Do you want to make beautiful decorated cookies at home and not sure where to start? Here are a couple of quick and easy recipes for beginners. Please note these are not the exact recipes used in my custom orders but these are a perfect starting place. Feel free to make tweaks til you find something you love. 
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Royal Icing (tutorial)
​Ingredients
2lbs (907 grams) confectioner’s sugar
6 TBS (150 grams) meringue powder
¾ Cup (177ml) warm water
2 TBS (40 grams) light corn syrup
2 tsp (10 ml) clear vanilla (or other oil free extract/emulsions)

Instructions
1. In the bowl of your mixer, whisk together (by hand) meringue powder, vanilla, and ½ a cup of warm water for 1 minute until foamy.
2. Add in confectioner’s sugar.
3. Using the paddle attachment, mix ingredients together on low until combined. The mixture will become lumpy and thick. Increase mixer to medium speed. Slowly add remaining water til smooth.
4. Increase speed to high speed for 3-4 minutes til mixture becomes fluffy (adjust time if needed)
5. Once icing has reached stiff peaks, add corn syrup and mix 30 seconds til combined.

*Additional Info
​From here, portion out your icing, add food gel colors and thin out with water for the consistency you'd like. My preferred food gels and ingredients can be found here.









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Vanilla Roll Out Cookies
Ingredients
1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter (barely softened, cooler than room temp)
1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
3 (375 grams) cups flour
1 egg, room temp
2 tsp (10 ml) vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (or preferred flavor)
1 tsp (4 grams) baking powder
¾ tsp (4.5 grams) salt (if using salted butter leave this out)
 
Instructions
 *preheat oven to 350
1. Mix flour, baking powder and salt together and set aside.
2. Cream together butter and sugar using the paddle attachment of a mixer. Be careful not to over-mix. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
3. Add in egg and vanilla, mix for 30-45 seconds til fluffy. Scrape down bottom and sides of the bowl.
4. Add dry ingredients all at once. Continue to mix with the paddle attachment. Once all ingredients are combined and the dough pulls away from the side of the bowl it's ready to use . If the dough is too sticky add up to ½ cup additional flour.
5. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes for 1/4 inch thick cookies. Bake for 12-15 minutes for 3/8 inch thick cookies.

*Additional Info
For best results allow the dough to rest for 15-20 minutes prior to rolling it out. Bake on parchment paper or silicone mats for an even bake. For crisp edges refrigerate cut outs for 10-15 minutes before baking.