OK...I just finished my first batch of decorated cookies. Used no-fail sugar cookie. It's fine. I overbaked a bit, apparently, but they still taste good. The sticks are stuck in there great. The problem is the icing.
I don't like the tooth-breaking hardness of royal. So, it sounded like Alice's Icing was the way for me to go. I read on some thread somewhere that Alice's could NOT be thinned or it would never dry. I've seen several of your pictures that look lovely where it says you've used Alice's Icing.
Aoparently, it CAN be thinned. Or am I just the worst in the world at putting icing on a cookie? Maybe I'm using the wrong technique? I piped it on, and since it wouldn't "flood" as color flow would, I kept the tip buried in the icing and kind of spread it out from the tip, if that makes any sense at all. It didn't spread well at all.
Anyway, they're just really ugly. This is NOT what I had in mind. Any suggestions? Do I have alternatives other than rock-hard royal?
At least the things TASTE good!
Crimsicle, Go to the cookie article on this site. Read through it. Somewhere in there it tells you how to thin the icing.
Yeah...I know how to thin icing. But, the article is about royal...which I detest. I'm using Alice's icing. I had read that Alice's should NOT be thinned...but this doesn't look like what I've seen other people's "Alice's" cookies look like. Apparently that advice was bunk. Yes?
I read on some thread somewhere that Alice's could NOT be thinned or it would never dry. I've seen several of your pictures that look lovely where it says you've used Alice's Icing.
Aoparently, it CAN be thinned. Or am I just the worst in the world at putting icing on a cookie? Maybe I'm using the wrong technique? I piped it on, and since it wouldn't "flood" as color flow would, I kept the tip buried in the icing and kind of spread it out from the tip, if that makes any sense at all. It didn't spread well at all.
I use Alice Cookie icing all the time and I recommended that it not be thinned. It takes forever to dry once you start thinning it to color flow consistancy. Ask Kos she will vouch for this. Also, the cookies will not be as stackable as they should be.
My last cookies (tulips etc) I made a double batch of icing and instead of using 10 tbsp of water as it called for I only used 8. Had I gone ahead and used 10 tbsp I would have been working with soup especially when you factor in the heat from my hands.
You need to smooth it out with a spatula.
Crimsicle,
I think what you have to do with that type icing is to do your outlines on the cookies and let that set. Then, go back and fill in with icing and use a spatula to smooth. The outline keeps the icing from going all over the place. Does that make sense? I do it sometimes with royal icing to if I'm too lazy to thin it out.
Hope that helps.
Cindy
Yeah...I know how to thin icing. But, the article is about royal...which I detest. I'm using Alice's icing. I had read that Alice's should NOT be thinned...but this doesn't look like what I've seen other people's "Alice's" cookies look like. Apparently that advice was bunk. Yes?
Taking my bunk and moving on to the next thread. Good luck with your cookies.
Crimsicle, How did they turn out.there seems to be such a problem finding a great icing for the cookies that tastes good, can be stacked, and doesn't crack the teeth. Oh, Well.
:0 It's quite a quest, huh?
Actually, they turned out pretty good. I had to leave the house at 9:00 this morning, and that was only about 13 or 14 hours after the last of them was finished. I would have preferred to give them 24 hours. A couple of them smeared, and a couple of them half-way stuck to the ones below. Not bad...but not ideal, by any means. By this afternoon, the few that were left behind here at home were MUCH better. I just need to give them more time.
I may do a batch just to experiment with and put a little more meringue powder in them and see if that helps with the drying. They sure looked, good, though. Nice and smooth and shiny.
I appreciate everyone's patience with answering newbie questions and making suggestions.
That's why I only use FOndant to ice my cookies. no fuzz no mess ...very smooth and sharp edges... FLour Pot only uses Fondant..
I use royal all the time....and i see the posts about it being rock hard.....I havent had that problem....I mean it does harden but not tooth breaking hard!! .....Am I the only one?? 
No, you're not the only one!
I use Antonia74's recipe from the tutorial, which is a royal icing, and it's not too hard at all.
I've gotten many compliments from people on the texture of the cookies and the icing, and everybody from small children to schoolteachers of all ages have tried them and loved them!
Thinned royal on a cookie has a much different texture than stiff royal made into flowers and dried. I've seen people speculate that the butter in the cookies helps keep it from hardening, because it partially "breaks down" the royal, but I don't have any idea if that's the case.
Laura.
I made cookies all of once to see if I could do it and I used the royal icing. I didn't find it has hard as I remember it being on the old fashioned wedding cakes ( when it covered a layer of marzipan ) . Maybe it's because it is diluted. ?
I plan on making some cookies soon for a baby shower so I'm a little nervous myself and am reading almost every thread to educate myself! I'm tempted to try the rolled buttercream but have no idea how secure it would be for cookie bouquets. So confusing! lol
ps: the big cookies down below were actually 'iced' with melted chocolate candy melts. I melted them and pour onto waxed paper to an even coat and when it was still at the not-quite-set stage I used the same cookie cutters to cut out the shape and 'glued' them on to the cookie with some melted chocolate.
drkayign: I love that idea... I will have to try that
well gosh, thanks. 
I tried putting the sticks in before and after and by sticking them on the sticks with royal icing... that method doesn't look very pretty so I won't try it again. 
The only think I found was that with a thick layer of royal icing or the chocolate they were darn heavy! I was worried about ending up with wilting 'flowers' in my flower pots so I'm going to try smaller cookies on small sticks this time around.
shoot, I just thought about it... I may have left the cookie cutter in the chocolate and stuck it in the fridge to firm up and make it easier to remove cleanly.
I thought I'd update....
I made another batch of cookies last night and tried Alice's Icing with an additional tablespoon of meringue powder. I couldn't tell much difference in the dryness of the icing after 12 hours. They're stackable...just.... They could be bagged, if one was careful. If I continue to use this icing, I'll just have to make sure I have 24 hours for them to dry. I do like the taste of it....and the texture.
I'll try Antonia's icing before I make a final decision about which is best for me. Thanks for the suggestion.
Forget it, I am not doing this cookie thing! You all are too good!
DO YOU HEAR ME CAKE_PRINCESS????
No... I can't!!
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