the appearance?
Hi Janice, I have found that cookies sometimes turn out bumpy and uneven when the dough is too warm before getting it into the oven. I would try refrigerating the cookie sheets for 15-20 minutes before popping them into the oven and see if that helps!
thanks…
Your tutorial is absolutely FABULOUS! I am the worlds worst baker… I followed your instructions and recipes to a T and not only were me cookies edible, they were adorable and delicious too!! I have a pic of the pink & zebra cookies in this post, http://peasandthankyous.blogspot.com/2010/10/neenies-7th-birthday-pink-zebra-art.html, and I linked back to you. Thank you sooooo much for this tutorial!!
You are very welcome, Jill! Those cookies are absolutely adorable, you did fabulous work!! Love your site too!
This is FANTASTIC!! I have looked all over the internet to get the simplest directions to decorate sugar cookies with royal icing (since I’ve never used royal icing before), and your tutorial and photos make this seem very easy. I’m baking 150 pink ribbon cookies (6″) for my co-workers to recognize Breast Cancer Awareness month.
Thanks for your time!!
You are very welcome Evelyn! What a nice gesture to make all of those cookies! Have fun!
This is an awesome tutorial! I definitely have to try this for the next time I make sugar cookies! Thanks!
Thank you for the great step by step instructions!!!
When letting the cookies sit before decorating, do we need to store it in a container or just leave it in the open?
Hi Zahra, You can let it sit out. I always just lay them out on my dining room table. The icing keeps the cookies moist.
Thanks so much for posting. It is a very helpfel recipe.
But I was wondering,
Is there anything I can use to replace the meringue powder?
Would cream of tartar work?
Hi Alex, Hmm that’s a good question. The meringue powder is really essential in the icing, as it is what allows it to dry hard. I have never substituted it with anything and am not sure that cream of tartar would work in this instance. Is there a particular reason you don’t want to use meringue powder?
I have been a “decorating fool” since I’ve seen your tutorial about decorating cookies with royal icing!! I do have a question though, it seems that the top layer of royal icing gets hard and almost dried out on the cookie after just a day or two.Like when you bite the cookie, it is almost like a candy coating. I did cover the cookies with plastic wrap. Any suggestions? Thank you so much.
Hi Liz, The royal icing is actually supposed to dry rock hard. That way you can easily decorate on top of it.
This is so helpful! Wonderful tutorial, thanks!
very informative. I however do not like cookies decorated with royal icing. tried the ones from stores. Haven’t tried it home. I am wondering whether we could do the same thing with buttercream – making it thin and various consiastency? if so how do you thin buttercream for flooding? adding more liquid or melted butter?
Unfortunately the consistency of buttercream is totally different and doesn’t have the same properties as royal, so it would not dry smooth and hard.
I just made footballs using your tips, which were extremely helpful. The only trouble I had was that some of them dripped down the sides. Is this because I didn’t pipe a thick enough line in some spots?
I also used the all-occasion sugar cookie recipe. Delicious once they’re baked. I had trouble with the dough, though. I couldn’t get the cookies off of the wax paper, even after chilling them for an extra 30 minutes. I ended up using my cookie cutters in a makeshift way, but my footballs are anything but perfect and smooth. Any tips?
Hi Lauren, the icing running off the edge could definitely be attributed to the border not being thick enough. I usually use a #2 tip with consistent pressure to pipe the borders. Also, making sure that the borders are dry before flooding is another important step.
Regarding the cookies sticking – if you roll out the dough between pieces of wax or parchment paper, you need to be sure to flour all of the surfaces really well.
This was beyond helpful!! You should have seen me trying to microwave my icing to make it pourable!! Ha ha ha
Yay so glad you found it helpful! Woo for cookies!
Thank you for the helpful tips and demo. I am looking into picking up cookie decorating as a hobby and this was very helpful for me.
Thanks for such detail explaination on icing decoration. I’m totally dummy in this. I will bookmark this for sure.
I have a problem when using sprinkles on royal icing on cookies or buttercream icing for cake. If I put the sprinkles on when the icing is damp, the sprinkles bleed into the icing. If I let it dry a bit, then the sprinkles do not stick. Do you have a solution for that?
