Make your homely cookies sexy

I think that undecorated sugar cookies are ugly. They taste fantastic, but they’re missing something. I see all this potential with this edible blank canvas and I feel obligated to make it pretty. And add much more sugar to it. Learning the consistency for the icing is crucial for the flooding and piping to work and look legit. I keep a spray bottle handy when my icing is too thick; it’s a great way to add water sparingly. I’m sure I’m not the only one who has stood over the sink, pouring off all the extra water I added on accident. Remember to mix in the water thoroughly and if you realize it’s too thin, just add some more confectioner’s sugar to thicken it up. The icing will need to rest for a couple of minutes after you mix it up or you will have pock marks on your cookies. Air bubbles will rise to the top and you should be able to pop them with a toothpick before using the icing. I found this great tutorial on YouTube, above, from MyRecipesTV that can show you the basics to piping and flooding as well as something she calls ‘strategic decorating.’ It’s something I employ when I realize I have three dozen undecorated cookies left and it’s 2 a.m.
Here are some things to keep in mind when questioning your consistency:

Piping Icing
Your piping icing is too thick when:

• You attempt to pipe a line and it breaks.
• As you pull your bag away from the cookie, the icing comes with it.

Too thin:

• Your line loses its tubular shape after you pipe it. It should essentially look…like…a…pipe.
• The flooding icing is unable to be contained within the piped boundary. (This problem can arise if you get too overzealous with the flood icing and overflow your cookie. No problem. Next time, drown your mouth instead of your cookie and just squirt some in your mouth. It’s probably just low blood sugar.)

Flood Icing
Your flood icing is too thick when:

• After your cookie dries, it’s lumpy like a fat lady’s backside.
• You have problems pushing the icing to the corners of the cookie while filling in.

If you’re still having trouble determining your royal icing thickness, don’t throw a hissy fit, check out Sweetopia’s video and written explanation. She also has some other great tutorials since she is super talented. Check them out.

Always remember to color your icing before you start separating it and changing its consistencies. Attempting to match colors is really frustrating because it’s pretty much impossible.