Looking for an FDA approved EDIBLE gold dust that is still shiny?! What does edible and non-toxic even mean? This post is full of all the explanations and links to my top ten favorite shiny, edible gold luster dusts!!  It can be REALLY CONFUSING trying to navigate the world of "edible" and "non-toxic" and "FDA approved" when you are shopping for gold and silver and other metallic (and even some non-metallic) dusts for cookie decorating. Don't worry though. I've got you covered with...once again...probably more information that you really want to know when it comes to choosing the shiniest edible gold dusts on the planet. And if you want to skip all that good ol' fashioned unsolicited advice and learning -- CLICK HERE to jump to my top ten recommended edible gold dusts.

What is royal icing? How is royal icing made, stored, and used? Does it taste good? How do you use it? All your sugar cookie royal icing questions answered!! What is royal icing? Royal icing is a typically white icing made from egg whites and sugar that dries with a smooth surface and candy like crunch. This firmness makes it great for cookies that will be stacked or shipped. It's known for holding together gingerbread houses and for delicate decorations on cakes and sugar cookies. Recipes for royal icing vary in proportions, additions, flavorings, and mixing methods, but at it's very basic level, it must contain egg whites of some kind and confectioner's sugar. What does royal icing taste like? Does royal icing taste good?

What to buy when you are just starting out -- must have cookie decorating tools and supplies for a beginner! Cookie decorating is SO. MUCH. FUN!!!! And there are so many fun tools and cutters and supplies! It's very tempting to BUY ALL THE THINGS!!! But what do you really need to get started? I've got the top ten things every cookie decorator should own.

Will baking powder make your roll-out cookies spread? What happens if you leave it out? What happens if you keep it in? What is baking powder anyway? And why does it matter? Find out below! Baking powder is kind of like the Severus Snape of the cookie decorating world. Poor guy. It gets blamed for everrrrrrrything. And it only half deserves it. 🤣🤣🤣 DOES BAKING POWDER CAUSE COOKIES TO SPREAD? Yes. And no. Stay with me here. We're going to sort this out. And I'll try to make it as simple as possible.

Six questions to ask yourself before choosing and buying a rolling pin for decorated sugar cookies. I can't say it enough -- there are infinite RIGHT ways to decorate cookies. If it works for you -- it's the right way. If it doesn't - try something else! The same holds true for decorating tools. Some people swear by icing bottles. Some people use disposable piping bags without any tips at all. Maybe you think plastic cutters are the best...or maybe you only use copper cutters. When it comes to choosing the right tools - BUY ALL THE THINGS seems like the most common approach. But unless you want a cabinet overflowing with rolling pins...I've got six questions you need to ask yourself before you buy a new rolling pin.

Don't have the cutter you need? You can always hand cut your sugar cookie shapes! Use these tips and tricks to make hand cutting as easy as possible. I own a lot of cookie cutters. Like... A LOT. Like.... someone cover my husband's eyes ... probably around 800 cookie cutters. And I love to re-purpose a cookie cutter and use it for something entirely different from it's intended shape. (You know...like turning a candle cutter into a gnome .) But for all my planning (ha) and preparation (ha ha ha ha ha)... sometimes I just need a certain shape that I don't have. And when that happens, I'm faced with two possible solutions -- I can make my own cookie cutter or I can hand cut the shape.

What is the #1 BEST WAY to roll out sugar cookies? The answer -- whatever works FOR YOU. Nine cookie decorating experts tell us their favorite way to roll out their sugar cookies!!  If you know me at all, or have ever taken a class with me, or even breathed air in the same room as me...you are probably aware that I'm a big fan of "do what you want." Don't boss other people and don't let anyone boss you. In life and in cookie decorating, I absolutely love that there are so many truly great ways to get to the same place.

Have you ever tried a sugar cookie recipe that claims to be "non-spreading" and then baked princess carriage cookies that came out of the oven looking more like smashed pumpkins? Have you ever given your "no-fail" recipe to a friend only to have them return with a FAILED verdict? WHAT MAKES SUGAR COOKIES SPREAD??!   I'm not sure if you know this...but I make chocolate sugar cookies . I've made chocolate sugar cookies using the same recipe for a reallllllly long time. My recipe is solidly in the no-spread camp. But that doesn't mean that it will come out perfect 100% of the time. A really good, really solid recipe is only PART OF THE EQUATION. If you are struggling with sugar cookies that spread, read the nine tips below and start baking with confidence!