Hi Georgia, What you’ll want to do is let the royal icing dry. Then, brush it very lightly with some water and then add your sprinkles. Let it dry completely, and then shake off any excess sprinkles.
Thank you, Michelle, I’ll try that. We need a hairspray for sprinkles!! hahaha
Thank you for the great tutorial on royal icing. I do a lot of baking and this was one of the best set of instructions I’ve ever used! My turkey sugar cookies turned out beautifully.
So happy to hear that Mary! Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!
hi,
i love your instruction…but mmm i’m wondering if you can make the ‘how to’ on macaroons i can’t seem to bake these babies they turned out either flat & rough or footless >_< , i've tried many many tips from the net but i simply couldn't get it right.. what went wrong? i'd really love to see the detailed step by step on this one…
I was looking for a simple royal icing recipe and cookie decorating ideas to use with my 4 year old grandson. I found your website most helpful and appreciate the detailed instructions. Will be making cookies this weekend!!!!
Yay! What a wonderful activity to do with your grandson! Have fun!
Amazing instructions and pictures. Thanks so much for posting this. I made cat and dog cookies for my daughter’s birthday party favors and they turned out great–but how did you get the lettering to come out so well? Did you use a #1 tip or something even smaller? Whenever I tried to draw fine lines, the icing flow would “skip” and/or the line would be too thick (way thicker than yours, even using a #1 tip)…
Hi Maia, I do sometimes use a #1 tip for writing letters on cookies. Depending on how large I want them I either use a #1 or #2, but mostly #1. As for the icing skipping, this used to happen to me too. The icing needs to be just a little less stiff, so try adding a touch more water. That should help it flow nicely out of the piping bag. It can take some trial and error (and patience!) to get a feel for the consistencies, but it eventually comes. It took me awhile!
great tutorial + great recipes = a really great christmas cookie baking and decorating experience for me and my family. thank you for bringing out the martha stewart that i always knew was inside me!
I have a great tip in regards to the dough…immediately after mixing the dough, divide dough into 2 pieces, roll out between wax or parchment paper to your desired cookie thickness. Put flattened dough on cookie sheets (leave paper on dough) and leave in the refrigerator 2-3 hours or overnight. Once the dough is hardened, remove paper and cut out cookies! The dough stays very cold, there is less spreading and you don’t have to try and roll hard dough!
Hi Brown-eyed Baker,
I am about to try these instructions in a few days, using them to bake cookie favors for my sister’s baby shower. They will be turtle-shaped cookies, frosted in minty-green royal icing. They are based on a design in her nursery. Anyway, I would like to add candy buttons (you know, the type that come on the rolls of paper) as decorations on the turtle shells (the turtles in her nursery are polka-dotted). Is it possible to use the royal icing to affix things to the cookies? Or, should I add a different type of icing to do the adhering on top of the royal icing?
Thanks!
Laura
Hi Laura, Royal icing is actually perfect for “gluing” things to the hardened/iced cookie. Have fun and enjoy the cookies!
Wow that was fast! But, do I “glue” them when the royal icing is still wet or do I follow the steps above regarding the sprinkles? Should I let the icing harden, wet it slightly and then glue them on? Thanks so much! I can’t wait to do this!
Hi again!
You will want to let the cookies completely dry before adding any extras on, then just a small dab of royal icing and “glue” on your additions. This is different than sprinkles, and you do not need to wet the icing at all. Just make sure it is completely try, then use fresh royal icing to glue on any additions.
VERY helpful! My daughter got some really cool Star Wars cookie cutters for Christmas. They emboss the top of the cookie with the pattern. But she got really frustrated trying to work with the royal icing. This website helped explain what she needed to know.
Awesome instructions! The pictures were super helpful. Thanks for doing this!!
I tried the sugar cookie recipe and your royal icing recipe last night and both were AMAZING! I cannot thank you enough for posting both in addition to your most useful play by play on how to decorate using royal icing. Thank you!
My mother worked in a bakery through college and growing up she would make “sweet and sour” sugar cookies with royal icing for nearly every holiday and event you could imagine!
Her trick to make the flooding part go much much faster is to thin the icing and then hold the edges of the cookie and dip the top of it into the icing, bypassing the outline piping entirely. She then runs her finger like a knife along the front to even it out and then lays them out to dry – it’s a little messier than the method above – but absolutely worth it when making them by the 100′s for large events!
