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Post by smalltowngirlie on Dec 11, 2023 14:21:15 GMT
I made rolled out sugar cookies and they turned out great, now I need to decorate them. I usually just frost them, but I could not find the frosting recipe I have used in the past. There are moments I am tempted to do a little more and make them "fancy", but really do not want to invest too much into materials I will barely, if ever use again.
So, what is your favorite frosting/icing recipe? Any tips and tricks for easier decorating?
Thank you.
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lindas
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Post by lindas on Dec 11, 2023 15:37:19 GMT
Wilton has cookie icing in tubes. Joann’s has it and also Amazon.
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pantsonfire
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Post by pantsonfire on Dec 11, 2023 15:41:01 GMT
When we went simple I mix powdered sugar with water to get a nice consistency then add food coloring and if needed a little more sugar.
Spoon on and spread. Add sprinkles.
When I want fancy, I use Alton Brown's royal icing recipe.
Our go to bow though us powdered sugar glaze as I am allergic to eggs and can not eat royal icing.
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SweetieBsMom
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Post by SweetieBsMom on Dec 11, 2023 16:38:49 GMT
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Post by peasapie on Dec 11, 2023 17:10:11 GMT
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Post by crazy4scraps on Dec 11, 2023 17:11:15 GMT
It really depends on what kind of icing you want to use and more importantly what your family will actually eat. I make fancy decorated cookies with royal icing. They taste good and my clients love them. My family, not so much. Even though my icing is flavored differently and has a soft bite, they just think it’s way too sweet. Um hello, it’s ICING. Of course it’s sweet.  For that reason, if I was going to make cookies for them to eat I would probably use a powdered sugar glaze or even a crusting American buttercream. The glaze is harder to work with to make pretty cookies, IMO. Buttercream might be easier for that. This recipe is a pretty good one: www.lilaloa.com/2012/02/saltwater-buttercream-cookies.htmlBut if you want something really easy that still tastes good, I’d just go to a grocery store with a bakery and buy a big container of their premade white buttercream icing. You can color it however you want and use that. IMO it tastes WAY better than the Wilton junk in a tube. |
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anaterra
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Post by anaterra on Dec 11, 2023 18:40:18 GMT
But if you want something really easy that still tastes good, I’d just go to a grocery store with a bakery and buy a big container of their premade white buttercream icing. You can color it however you want and use that. IMO it tastes WAY better than the Wilton junk in a tube. You can do that>?? Just go buy icing from the bakery?? I had no idea but it is a good one... |
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Post by crazy4scraps on Dec 11, 2023 20:35:55 GMT
But if you want something really easy that still tastes good, I’d just go to a grocery store with a bakery and buy a big container of their premade white buttercream icing. You can color it however you want and use that. IMO it tastes WAY better than the Wilton junk in a tube. You can do that>?? Just go buy icing from the bakery?? I had no idea but it is a good one... YES! Most will sell you a tub of buttercream icing that they scoop from their giant 5 gallon pail! I recently had a photo project where I needed to make a small three layer cake but I didn’t want to hassle with mixing up all that buttercream. I went to the bakery in Hy-Vee and just bought a couple tubs. It saved me a ton of work and mess. I considered just buying the whole cake there but quickly ditched that idea when I saw that they were charging something like $26 for a plain single layer 8”x10” grocery store cake! 😳 Um no, I think I’ll make the cake myself! |
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Post by gillyp on Dec 11, 2023 23:26:09 GMT
I could be recalling incorrectly but didn't a Pea put up some beautifully decorated Santa Face cookies last year? I want to say it was Gennifer but I could be wrong. |
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bethany102399
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Post by bethany102399 on Dec 11, 2023 23:42:57 GMT
I went to the bakery in Hy-Vee and just bought a couple tubs. Really? I didn't know you could do that. do you mind if I ask how much they charged you? We have HyVee here too and I don't mind their icing. I detest making sugar cookies but enjoy eating them so I think this is going to be the year I actually have to make them. Plus now I'm craving nana's gingerbread. Pea put up some beautifully decorated Santa Face cookies last year? I remember that thread. Those cookies were stunning! |
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Post by mom on Dec 11, 2023 23:43:53 GMT
I could be recalling incorrectly but didn't a Pea put up some beautifully decorated Santa Face cookies last year? I want to say it was Gennifer but I could be wrong. Not certain that was Gennifer or not, but she is the Pea that makes the best gingerbread houses so it wouldn't surprise me! |
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Gennifer
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Post by Gennifer on Dec 12, 2023 0:45:34 GMT
Yes, the Santa cookies are me! We’ve already made (and eaten!) one batch but we are making them again this weekend when my son comes home. I think a few Peas ordered the molds… The Birdhouse Lady, have you made them yet? I don’t think the frosting is anything special… it’s very, very sweet, but part of the distinctive taste we associate with these particular cookies and a pure white, since it’s made with shortening instead of butter. 7 c. (2 lb) powdered sugar 2 t. almond 2/3 c. shortening Whip in kitchen aid with just enough milk to make stiff frosting. Someone makes gorgeous decorated sugar cookies, though… is it peabay ? |
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The Birdhouse Lady
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Post by The Birdhouse Lady on Dec 12, 2023 0:53:47 GMT
Yes, the Santa cookies are me! We’ve already made (and eaten!) one batch but we are making them again this weekend when my son comes home. I think a few Peas ordered the molds… The Birdhouse Lady , have you made them yet?I don’t think the frosting is anything special… it’s very, very sweet, but part of the distinctive taste we associate with these particular cookies and a pure white, since it’s made with shortening instead of butter. 7 c. (2 lb) powdered sugar 2 t. almond 2/3 c. shortening Whip in kitchen aid with just enough milk to make stiff frosting. Someone makes gorgeous decorated sugar cookies, though… is it peabay ? Not yet! Was hoping to do it yesterday but I ran of time and steam!!! I am excited to give them a whirl!!! |
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peabay
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Post by peabay on Dec 12, 2023 1:18:40 GMT
I use royal icing and do a lot of piping and "flowing". You make the royal icing, dye the colors you want, pipe outlines and then thin the same colors with water to use a squeeze bottle to fill in the spaces between the lines. There are tons of videos and websites that explain it in detail.
