Today I am baking for the first time, the no-fail sugar cookies using a bunny head cookie cutter. When it comes time to decorate, I will be trying Alice's cookie icing. My question is, can the stiff version of this be used for things like the eyes, nose and wiskers? I plan on thinning it down to do the background color (after making a dam around the edges of course). Does anyone use another recipie to make face details? I am not too keen on royal icing (either flavor or hardness), so that is why I considered using Alice's. Thanks in advance for your suggestions!

Deb

I don;t see why you couldn't thin down the icing to the consistancy you want for the facial features. I do when I am doing royal and never have any problems. Hey, BTW can you tell me how you like the icing? I always do royal because they last so much longer.
Good uck today,
Michelle

I am going to let the cookies set until tomorrow, but will most definitely let you all know what I think of Alice's cookie icing. Have only seen good things about it.

This will be my first attempt at decorating cookies and may try to sell them at work. The bunny head is only about 3.5" tall and 2" wide, so trying to decide on a price. 6 of them (uniced) weigh in at half a pound, so between all the butter in the cookies and icing, I think that if I charge $10 per dozen that would be a pretty fair price. I may find a nice big egg shaped cutter and see if the "market will bear" a price of $1 each.

deb

Hey - I just wanted to say that the royal icing recipe that is in the no-fail cookie recipe is nothing at all like the royal icing from the Wilton's classes. Maybe you know this already, but thought I'd mention it. I think the Wilton's royal icing is absolutely heinous but I loved the one in the recipe.

Good luck!

Cranberry, the only difference I can see (or remember) in the royal icings is the cream of tarter in this one. Does it make a big difference? I dont' want anything real hard, which is why I want to try Alice's icing. From what I have been reading, it stays soft on the inside. Maybe I will have to get to the store, buy more sugar, and do a little side-by-side comparison! Heck, still to cold here in Jersey to garden yet, might as well bake!

deb

Hey Deb -

For me, the icing did stay softer and I let it dry a long, long time. Not so soft that they couldn't stack and pack, but no danger of chipping a tooth, either! I remember from Course II I was absolutely disgusted with the notion of chomping on a violet or daisy because they were so hard!

Christy

I've used Alice's recipe. They did take longer to dry, but, they did as stated, soft on the inside. I made an extra "tester" cookie to push on to check before I thought about stacking them.

That's great to know. I love decorating cookies with royal icing but hate how hard they get. I have to try Alice's recipe, you all seem to like it !

That is good to know about the glycerine....would piping gel work the same?

I made a half batch of Alice's icing (only had 1 stick of butter laying around). It is a very buttery flavor, but one thing that I know I did wrong was that when I added more water to thin it down, did not use my mixer and did it by hand- you could see the butter separate a bit. Live and learn! Now I want to try the royal icing for cookies from CC to see how that compares.

deb

No, the recipie called for a 1/2 cup of butter, which is 2 sticks; I only had one stick and also halved all the other ingredients. It worked out fine, until I added the additional liquid by hand to make it thinner.

deb

I let the cookies sit overnight, but the icing did not harden enough to stack (many of the bunnies longer have eyeballs ). The taste is wonderful, but I think being I am a beginner, royal icing will be much better for me. Am still curious if I could use piping gel instead of glycerine to make the royal a bit softer.

Deb

1/2 cup of butter is ONE stick. If you added 2, that is why it didn't dry. This icing WILL dry overnight. You could add powdered sugar to the icing you have an "rescue" it.

that's right, one stick is 1/2 cup......I only needed half a stick! What a dunce I am! Will have to try this recipie again. I am also going to make the royal icing, for comparison, but add a touch of glycerine as suggested previously to make sure it is not rock hard (anyone know how much for the royal icing recipie).

Anyway, good news is everyone loved the cookies..... now to make them again with shamrock shape and offer them for sale so I can take at least orders for Easter!

thanks again everyone!

deb

Post your opinion when you make the Royal. I kow that I like WORKiNG with royal better, but as far as flavor and "bite" the softer icing wins. Curious as to others opinions.

I read this whole post and nobody really answer one of Momlittr questions (which I was wondering).

What consistency does the RI need to be to ice the facial features? I'm doing the same Easter cookies and was wondering the same thing. Should I use stiff or medium?

Thanks for your help, this thread was very helpful.

Stephanie

Hey Manatee -

If you look at the cookies in my photos, I did the detailed stuff with medium icing and then flooded in the majority with thin icing. Start with thick and loosen it up as you go - you'll get the hang of it soon!

Good luck -
Christy

Laura thanks for finding out about the glycerne for me.

deb

What is Alice's recipe called, I am trying to find it. I want to try it tonight.
Thanks!
Tracy

Tracy,
Click on the "recipes" tab at the top of the page, then search for "alice" in the search box to find the recipe.

Laura.

Thought I would report back on my cookie baking adventures. I made a second batch of no-fail sugar cookies as the folks at work loved them, then made Antonia 74's royal icing, but added 1sp of glycerine per pound of sugar. Now I am not sure if it made a difference, because I saw someone say her icing is not rock hard, but the icing did harden but not to the point of teeth breakers. Will have to try it withougt the glycerine and see what the difference is.

As you can see from the pics, the outlining of the bunny did not work well, that was because I had the icing too still/dry, but figured it out by the time I did the chicks. I need to flood the cookies more, I think, and I really need to work on drawing eyes - some of the bunnies looked real scary! I like how the chick came out with just the blue eye, almost like a "peep". Now these cookies I am going to try to take order for, at an "introductory" price of $1.25 each......they are about 3-4" tall. Yes that is a low price, but not counting my time, I do make a profit. By the end of this year, I plan on being so good that they will have to pay $3-4 per holiday cookie so I can make some holiday spending money!

Let me know what you real good cookie decorators think!

very cute. I think your right about filling, probably need just alittle more filling. I've only tried adding corn syrup to keep my softened.

Keep up the good work and by christmas, you'll be cranking them out!

I want to try these cookies too. I don't want the icing to be hard though...my family really likes the taste of sugar cookies iced in buttercream. The royal icing cookies are prettier and more versatile though.
Does the glycerin leave a taste?

No Peanut, it did not leave a strange taste in the royal. Next time I am thinking of substituting a small amount of vanilla for some of the water to the royal for a little extra kick.

deb

Thanks Deb.

Have you guys tried the recipe on this site called Alices Cookie Icing? I bet you would like it. It is alittle different than royal, it has butter in it. it drys on the outside, but stays soft in the middle. It takes alittle longer to dry but it's really good.