Thank you so much!!! I was looking for some tips on this (tried doing it on my own, and due to the fact that I did not know about the flooding part…. and adding water…. well u know, they didn’t come out the way they were supposed to).
This was really helpful and hopefully over time my cookies will come out looking like yours….
Thanks so much for this! It really helped me get over my fear of tackling “professional-looking” decorated cookies. The squeeze bottles are the BEST!
I made the ducky and onesie cookies for a baby shower and they turned out awesome! The mom to be and guests thought I had purchased them from a bakery! Thank you for the help.
I did find that for me, flooding worked best by using a baby spoon, adding icing and then pushing the icing with the back of the spoon. It was small enough to get in the corners and took less time than the toothpicks.
I’m making an attempt at this royal icing thing and just wondered if the icing will stay soft in the piping bags. I’d like to outline and flood the cookies today, but then do the detailed work tomorrow. Will the leftover icing in the bags be good for tomorrow, or should I plan on making a fresh batch for the detailed work? Thanks!
You can keep the icing in the piping bags, but put them tip-down in a glass with a little water in the bottom to keep it moist. If you don’t, the royal icing will dry out and then the tip will get clogged. Happy decorating!
I have used a glaze to achieve the smooth glossy cookies but yesterday was the first try for this. I don’t know what happened but it looked normal going on, but did not dry quickly and this morning are still tacky to the touch. The consistency looks different too. It almosts tastes and feels a little like marshmallow. I don’t know if has something to do with the humidity in the air as we have had a lot of rain lately or not. Any thoughts or suggestions? Hope they dry more today or I am afraid they will stick to each other when stored on top of one another. Right now, they are in the cold oven.:(
Hi Cae, Hmm usually they dry completely overnight. The humidity could definitely be a factor, also could you have maybe thinned the icing too much? Those are the only reasons I can think of that it wouldn’t be dry by now.
I just wanted to say thanks for sharing these great step-by-step photos to go with the instructions. I’m a visual person and tonight was the first time I used royal icing for Valentine’s Day sugar cookies and it was so easy. I actually flavored it with a little strawberry extract and then drizzled melted chocolate on top and they tasted phenomenal in addition to giving them a little hint of pink!
that was helpfull information..
I will make me some cookies to decorate this upcomming weekend.
Thanks
I have always wondered how to fill cookies like this with no lines! Thanks so much, this really helped!
I was looking for a new frosting recipe when I came upon this website and royal icing. I made my cutout recipe 2 different times before I gave it a go with this procedure. If I use this frosting on cookies for my daughter’s baby shower I’ll need to practice, practice, practice more. My outlining was uneven; but the outlining definitely shows the shape of any cutout cookie (onesie’s, ducks, buggy, etc.), which is nice. My husband is sampling as I write this. Not sure he likes the taste when compared to the buttercream I usually do. SO, THE BIG QUESTION IS DO I GO FOR THE LOOK OR THE TASTE? Outlining and filling is definitely more work than slapping on some buttercream.
Hi Elaine, I would say that decorating sugar cookies with royal icing definitely is not done for taste. It’s definitely not as good as buttercream, but it’s the only way to intricately decorate sugar cookies and allow them to dry completely hard.
I have decorated cookies several times with royal icing and honestly never knew that there was an honest to goodness technique to make them perfect! Thank you so much for taking the time to make this step by step tutorial….you are a godsend!
I just found this website tonight and came across your recipe. I don’t remember when I’ve seen a receipe so detailed and friendly. You seem to enjoy what you do and don’t mind sharing it with other people. Thank you so much. I will be coming back for other recipes, especially yours.
Thanks so much for the detailed description! This is just what I was looking for!!!
So excited to do this! Thank you for the how-to!
I’m going to try decorating cookies for a baby shower this weekend. This will be my first try at this………wish me luck!
This step by step instructional is amazing. I have been trying to make cookies with royal icing for years and they always turned out so messy. Thanks to this, I finally got it right. Thank you so much!!! Another tip that I learned is this: when filling the pastry bags: put the empty bag (with tip and coupler already in place) in a tall glass. Fold the top of the bag over the glass and then fill bag with icing. Once the bag is no more than half way full you can twist the top and take it out for use. This allows you to use both hands while filling the pastry bag with the royal icing. This is a great way to make a possibly messy task simple and spill proof. Once again thank you so much for taking the time to do this!!!
