Take 2

Our second attempt turned out better, especially on the frosting front.  On the cookie front, incomparable because I just bought a sugar cookie mix and called it "done."  

For the frosting, we pained on watered-down royal icing in white.  Then, we piped on runny royal icing in green and blue.  They turned out awesome!  

Just for the record, we used two types of brushes to paint the base coat on the cookies.  One was a boar bristle 1" basting brush made by OXO.  The other was a silicone basting brush that we have had lying around in the drawer.  I went to Michael's again and I did see some small brushes made by Wilton, but I had already talked to the experts at the local kitchen shop, who said a basting brush would work, and they were right!

-吴碧芙

Incredible

...but inedible.  Our first attempt with Royal Icing went rather well.  I made the dough last night and baked the cookies this morning.  The tester cookies we tried ended up being very dry--like cardboard dry---like chip-a-tooth dry.  

The dough did not come together like it should have, it looked like little crumbles, and I needed to add water.  It rolled out like normal, and it baked nicely.  I probably should have made a gingerbread house out of the dough, based on how structurally sound the finished products came out.  

I wanted the type of icing I had on a cookie at a wedding of two of my classmates in 2003.  Some internet research showed me that it was probably Royal Icing, and I wanted to try it out. 

I got a few icing implements, including bags and a tip, meringue powder, and white-white icing coloring.I watched videos and read recipes online.  I considered many techniques, including piping and flooding and painting.  In the end I couldn't figure out what type of paintbrush would be foodsafe (none of the websites told what type of brush they were using/recommending).

I suppose we will try again with sugar cookies this time.  I would like to paint, if I ever figure out what kind of brush to get...ideas appreciated on that front...

-吴碧芙