I am thinking about making some decorated cookies and I was just wondering what everyone uses to decorate them. Buttercream, royal icing, etc. Thanks!

I have an awful time with cookies.

I made some today and I'm going to decorate tomorrow with Alice's Cookie Icing on CC

From what I've read, most people on here use Antonia74's icing, which is a royal icing...here is a link to the recipe:

http://www.cakecentral.com/cake_recipe-1983-1-Royal-Icing-for-Decorated-Cookies.html

Or they use Toba Garrett's Glace:

http://www.cakecentral.com/cake_recipe-2119-1-Toba-Garretts-Glace-Icing.html

I've only made cookies twice and I used Antonia's for one and Martha Stewarts RI for the other. They both worked out nicely, though Antonia's was a little easier to work with. Next time I'm going to try Toba's Let me know what you use!

I always use Toba's, which is the same as Wilton's Poured Cookie Icing. It's quick, it's easy, and I like the smooth, shiny finish. Not so great for detail work, as you have to make it pretty stiff for that. And it really helps to add some drops of brite white to the icing to prevent the icing from getting cloudy or spotting.

I keep hearing everyone rave about using rolled MMF on their cookies so I made some and colored it green to go on Shamrock cookies....and then will use RI to accent the edges....hope it works

Cakediva-Good point, I forgot about mmf!

I've made cookies and iced them with a runny icing that dries hard so I can bag them but the problem is the icing always runs off the side of the cookies and then the writing on the cookies just smears. They are yummy though. I guess I need help too. lol

I just made shamrock cookies with buttercream frosting and they are delicious! But if you need to package and stack the cookies, I don't think buttercream gets stiff enough for that. I have tried MMF before. It looks beautiful, but I didn't care for the texture and taste...but I am going to try it again with different flavoring. By the way, I used penny's cookie recipe instead of nfsc, and I liked them ALOT better!!

Cookies are tough to learn how to do, but I love them! I use royal icing, about 1 egg white per 2 cups powdered sugar. I also will add peppermint or lemon extract for extra flavor. I beat the egg white and sugar together until it has stiff peaks.
If you need to change the consistency, add drops of water until it is thin enough.

If I use RI I use mp and Wilton's recipe. Personally, I just don't want to use egg whites when I can scoop the MP out of the jar.
I have recently learned to use RBC for the base of the cookie and use RI to decorate. Let them remain uncovered for 8-10hrs and you are ready to go!

I use royal icing. I buy the Wilton merinque powder and use the recipe on the can.

And I was just about to post a question about decorating cookies too, hope you don't mind if I ask here. My question is, once my cookies are iced (with my royal icing) and I want to add some detail, what is the best way to do this? I'm doing a Hey Diddle Diddle cake and decided to do the characters out of cookies instead of fondant. But I need to add eyes, whiskers, etc. Can I "paint" them? And if so, how and with what?

I use the same buttercream icing I use on my cakes. I use the NFSC recipe, then pipe on the icing. Take them to my scrapbook room, put them on the table for about 3 days, and that is enough time for them to crust to put in a bag and stack. The cookies are soft and the icing is hard enough on the top to bag and stack but soft when you bite into it. It is cute, but not as perfect as MMF or some of the others but now that I do it that way, my customers would freak if I used anything else. They taste AWESOME.

Wendyintx ~ Not only am I sure they taste great, but they look incredible!!!

I made some really detailed Charlie Brown and the gang cookies a few weeks back with Alice's icing recipe here on CC. They turned out awesome--tasted great but set up firm enough to stack and wrap. Best of both worlds I think.

Awww, cute bball cookies!

If you use BC icing on your cookies, what consistency do you use?

Thanks

I love the bball cookies! What tip did you use for the orange part?

I made little feet with mmf (pink & blue) I put it on while the cookies were still hot. They turned out great... unfortunately I think they are all gone, so I can't post a picture of them... too yummy.

just the same consistency I use on my cakes. I use the buttercream dream recipe and use a little more than 4 tablespoons of milk and beat on med/high for 4 minutes. I would say it is medium consistency. I probably used tip 6 for the basketballs.

I am ready to burst into tears - I have worked on decorated sugar cookies fot two days now. I am so tired and they are so ugly they are in the trash.

I don't get the cookie thing. I can bake the cookies that's not the problem. I can't get the decorating part.

How does everyones cookies look so smooth. If the icing is thin then it will go over the edge. If it's thick it don't go anywhere.

Is there a chance that I will ever learn

Post a picture of the cookies so we can take a look and see if we can help you.

Great, now where did my post go? I'll try again.

This is embarrassing, out of 5 doz this was the best one

I made different sizes and colors, I really tried

I used a paint brush to spread the icing around. The yellow icing kinda went on its own but it had bubbles, I thought I got them all out. I have tried different recipes I just don't get it. I look at pictures and everyone's cookies are so smooth and they did it without a border.

Sorry it took so long I had to resize the pic

For flooding I use either antonia47's icing or if I want shiney, Toba's Glace or Wilton poured cookie icing.
Do you bang your cookies to smooth them out?

Bang? That's the first time I heard of that. Can you clue me in?

I really don't know what I'm doing.

Your icing looks too thick. The consistency should be thinner so if you poured some from a spoon into a bowl, within a minute you wouldn't see that you poured any into the bowl.

If it's thin what's to keep it from falling over the side?

On the brighter side, I made my first Sugar Egg today and it came out really nice.

Hang in there Janette, it is possible to get the icing not to go over the edge. It just takes practice. I always outlined my cookies till I got a feel for the icing consistency. Once I mastered that I was able to go without the outline. I still use an outline when I want that strong graphic look.
Just use the outline and it will hold the thinner icing in.

Same here, when I use RI I always out line with med consistency RI and then I do the flooding thing. OR my fav... I use fondant!

edit to add: I have some pics in my photos if you would like to check them out.

Well the light bulb just clicked on

I thougt you did the outline let it dry and then do the rest

I start by out lining the cookie and by the time I´m done with all of them, the first cookie I out lined has already dried so I guess I do let it dry before I flood it.