Depending on what I'm doing, I use either Antonia74's royal icing, or glace. I prefer the taste of the glace, but you can do more intricate piping, etc., with the royal. Hopefully, one of the cookie gurus here on CC will pop in and give you some real advice!!
Good luck with your cookies!
I've tried a couple recipes of royal but antonia's is by far the best. I tried glace once and it just didnt behave the way I was used to with the royal. Colorflow is royal icing that has had a hardening agent-the colorflow mix- added to it and isnt meant to be eaten. It dries rock hard and will break your teeth.
You'll receive as many answers as there are cookie bakers. I use glace. I agree that it doesn't do some of what royal will do, like hold shapes like leaves and stuff like that. I just think the taste is better and if practice you have really make it do some wonderful things.
I ONLY use the NFSC and Antonia74's RI both which are here on CC. The cookie recipe lives up to its name, and the RI, I ship cookies from OK to TX and the East Coast, and it holds well in the shipping process. You can't go wrong with either one.
I am trying Antonia's recipe this weekend but just wanted to let you know after reading the thread that Wilton does recommend their ColorFlow icing for their cookies.
I don't really care for any of their icing products but according to Wilton it is meant for eating, on a cookie anyways.
I always keep RBC on hand. I use Antonia's RI, and usually flood with TG if I have time and gumption to make both, but RBC is an easy, last-minute alternative, because you can detail with RI immediately.
What is TG, and do U have a recipe for rolled buttercream? and does it allow U to do a lot of intricate design on cookies?
I use Antonia's too....and people love it. I don't get any of the complaints that you usually get from royal icing.
I pretty much hate the NFSC recipe though...I just think it doesn't taste very good. (I know....sorry! 
)
I have my own no-fail recipe....well, not my own actually....I got it out of a cookie book.
I only point this out as an illustration . As others have said, you have to just give it a try and see what you like the best. Everyone on here has their own opinion and you will never find a recipe we all will agree on!
Good luck and have fun.
TG is Toba's Glace. It tastes great, but not as easy to work with in detailing as RI. Antonia's RI ROCKS! I suppose you can work with RBC like MMF or fondant. I roll it VERY thin because it's so sweet. There's a recipe here on CC, but I leave out the oils. I also kneed it with more PS than it calls for.
I don't use NFSC either. I have a family sugar cookie recipe that uses shortening instead of butter, and it's not very sweet, which is a nice combo with the very sweet RBC, RI or TG.
This is the icing I use for all my cookies (only slightly different than Toba's, as well as Wilton's Shiny cookie icing):
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
3 tablespoons skim milk (or water, or other type milk)
3 tablespoons corn syrup
15 drops brite white food color (I use Americolor brand)
In a medium size bowl. mix together the milk, corn syrup, and powdered sugar until fully combined (I just use a large spoon). Add the brite white and mix well. You will want the icing to be the consistency of white school glue. To thicken, add more powdered sugar. To thin, add more corn syrup. Divide and color. For outlining, add more powdered sugar until the icing is the consistency of peanut butter. This icing will remain fresh for 2-3 weeks in the refrigerator. The decorated cookies do not need to be refrigerated. Even though milk is used, the high sugar content will help prevent spoilage.
I've been using RBC for so long and I really love it but I really want to try something else for a change. I'm going to be doing some cookies for a girlfriend reunion and will need to ship them. Would I be crazy to "try something different"? I guess we all need to experiment once in awhile.
Melissa
I think I will. My reunion is at the beach, so I've decided to do crabs, bikinis, beach bags and flip flops. How long do I need to let the outlining set up before I fill the cookies? Looks like they will ship ok, so, heck, why not????
Melissa
I will definitely take pics. I haven't baked all summer, since we had to move my Dad into a Memory Care facility. I miss it so much. I did go to Cake Camp in Vegas, it was so fun. I am making a small purse cake for my granddaughter for her birthday too. The purse cake class I took with Norman Davis was so fun and I learned a lot. What a great guy he is. Anyhoo- back on the baking horse again.
Melissa
I tried Antonio74's today (love it!) and used the suggestion of Lorann Cotton Candy oil in it. OMG, it was to die for. That's good stuff.
I also just made my first batch of marshmallow fondant and used it for some cookies. Yummy! And I found it very easy to work with on cookies. Haven't tried it for a cake yet though.
hi ladies ,can i have antonias recipie ill be very grateful or her site?
just do a search on this site of Antonia74 and it comes right up under the recipes.
cakemeister, how hard was it to make the MMF? I've never tried it. and where did you get your cotton candy oil? Can you use oil in RI?
I used T's marshmallow fondant from the recipe section - it was pretty easy. I used my Kitchenaid for it with the dough hook, even though the author of the recipe didn't seem fond of using the kitchenaid. No problems at all. Well, other than I let my dog lick the bowl I melted the marshmallows in, and he got some of it stuck in his face furr. Whoops. 
I had read just last week on a post on this forum about the cotton candy oil, and I found it at a specialty cake shop in town. Some of the people on the post said it was hard to find and they bought it off e-bay.
I actually never thought about a problem with the oil in the icing, but it didn't break down so all seems good. And it was the best tasting icing.
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