I just had to add that I, too, LOVE this recipe!
I have a question....
How do you get a glossy look with royal icing?
I've seen cookies in books, shiny and pretty. Then when I make them they are a dull/matte finish.
Can anyone tell me if I made the no fail sugar cookie recipe Wed night and have it in the fridge wrapped in wax paper and then cling wrap, is it still good? I didn't have time to make the cookies but do tomorrow and don't want to start over if I don't have to....thanks
As long as you add them sealed from the air in the fridge there is no problem! I have kepts dough in the fridge for this long before and had no problem. Just make sure to let it sit out a little longer and warm up because it is colder than if you let it sit in the fridge for only an hour or two. Goodluck!
Leily
Just a tip for everyone...keep your extra cookie dough in the freezer rather than the fridge. The sugar in dough turns to moisture in the fridge, but the freezer doesn't cause this to happen. You'll get a better cookie in the end.
To thaw, just bring it out and let it sit on the counter for an hour or two. I like to cut it into small squares and toss it in the KitchenAid too. Give it a quick few seconds in the mixer with the paddle attachment before you re-roll it again 
.
Hi everyone! I'm new to the forum and stumbled upon the cookie gallery. Now you all have inspired me to try my hand at it but I'm having trouble sifting thru all the cake post to find post on cookie info. I went out and bought a few really cute molds (can't wait to try the wedding cake cutter out!!). I have a few questions about icing..don't know who Toba is but I have seen mention of her recipes a couple of times. Her icing recipe..does it call for 1 or 2 pounds of powdered sugar? One recipe says 1 pound while the other recipe say 1 bag ( I thought a bag of powder sugar was 2 lbs) Which one is correct?
Heres what I have ~
1 pound powder sugar
3/8 c. milk
3/8 c. light corn syrup
1 tsp extract
or
1 bag powder sugar
3/8 c. milk
3/8 c. light corn syrup
extract to taste
Thanks everyone 
Hi Texastwinkie!!
My recipe calls for 1 lb. I believe that I would start with just 1 lb., which is approx. 4 cups. If it's too thin just keep adding powdered sugar until it gets to the right consistency.
Good Luck!
And....
my recipe yields 2 cups of icing. Maybe that will be of some help too.
Thank you! I'm a novice so I'm sure I'll be asking all kinds of questions.
I just made about 100 dog bone shaped cookies for my moms Doggy Daycare Business and let me tell you it took me like 5 hours to do them. I used a recipe that someone posted on here that was awesome. I lined the cookies...let it dry, and then thinned the frosting with about 1/4 tsp. of water to thin it up...then filled in and used a wooden skewer to fill it in to the edges. They looked awesome, and my mom called and said they tasted good too!
ICING RECIPE:
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon corn syrup
to thin...add 1/4 tsp water
**I suggest mixing it with a spoon and make sure you try to eliminate the air bubbles. Good luck! Thanks for the help with my cookies ladies!!! I LOVE THIS SITE!
Oh, you can add flavoring or color to preference. I used 1/4 tsp. of Almond Extract.
farney0125....
Did your icing have a shiny or matte finish after they dried?
I need a cookie mentor 
! I hate to keep asking such basic questions but I want to get my ducks all in a row before I get started with my cookies this weekend. I understand the outlining part and filling the design in but when you add extra color or design do you wait until the icing has dried to apply it? Some of the cookies look like the icing sinks in to give it a smooth appearance while other cookies look like some of the details just sit on top. Example: lets say I do a Christmas stocking and want to add stripes or dots ...would I outline, fill in, let it dry and then stripe or dot it? Also when you mention adding corn syrup to an icing recipe to get a glossy look do you replace the entire water amount with corn syrup or just part of it?I have ordered cookie cutters, decorating bottles..I'm so excited!!!! Lets just hope I don't get discouraged this weekend!
Antonia, can I add corn syrup to your recipe instead or water? Where can I access you step by step tutorial?
I have been using the Toba Garrett recipe for icing glace' which is powder sugar, whole milk, and corn syrup. (however, if I use all the liquid she suggests, the consistency is way too thin) Toba Garrett's recipe dries to a shiny finish. I'm in the middle of frosting cookies and outlined them in white. I filled some of the cookies with black icing and the black seems to be bleeding into the white outline. Is that a common thing?
Antonia's tutorial- from what I understand, it's done and being processed by the site. Hope we get to see it in time for Christmas since I'm getting tired of eating all my experiments! 
Joan in Georgia
P.S. duh 
I just re-read this thread and noticed 4 cups = 1 pound.
I was using the fuzzy math, 2 cups = 16 oz = 1 pound. No wonder my icing is so runny! 
I had the exact same problem with Toba's icing...thought I had done something wrong and I've been too busy to try again for fear of messing up.
Am I the only one who refreshes this site every few minutes hoping to see the new cookie tutorial???
Kos, I have not tried this yet but hear it works, if you outlined in white and then are filing an area with a different color, in your case black, outline that area in black and THEN fill in. So it would be outline white, outline black fill in area. Like I said, I haven't tried yet but her that stops the bleeding. You'll be done by the time you read this but I would love to know if this really works.
The first thing every client says is "Wow! You must have such patience."
My husband would say otherwise!
!
Ditto, Antonia!!!! My hubby thinks I am mad woman sometimes!!!! 
When the icing sugar is first mixed in, the consistency of the icing should be thin and runny...like honey. When it is mixed for 10 minutes at the lowest speed (I use a KitchenAid) with the paddle attachments (you don't want to be adding air with the whisks!) it is thick and soft...like peanut butter. THAT is the stiff consistency...for outlining and assembling gingerbread houses, etc.
It should never be stiff enough to strip a handheld mixer at all? I'm confused.
I do have a complete step-by-step article coming up VERY soon (next week?)...so check that out. It will have the photos of making the icing and seeing the consistency for decorating cookies.
I'm all about that guide, BUT in the mean time.... I just made your icing and after 10 minutes, it's still not stiff. It still looks like honey, no where near peanut butter consistency. What am I doing wrong? What can I do to fix it? Can I add more sugar?
NEVERMIND... I was just fuzzy math, too. I'm re-mixing now and it's in between honey and PB, so far.
Your thin royal icing should be the consistency of pancake batter.
How thick do you make your pancake batter?
Princess
Another basic question....
How many cookies does the no-fail sugar cookie recipe yield? I usually make larger cookies (wilton's 101 cookie cutters).
And, how many cookies can you decorate with Antonia's icing recipe?
I don't want to make too much of either.... or not enough!
Thanks!
That's funny you ask that. My pancake batter is never the same consistency and generally runs on the runny side! Laughing
kos
It's a valid question though. If you want fat pancakes you make A thicker batter. If you want flatter pancakes you use a thinner batter. So it prompted my question "What is the consistancy of pancake batter?" There is no one consistancy of pancake batter.
Princess
LaylasMommy same question I had.
I made one batch of each. It really depends on how thick your cookies are going to be and what size cutter. I tried the no-fail and Toba Garretts recipe the same week so I can't remember which was which but I used the wilton cutters and made about 12 1/4 thick large circle cookies with one batch and 30ish thinner trophy shaped cookies. For each batch I made Toba Garretts Royal Icing and had PLENTY left over.
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