Do those adorable Royal Icing cookies taste even good? I've wondered for years what I'm doing wrong. When I try to duplicate a cute cookie idea my cookies always turn out way too sweet. That doesn't even include how hard they are to eat. What's the solution?

Not a horrible question; it's quite valid actually. I'm no cookie pro and I'm not sure how this might affect the cookie's characteristics but have you considered decreasing the sugar content of your cookies? That way the final product doesn't taste so sweet. I'm sure the pros will chime in and let you know how altering your sugar might mess with the cookies.

For decorating cookies, I have used the "buttercream for flowers" that Richard Snyder wrote into all of his books.  I now use corn syrup instead of egg white, and I vary the flavour with the LorAnn oils.

That stuff air dries, and it doesn't dry out good rolled sugar cookies at all.  It looks excellent and is tasty.

But I put those cookies into flat boxes NOT individual bags. 

Wondered the same thing myself! Completely covering in royal icing makes it too hard, and I don't really want fondant on there either. I have stuck to a glaze and then use royal for accents only.

I'd be interested to hear more on this topic from the more experienced cookie makers out there.

Irlene, I think you've got the right idea. I need an icing that's not too sweet, but at the same time dries enough to not be sticky. I'll have to look up Richard Snyder. I'm not hep to his books. Should be no problem since besides baking I live at the library. Love the LorAnn oils too. Thanks you two. I'm just plodding along with you geniuses. What would I do without you?

Have you ever tried Blossom Fondant?  Not really fondant at all. It's a mix of chocolate, icing (canned white), corn syrup and butter flavoring.

It's pretty yummy on a sugar cookie.  You can emboss it and make little flowers - I bet it will go through a clay gun nicely.....I'm no cookie decorator but here's a quick example. 

recipe:  http://cakecentral.com/recipe/blossom-fondant

Just another alternative :)

that's a beautiful cookie, jw!!!

i use the non-cocoa butter 'chocolate' -- from the grocery store -- it's great on gingerbread

it used to be called 'almond bark' now it's called 'candy coating' -- just a big pound size block of 'chocolate'

but that blossom fondant sounds like a good idea

Thank you K8memphis.  The pic was a good example of how the inexperienced can still get a good result from Blossom Fondant. Do you make modeling chocolate with the candy coating?

not usually for cookies i just pipe it straight up like chocolate

if the cookies need a lot of detail i combine methods

i loosen up some of the cookie batter with milk or water to piping consistency

i color this and pipe onto the unbaked cookie

after baking i add detail with the candy coating, the sprayer or brush on w/airbrush colors, markers

i'll add afew photos in a minute...

I use royal icng exclusively on my cookies.  I do about a thousand cookies a yr. theater concessions and other occasions.  People love my cookies.  I do only one type of cookie, dutch sugar cookie, with regular wilton recipe royal icing.  It's a hard icing but I think it goes well with the soft cookie.

and these are nicely flavored cream cheese cookies

snowflake outlined before baking then overpiped with choco

 lilypads baked & brushed

all marker

I always use glacé, which is basically RI with some corn syrup, but I'm always happy to learn some new cookie techniques. Thanks, y'all! 

I too use a glace. You can add more PS to it to make it thicker and more pipeable.  The only thing is that it WILL spread slightly no matter how thick you make it, but it does pipe nicely and works beautifully for brushed embroidery.  Plus it tastes fantastic.

I use Royal Icing on all my cookies and I'm tinkering with the idea of using fondant as well, just to have an alternative for those that are anti-royal icing. When I first started making decorated cookies, I would use packaged royal icing (just add water) and would thin it out so that there wasn't a heavy layer of icing on top. Now that I make more intricate designs, which sometimes means more layers of icing, I make a thicker cookie to balance out the sweetness of the icing.  The key is to have a cookie/icing combination that compliments each other. Now I make my own royal icing and use a combination of flavorings, clear flavorings, essences, etc. My  recipes are an adaptation of NFSC and Antonio74s Royal Icing and everyone loves them.

Glace - Now that sounds like fun.  I assume because of the corn syrup, I would have more time to play, yes?

Yes, glacé takes longer to dry than RI, and it definitely tastes better - well, it does to me, anyway!

my problem is i can't wait

it's hard enough to wait for the choco to set up

i have no patience with ri--like for full coverage across the top

but more power to those who do it because your cookies are amazing

that's just me

and then sitting there all exposed to the air while they dry

omg loosing all my hard earned flavor minute by minute

agh!!!

i like rolled buttercream on cookies too

AI think it tastes good. I make the NFSC recipe and put half vanilla, half almond flavoring. Same in the royal icing. The moisture from the icing kind of keeps the cookie soft, with a nice crispy top. I like 'em!

i like 'em too

my gf mailed me one in a flimsy paper envelope

it was dynamite

i just can't make those i can't wait for it to dry with my cookie under there out in the air that long

my eyes cross and my hands shake

but no problem eating same ;)

I try and steer clear of making any kind of iced cookies, but I saw this page today, she just uses glaze icing on her cookies and they look great!

http://www.cookiecrazie.com/

I have used this recipe in the past and it is great.  The icing dries hard and shiny, but not rock hard like royal.  The only thing is that you need to quadruple the recipe if you are icing a large batch of cookies.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/sugar-cookie-icing/