birthday cookies: the final product

Here's what came of all the cookie testing.

I decided to use a modified royal icing once I realized

that it wasn't the food poisoning that scared me -- I

just hate the idea of eating raw egg whites in any form!

I could, of course, get over this whole aversion if the

icing tasted amazing. But it didn't. So I moved on.

Here's the icing recipe I ended up using:

• 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 2 tsp corn syrup
• 1 squeeze fresh lime
• 1 tsp vanilla (leave out for white icing... or use brandy)
• half & half  [added gradually to correct consistency]
• gel paste food coloring*

[Note: My favorite sugar cookie recipe thus far is Martha Stewart's Ideal Sugar Cookies
using brandy rather than milk, rolled out to 1/4" instead of 1/8" and baked 12 minutes, just
until any edge turns golden.]

This piped on well, flooded great, and tasted fine.

Also didn't get as crunchy as the real royal icing,

which was nice. Yesterday's reviews were lots of

thumbs-up. Now to face the hardcore critics --

the kindergarteners! Anyway, Happy Birthday,

my little buddy. I love you!

*As I mentioned last year, icing can be colored

naturally, with turmeric (yellow) or berry juice

(pink or purple). There's also a natural line of

food coloring that's available. Haven't found it

locally, though, and it's pricey online.