Sugar cookies / royal icing

14 years ago

OMG!! I came across this picture on flickr and I swear I wasn't even looking for cookies LOL

Can anyone give me, someone who has never and I mean NEVER iced a cookie before, any idea of how long it takes to get something that looks like this? How long till you're good enough to do this level of decoration and when you are, how long to ice a dozen cookies? And before you tell me, yes, I noticed she only has 11 cookies. Guess everyone can make a mistake LOL

Oh and while you're helping, what's a good recipe to use for the cookies

Aren't they YUMMY looking? Are they likely to taste as good as they look?

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Comments (4)

deborah_ps
14 years ago
Aren't those adorable?!!
I hadn't worked with royal icing until this past Christmas when I made some darling penguin cookies...black tuxedo, scarves. It was a fun project and just took a bit of patience in order to have them look pretty darned good.
I did go online to watch you-tube hints on icing a cookie and that really helped.
Try it, it's quite fun and the feeling of accomplishment is huge :)
cookie8
14 years ago
It is very hard. I took the Wilton's level I and II and have made dozens of royal iced cookies and still don't have a great end product. I have a hard time keeping my lines straight, the smoothness super consistent, the colours just right, etc. I still do it and it impresses people but I think it's more the amount of time that went into than the end product. Oh well, I had fun and they still get eaten. You notice the low number of cookies but check out the high price tags that come with these bouquets. I cheat and use coloured sparkly sugar when I want a nicer looking product in the end. If you have the equipment and time - go for it. You may be a natural, unlike me.
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This is a little late for your Halloween cookies, but for the future here ya go: For Royal Icing with Egg Whites: In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the egg whites with the lemon juice. Add the sifted powdered sugar and beat on low speed until combined and smooth. The icing needs to be used immediately or transferred to an airtight container as royal icing hardens when exposed to air. Cover with plastic wrap when not in use. For Royal Icing with Meringue Powder: In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the confectioners' sugar and meringue powder until combined. Add the water and beat on medium to high speed until very glossy and stiff peaks form (5 to 7 minutes). If necessary, to get the right consistency, add more powdered sugar or water. To cover or 'flood' the entire surface of the cookie with icing, the proper consistency is when you lift the beater, the ribbon of icing that falls back into the bowl remains on the surface of the icing for a few seconds before disappearing. The icing needs to be used immediately or transferred to an airtight container as royal icing hardens when exposed to air. Cover with plastic wrap when not in use. Makes about 3 cups Royal Icing Using Egg Whites: 2 large egg whites 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 3 cups (330 grams) confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted Royal Icing Using Meringue Powder: 4 cups (440 grams) confectioners' (powdered or icing) sugar 3 tablespoons (30 grams) meringue powder 1/2 teaspoon extract (vanilla, lemon, almond) 1/2 - 3/4 cup (120 - 180 ml) warm water
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Thanks everyone for the kind words. I totally get why a frosted cookie is $2.95 at the local bakery :) happytime, thanks for the MMF suggestion. I will try that next time. and the link to cakecentral - wow so much info, I could spend days browsing there Annie/shellm it was a TEEN cookie class I took, I was the oldest student by a good 30 yrs LOL. One of the kids works with sculpy and she showed me how to make a monkey in about 20 seconds. Mine took at least a couple of minutes :) Sooz, I SAW your cookies. They are AMAZING!!!! You did a great job and I bet, if nothing else, they tatse good ;-) But believe me thay are so cute. Please post back with the comments from the party. cookie8, try Michaels or joann's for the cookie class. I did it a local Viking cookie school but I think I've seen Wilton classes as the hobby stores. They're addictive. I ordered some cookie cutters (including the ice cream cone so I can try my inspiration cookies) and some food coloring. If it all comes in time, I hope to make some for teacher's gifts
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I hate royal icing! Working with it is awful and the taste and texture is miserable IMHO. For years I have used melted confectionary coating (ex. Wilton candy melts, white almond bark coating) thinned as needed for flooding & piping with Paramount crystals. Applied with squeeze bottles. Taste is great but it's tricky to work with (keeping it melted) and expensive. It was also limited to piping with a round tip and making dots, squiggles, etc but it wouldn't work with other tips. It's still my hands down choice for assembling gingerbread houses and "gluing" on decorations. This year I'm going to try Toba Garrett's Cookie Icing. It sounds great and I'm going to try it in squeeze bottles. I have the kind of bottles that can use different standard decorating tips. I'm hoping I can make it work for my purposes. Check out the good link below. There is also a video http://how2heroes.com/videos/dessert-and-baked-goods/simple-cookie-glaze I think it can be thickened enough to pipe. If your sprinkles melted into the icing, it may be because you put it on too soon. I'm not sure when the right time is with this frosting. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this will be The One! Anybody else tried it? Here is a link that might be useful: Toba Garrett's Cookie Icing
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loves2cook4six
Original Author
14 years ago
Thanks Deborah and cookie. Your posts made me laugh out loud. One makes it seem easy the other not so. Guess I will have to try it for myself.

Anyone else want to weigh in?
lorijean44
14 years ago
I don't find it difficult as much as tedious, but I enjoy it. I use a Martha Stewart recipe for the cookies, and I make royal icing using meringue powder (safer than using raw egg whites). Just make sure you have a few hours to 'play'. Once the cookies are baked and completely cooled, go to work! (I generally bake the cookies a day or so ahead of when I'm going to ice them, so it's not as much of a time commitment for one day. Since the dough has to chill at least 3 hours before it's baked, a lot of times I'll make the dough one night, bake the cookies the next, and then ice them on a day I have a few hours.)

I use piping bags though I've seen royal icing brushed on using a small paintbrush. You'll have to see what you're most comfortable with, or maybe even use a combination of techniques. I also use paste food coloring to tint the icing since it doesn't affect the texture of the icing like liquid food coloring does (especially if you're needing an intense amount of color).

Here are a couple of examples of cookies I've done (not professional-looking at all, but you get the idea!):

Have fun with it!!

Lori

Sugar cookies / royal icing

Comments (4)

deborah_ps

cookie8

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Sugar cookies / royal icing

Comments (4)

deborah_ps

cookie8

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