Thanks for making this step by step tutorial! Can’t wait to try it out!
i’ve always wanted to decorate cookies and yours is definitely a great help. i’ll want to try it soon. can i also ask if you have any books to recommend to me, who is a beginner in cookie and cake deco? thank you very much! (:
Hi Jasmine, I actually have never checked out any books on cake or cookie decorating, but I find YouTube videos super helpful!
Hi!
Thank you so much for this!!!! I am going to be making cookie bouquets for my older sisters in college for their exam week. I was wondering, do you know how ot make it so that you get the flooded look with two different colors?(this is kind of hard to describe over the computer), but like if I had a round cookie with a pink background and I wanted to put polka dots in it without them being raised above the pink icing, would I just plop them in there?
Hi Megan, What a great sister you are! I do know what you mean, it’s hard to explain, but yes, you just plop them in right after you flood them and they’re still wet. A short explanation is included in this post by Bake at 350:
http://bakeat350.blogspot.com/2010/12/dotty-winter-trees.html
Have fun!
Do you make 2 different batches of the royal icing to do one set of cookies? Meaning one batch for the flood icing and another batch for the piped decoration? I’m thinking that it sounds like if you make one batch, dividing it into piping and flooding, color it, etc, then do the flooding, by the time you are ready to do the piping wouldn’t the reserved piping icing have dried out? How do you keep that portion fresh overnight will the flood dries?
Hi Karen, It all depends on how much I need and how many different colors. Sometimes I will make a separate batch, but if I only make one, I cover the unused icing with a damp towel (to keep the moisture in) or you can put it in the piping bags, close off the top with a rubber band, and then put them tip-down into a glass with a little water so they stay hydrated.
I get it now!! This tutorial totally answered all my questions!!!
Brilliant! This was EXACTLY what I was looking for. Been wondering how to do that for AGES and love the detailed instructions. Thanks!
Thank you so much for this information on decorating sugar cookies. My first attempt was at Christmas a year ago and it took me several recipes to get a tasty cookie. As for the icing, I have been using a recipe that calls for confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, a little milk and light karo syrup and what a mess. but it is tasty! anyway, my daughter wants me to decorate cookies for my grandsons 1st birthday this weekend to look like john deere tractors. I was wondering what the difference in your royal icing and the icing i’ve been using would be? i’m not even sure it has a name, I just remember searching until i found recipe for sugar cookie icing and found this one. the icing actually dries hard enough that i’ve been able to use other colors for decorating though they are nothing compared to yours. i really want to try yours but was just curious if you’d ever heard of or used the icing i’m referring to. thanks again for this valuable information!
Hi Terri, I have not heard of the type of icing you described, but I can tell that the primary (and important) difference is that the royal icing recipe I use has meringue powder in it. That is the key ingredient and gives the icing it’s smooth texture and allows it to try super hard. I hope that helps; have fun decorating!
Thanks for your feedback Michelle. I completed my project over the weekend, 50 sugar cookies cut like a tractor and a red barn, and decorated. it took me forever but I did it although since it was my first time using the royal icing, i made mistakes and learned a lot! actually the icing i’ve used with the karo syrup dries hard as well but would not work for the outlining at all. the royal icing is much easier to make though. as for my other post about the outlining, for some reason in certain places the outline fell off so i went back to those places and outlined them again and had no bleeding at all. for my first attempt i thought they turned out ok. they weren’t as smooth as they should have been but i think if I keep at it I can eventually get there. This site has been a tremendous help to me. My daughter-in-law now wants some pink zebra print cookies for my grand-daughter’s 2nd birthday party coming up in a few weeks. Any suggestions? Also, do you use a stencil on your cookies to outline first or is it all freehand with you?
Hi Terri, I do everything freehand, although I do quite a bit of sketching and practicing beforehand, especially if it’s something I haven’t done before.
Thank you for this! I follow you in Google Reader, but stumbled across this by searching. It’s exactly what I’m looking for. Thank you again!
