Don't know if anyone hear is into cookies as well as cakes, but I would like to find a substitute recipre for the royal icing used to decorate cookies.
I am not a big fan of the taste of royal icing. Has anyone ever modified the standard or other buttercream frostings and used it for this. I need something that will ice very smooth like the royal icing, and set up hard enough to decorate on. Thanks to anyone out there who can help I have a baby shower for my daughter next month and am making cookies for party favors. I'm new to the site and have found many useful ideas so far!!

I don't have an answer for you but I'm interested also. I'll give you a bump!!

I really like Toba's Glace. That's what I've used on all of my cookies in my photos. It dries hard enough to stack but is still soft to bite into. There is a cookie forum, try posting this in there and you might get more replies.

I am certainly not an expert, but I have been using a recipe that has powdered sugar and corn syrup in it. This is the link:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Sugar-Cookie-Icing/Detail.aspx

It's pretty easy to work with and tastes pretty good after it dries. It dries shiny and hard, so you can stack the cookies. After I ice the cookies, I go back with royal icing to do details.

Hope this helps.

I use fondant on my cookies. It's pretty easy because you can just roll it out & use the same cookie cutter to cut the shape. After you place it on the cookie, it gives a nice surface to decorate however you like. I usually just make sure to roll the fondant thinner than I would for a cake so that it does not over power the cookie.

Just made my first cookies last night. Like you, I very much dislike royal icing on ANYTHING! So, I tried Toba's Glaze and it's super super yummy! I added vanilla & almond extracts. I also made it much thicker in the beginning by only adding about 1/4 of the milk it called for so I could do outlining first, then slowly added more of the milk, although I never used all of it. All in all I was super proud of my first cookies and again they were really good, but REALLY sweet

(I tried to attach a pic, but it wouldn't let me, so here's the link, sorry)

http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-photo_1261865.html

This is the cookie recipe I always use. When I decorate cookies though, I apply the decorations using a pastry bag and #3 decorating tip. If you want to apply the icing as a run in or glaze, you will need to thin it a little.
This icing gets crusty enough you can stack the cookies, when they are dry, yet it is soft when you bite into it.

http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=998653

CUTOUT COOKIE ICING

3 egg whites, at room temp.
Whip 2 min., fast speed or until stiff.
Add:
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. vanilla
1 lb. powdered sugar (1 box)
Mix.
Add,
2 TBS. Crisco
Mix on low speed until smooth.
(if you want to make a glaze from this, just add a little hot water.)

I use a buttercream icing with no shortening....half unsalted butter and half 50/50 butter magarine, then I add enough milk/vanilla to make it the consistency I like and it tastes amazing! It's quite sweet which is what I like on my cookies. I will also use the same icing on mini cupcakes but once you get into the bigger cupcakes and cakes it's just a tad too sweet (I don't think I would ever say such a thing but it's true!).