You should check out this photostream on flickr.com. Kim does all her cookies in buttercream. Her designs are awesome! I don't think she can stack them but they look beautiful and I bet they taste incredible!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/43488478@N06/
You should check out this photostream on flickr.com. Kim does all her cookies in buttercream. Her designs are awesome! I don't think she can stack them but they look beautiful and I bet they taste incredible!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/43488478@N06/
I agree! They're so unique and beautiful! She says they taste divine, too, and I can believe it!
When I first started to do cookies, I used royal icing and I did not like the taste or texture either. They looked perfect but everyone complained the icing was too crunchy. All I use now is buttercream. I package them indiviually and although you have to be very gentle, you can stack them. But you have to give them plenty of time to dry. I usually leave them overnight to dry before I package them.
I use mmf and they taste great and you can stack them and package them with no problem.
karenscookies.net has a delcious buttercream recipe that I use for my cookies. I have packaged and stacked them with no problems at all.
I use buttercream most of the time. Once they crust, you can gently stack them. If I use royal icing, I add a tbsp of honey or corn syrup so they the don't dry super hard.
You should check out this photostream on flickr.com. Kim does all her cookies in buttercream. Her designs are awesome! I don't think she can stack them but they look beautiful and I bet they taste incredible!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/43488478@N06/
Amazing cookies! 
I use to always use buttercream on all my sugar cookies. I loved that it kept them soft and they tasted delicious...everyone loved them. They taste alot better than the ones with royal icing...in my humble opinion. You can't stack them without messing them up though...that's the downside. I started using fondant on my cookies for that very reason. Hope this helps.
Deb
I use the modified meringue powder recipe on Karenscookies.net
http://www.cookiedecorator.com/showthread.php?22
kay-I-tried-Kay-s-quot-revised-quot-buttercream-recipe...now-I-have-a-question.&highlight=kay%27s+version
its easy to work with, dries firm enough to stack and package etc, I dry mine overnight before packaging. It can be thinned easily for flooding, dries nice and shiny. it tastes great compared to royal. the cookies stays soft underneath. I have made hundreds of cookies with it.
You should check out this photostream on flickr.com. Kim does all her cookies in buttercream. Her designs are awesome! I don't think she can stack them but they look beautiful and I bet they taste incredible!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/43488478@N06/
WOW!
I also use MMF and they taste great! I think the MMF has a similar texture to sugar cookies, so they compliment each other well. They're also easy to decorate. 
Has anyone ever thinned out this royal meringue buttercream icing so it dries smooth on the cookies? I watched her videos and the cookies have some texture on them that I'm not that wild about.
Also, has anyone tried this recipe on a cake???? It obviously crusts well.
I modified the Meringue Buttercream from Karen's Cookies; the first time I tried it the original way (with water & shortening), it separated out when I tried to thin it down for flooding. I figured it was because the recipe essentially tries to mix water and oil (shortening), which isn't ideal. So I changed it to the following:
1/3 cup whole milk or half&half cream
3 tablespoons meringue powder
1/2 cup butter OR 1/4 cup butter + 1/4 cup shortening
4 & 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
Flavouring as desired
Using half butter + half shortening instead of just butter helps to give it a good butter taste, but since shortening stays firmer at room temperature, it helps the icing to crust over better
You can thin the icing out for flooding by adding more milk/cream
I think my next experiment will be to try using pastuerized egg whites instead of meringue powder to see if it improves the taste even more
Debi2, I don't know how to make a link, but I looked it up, cookiecrazie.blogspot.com
It hardens and you can stack it. It will accept any extract. The taste reminds me of buttercream and it is creamy looking and tasting, not brittle and chalky like royal. This is the first recipe I tried and it was one of those rare lucky times I stopped looking after I tried it. Her cookies are beautiful and she sells only to support missionaries.
You can also add one TBL of softened butter to RI and it keeps it from getting hard. I flavor my RI with butter flavoring and vanilla and it tastes like BC. It will make a light crust on the outside that allows for stacking and the inside stays soft.
I learned this on a thread a while back and have made my cookies with this since.
You can thin it down for flooding too and still get that super smooth look like regular RI.
Thanks scp1127, I found it. I had looked there after reading your post, but didn't find it the first time. It's under FAQ, and it's a link to another site (allrecipes.com).
cookie_fun, I like your suggestion...might have to give it a try too 
I'm always open to new ideas and recipes!
I do really love using the fondant though...it's just so quick and easy and alot less messy.
You can also add one TBL of softened butter to RI and it keeps it from getting hard. I flavor my RI with butter flavoring and vanilla and it tastes like BC. It will make a light crust on the outside that allows for stacking and the inside stays soft.
I learned this on a thread a while back and have made my cookies with this since.
You can thin it down for flooding too and still get that super smooth look like regular RI.
I really like your idea, I have to try it and see how it works for me.... Thanks for sharing....
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