I outlined my cookies last night to prepare them for flooding tonight and had problems with the icing not sticking to the cookies in several places. I followed the recipe on here for the royal icing and my cookies were completely cool. does anyone have any suggestions as to how to prevent this?
Hi Terri, The outlined icing didn’t stick to the cookies? Could you explain exactly what happened/how it looks, or include a link to a picture if possible? It will help me help you out
Michelle, did you ever think of outlining in chocolate? I am considering melting down some of those Wilton wafers (you can melt them right in the squeeze bottle) and outlining in chocolate, then flooding the cookie with royal icing after the chocolate has set. I haven’t tried this yet…what do you think? Does it sound like it would work?
Hi, whats the diference between Royal icing and color flow icing?
These are so precious!!
I want to bookmark this page for my own reference, but being hardcore Lightning fans, I think my husband would freak out if he found a bookmarked page full of Pens cookies.
) You did give me an awesome idea for our Eastern Conference Finals watch parties/traveling to Tampa goodies, though!
Haha! Well, if it makes you feel any better, I’m rooting for Tampa to beat Boston
thank you so much your walk through was so very helpful. i am not a baker by far but wanted to make cookies for my sons baseball team. Thank you very much!!!!
I love your website!! I have made many of your yummy sweets. I do have a question/problem, no matter what sugar cookie recipe I use, the cookies break sometimes as soon as the next day.Any ideas as to what I am doing wrong? I have a big project for a baby shower this comming weekend!! Thank you again.
Hi Liz, What do you mean that they break? Just sitting in a container, they break in half? Or the icing cracks? I’m not sure I really understand what you mean whey you say that they break.
Hi Michelle, The cookies just break either in half, or a corner breaks off. It happens both unfrosted and frosted. Its as if the cookies are too dry. It does not matter how thick or thin the cookies are made. I will try to email you a photo(although I am not computer savy) Thanks for your fast response. Liz
your tips were all great! when i was looking for how to decorate sugar cookies i was expecting some crazy elaborate technique. i’m having a baby shower for my daughter in law and were doing a tea party theme and you ideas seem easy enough for me to try. thanks so much, i’m not freaking out so much now!:)
Hello,
This was pretty helpful, but I specifically was hoping for the NEXT step…. how you get it so perfect with the details. Especially with your onesies and stuff like that. When I am writing my frosting either pulls up, or it’s thick, or there is a peak when I lift up…. or it’s too thin and blends together. It would be nice to see you do the NEXT step to put it all together and get it so detailed. Like, how the heck to you draw a GUITAR?!?!?
Hi Angela, Thanks for the feedback! I will work on doing a similar tutorial for the details, maybe “part II”. For some of the cookies, like Pea in a Pod, I do illustrate the step-by-step decorating process.
Your tutorial answered every question that I had. Thanks for the detailed, organized and informative directions!
I used royal icing for the very first time tonight, and your tutorial was very helpful! I even used the cookie recipe you suggested. I’m so proud of my cookies, I can’t wait to share them on my blog tomorrow!
Thank you for putting together such an informative piece on this subject…I tried years ago, made a huge mess and said never again…but now I’m off to the kitchen to try again after so many years, I’ll let ya know…lol…thank you again on a great piece…also awesome troubleshooting tips!!!! ; )
I have avoided sugar cookies like the plague. A couple attempts in the very distant past was horrendous. Everything went wrong from the cookie to the frosting. I actually want to try this with your wonderful tutorial helping me every step of the way. Thank you for all your hard work in doing this for us.Ü
Loved how everything is step by step. I learn best this way. Thanks
The tutorial was absolutely amazing, the tips are so useful, THANKS!! I love it so much and planning to make cookies for my baby shower party. What can I use instead of the meringue powder? I don’t live in a Western country so it’s a bit tricky in getting the powder. Please let me know if there are any substitutes to it.
Hi Queenie, I have never used a substitute for the meringue powder, but I do believe you can make royal icing with egg whites. I would Google for some recipes, since I’ve never done it there aren’t any particular ones I can recommend.
Can you tell me why I need to keep mixing the royal icing until it loses its shine? It seems very well mixed way before 7 minutes.
Hi Sandra, While it will indeed be combined rather quickly, beating it for a significant amount of time helps with the ultimate consistency.