Is it okay to use someone else's cookie designs? What's the best way to credit your inspiration? Nine cookie decorating experts weigh in on best practices for using inspiration in your own cookie designs. I've been decorating cookies for what seems like a lifetime. I've been blogging about decorating cookies for almost as long. I have learned A LOT of things along the way. I've learned that icing consistency REALLY REALLY matters. That natural light is the best kind of light. That adding salt to royal icing just tastes awful. That using a dehydrator to speed dry icing is AWESOME. That coral and mint...just aren't in my skill set. But most important, I've learned that there is rarely ever just ONE RIGHT WAY to do anything. Sometimes people ask me a question and I actually feel like I am doing them a disservice by answering...because I want them to see all their options before deciding what will work best for them. So I decided to put together a Super...

The most important part of any decorated cookie is the COOKIE. If you are just starting out on your cookie decorating journey of joy and happiness -- START HERE. No amount of cookie decorating magic can save a bad tasting or over baked cookie . You will end up with a cookie decorating journey of sadness and tears in the closet while eating the last of the cookie dough ice cream and crying even more because your kids already picked out all the cookie dough bits so all you really have is tears and vanilla flavored iced milk that was once cookie dough ice cream. Let's not start your cookie decorating journey by crying in the closet. You'll want to save that for icing consistency.

How to use a dehydrator to help speed up the cookie decorating process without drying out the cookies!! All your cookie decorating dehydrator questions answered! Using a dehydrator for decorated cookies is really common these days! But the hows and the whys and the where-to-fors can all get just a little bit confusing. Don't worry! I'm here to help you out. What is a dehydrator?   A dehydrator is an appliance that uses warm, moving air to remove moisture from the food that is placed inside it. Why IN THE WORLD would I put my sugar cookies in a dehydrator?   For two reasons: One, if you put a moving air source across the top of the icing while it is drying, the icing will dry SHINY. Second, the gently heated air helps the royal icing or glaze dry quicker -- reducing craters, color bleed, and allowing you to move on to the next step in decorating much MUCH faster. Will a dehydrator dry out my decorated sugar cookies?  It can, if you leave the cookies in...

  Fair warning -- this post if full of all kinds of unsolicited advice. Proceed with caution. Icing consistency is kind of a big deal. It can create the perfect dimension and texture if you get it right or dash all your cookie icing dreams to pieces if you don't take the time to get it exactly as thick or thin as it needs to be. How do you know how thick it should be? Think about the design and what you need the icing to do. Should it flow together or keep it's texture? Are you filling an entire cookie or just a small space? THIN ICING (also known as flood icing or 10 second count) is for covering large areas with smooth icing. It's thin though, so you'll need to contain it with a thicker icing. MEDIUM ICING (also known as one-consistency or 15 count) is for outlining and filling a cookie with the same consistency of icing. MEDIUM THICK ICING (also known as puffy icing or 17 count icing) is great for filling small spaces that might crater, for a...

To anyone who has never decorated a cookie in their life -- You should. To anyone who wants desperately to understand the magic that is cookie decorating -- I made you something. It's this post. I gathered some of my favorite tutorials on the most basic and key parts of cookie decorating from the mystical world we call "The Internet" and put them all together right here for you to peruse as your time and attention span allow. And to those of you who couldn't stop decorating cookies even if your house fell over and you had to climb mountains and swim through rivers while being chased by an extinct animal from the Triassic Period for more powdered sugar -- I love you. You already know that. If I missed any great beginner tutorials, will you let me know? COOKIE DOUGH Vanilla Sugar Cookie with Sour Cream -- Cookie Crazie Vanilla Sugar Cookie with Powdered Sugar -- Sweet Sugarbelle Chocolate Sugar Cookie -- LilaLoa Vanilla Sugar Cookies -- LilaLoa R...