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nicolep
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Post by nicolep on Dec 12, 2023 16:24:45 GMT
Yes, the Santa cookies are me! We’ve already made (and eaten!) one batch but we are making them again this weekend when my son comes home. I think a few Peas ordered the molds… The Birdhouse Lady, have you made them yet? I don’t think the frosting is anything special… it’s very, very sweet, but part of the distinctive taste we associate with these particular cookies and a pure white, since it’s made with shortening instead of butter. 7 c. (2 lb) powdered sugar 2 t. almond 2/3 c. shortening Whip in kitchen aid with just enough milk to make stiff frosting. Someone makes gorgeous decorated sugar cookies, though… is it peabay ? I would love to see the Santa cookies! They sound wonderful. |
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Post by malibou on Dec 12, 2023 16:57:44 GMT
LeaP hasn't been around in awhile, but I'm pretty sure she is one that makes gorgeous cookies.
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iowgirl
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Post by iowgirl on Dec 12, 2023 22:18:53 GMT
So, what is your favorite frosting/icing recipe? Pillsbury Cream Cheese frosting in a can. I have tried others, and even made homemade. My kids always say, stick with the stuff in the tub, Mom. LOL I don't know why, but its the best on cut out cookies. Must be Pillsbury brand.  |
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Post by cmpeter on Dec 13, 2023 0:37:25 GMT
My favorite icing for sugar cookies is an older Wilton recipe (Extra Special Buttercream). I don't see it on their site anymore, but was still able to find it online: www.food.com/recipe/extra-special-buttercream-icing-69633I like the bit of meringue powder because the icing will get a slight crust, so you can stack the cookies. But, it doesn't get hard like royal icing. |
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Post by crazy4scraps on Dec 13, 2023 1:10:37 GMT
I went to the bakery in Hy-Vee and just bought a couple tubs. Really? I didn't know you could do that. do you mind if I ask how much they charged you? We have HyVee here too and I don't mind their icing. I detest making sugar cookies but enjoy eating them so I think this is going to be the year I actually have to make them. Plus now I'm craving nana's gingerbread. Pea put up some beautifully decorated Santa Face cookies last year? I remember that thread. Those cookies were stunning! I don’t know if the girl who helped me knew what she was doing because she seemed *really* clueless. She charged me $9 each for two big deli containers and she didn’t even weigh it. I was there at night getting dinner with my family. It looked like all the regular bakery people had gone home. Someone had an order up on the counter waiting to be picked up and it had a big container of white buttercream with a label on it, so I pointed at it and said that was what I wanted too. After walking around aimlessly for about ten minutes, she went into the back and came out with another five gallon pail of icing (even though there were about 4-5 of them that had already been opened out but stacked up). As she was scooping it out, I thought it looked too yellow compared to what was in the other container on the counter, and she happened to spin the bucket and I saw it was cream cheese icing which wasn’t what I wanted (and wouldn’t work). 🤷🏻♀️ So I had to tell her sorry, but that wasn’t the right stuff. So she goes back again and comes out with another new pail of buttercream, cracks that open and scoops up my two containers full. Then she goes looking for a lid and can’t find one. Looks in every cabinet and drawer and comes up empty. After walking around for another 10 minutes, I was about ready to go back there and look myself, LOL. Finally she calls someone in another department who tells her where to look and she comes back with two lids. She looked at the label on the one that was there and I think she just copied it when I’m pretty sure she was supposed to weigh the containers. So I don’t know if I was charged correctly or not, but at that point my family had bailed and was already outside waiting in the car so I didn’t want to question it. I just took it up front, paid and went on my way.  I think one of those containers would frost quite a few average sized cookies. I used a little more than one of them to fill, frost and decorate my 6” three layer cake. |
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For that reason, if I was going to make cookies for them to eat I would probably use a powdered sugar glaze or even a crusting American buttercream. The glaze is harder to work with to make pretty cookies, IMO. Buttercream might be easier for that. This recipe is a pretty good one:
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