OK Thanks Michelle! I didn’t see this response before and I resubmitted the question. Please ignore.
Can you tell me WHY we need to keep beating the icing until the shine goes away? I really appreciate your comments on the technical aspects of the sugar cookies and I was wondering about the icing.
Michelle, please help.
I love your cookie recipe and I am going along and decorating a number of cookies but I keep running into the same problem and I don’t know what I am doing wrong. I am using a tip and coupler but the tip keeps getting clogged. I don’t think I have any grease in the bag or the tip — my icing is definitely not too stiff. I am going along and it seems as though there is a small sugar crystal or it is drying out. I can’t imagine it drying out because it happens right in the middle of my decorating. I sifted the powdered sugar so the only thing I can think of is that the meringue is globbing. Is that possibly the problem? The only other thing is whether I should be burping the bag all along instead of just at the beginning. I am at a loss as to what the problem may be. I would appreciate your feedback.
Hi Sandra, If the tip opening is small enough, it could definitely get clogged, I have had this happen. Royal icing can dry very quickly, so as soon as you put the bag down to do something else, I recommend wrapping the tip in a wet paper towel to keep it from drying out. Also, make sure that the tips are thoroughly washed and dried, sometimes the smallest piece of dried icing left in there can cause headaches.
Thanks for replying so quickly. I don’t know exactly what was causing the problem but I did go ahead and dissolve the meringue powder in water first and then made sure that there was absolutely no clumps by smashing what was left undissolved between my fingers. Then I added the powdered sugar. I guess the fingers are the BEST tool! Anyway, I used a 1.5 tip and I absolutely had no problems! Yeah!
Thank you so much for the tutorial! I think the key is in having the right tools. Besides, you will use them over and over, making cookie decorating enjoyable instead of a disaster.
Thanks for the tips! Really great techniques. I can’t wait to try them for my saints cookies for Sunday football! Who dat!
I am really having fun making these for my friends. I am creating all kinds of intricate designs but I am hoping you can give me some advice. Did you ever have trouble with the colored icing seeping into the white icing? They seem ok when I flood them but after a day or two I see that the black or orange seeped into the white making small areas of discoloration. I would guess it is a drying issue. Did you ever have that problem and do you know of a magical number of hours to wait before putting white down next to a color? (or the other way around?)
Hi Sandra, If I flood in white I usually leave them to dry completely overnight before doing details in other colors. The other thing that could cause it is if your “other” color isn’t quite stiff enough – if the icing has a little too much water it will be more prone to running.
Found you through Google! Many thanks for a great tutorial….but I’m wondering what method you use to put the icing you use for flooding into the squeeze bottles? I have used both disposable pastry bags and the bottles you suggest but find that, as much as I like the idea of the squeeze bottle for flooding, it’s really hard to get the icing in there to begin with. Any tips I can try?
Hi Mary, I usually just mix my icing in a tupperware container, and then slowly pour it into a squeeze bottle in a steady stream. Hope that helps!
I’ve tried your cookie recipe a few times because I LOVE soft sugar cookies. However, I can’t get the shapes to hold their form. Its like they melt and the cookie cut-out form doesn’t hold up. Is it because I’m not putting them on the upper and lower racks? Could my oven be too hot (set at 375)? They taste great, but for the purpose of creating specific shapes I’ve had a hard time accomplishing this.
I LOVE your decorating tips, though. They have helped me make great cookies for many parties.
Hi Katie, I would try chilling the cookies (on the baking sheet) for at least 15 minutes before baking. That should help them keep their shape. Also, if you don’t have one, I would recommend an oven thermometer to make sure your oven isn’t running hot.
First off, thank you for this tutorial! I have a question regarding putting actual cartoon characters on the cookie, like a football team mascot, Dr. Seuss, Hello Kitty…etc. I’ve seen cookies that every cookie is identical and also different fonts. I’ve wondered if it is a stencil or cricut machine they are using. Do you know how I would accomplish this. I have done many cakes, but have not baked or decorated sugar cookies, but I’m now excited to try.
Hi Kristal, I’ve never done this, but I’ve seen some that use an icing printer to print out an image that can be laid on the top of the cookie. Otherwise, you could maybe find molds or something like that to imprint the images and then decorate using those lines.
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