Jane's Frostings and Glazes for Cutout Cookies

Cutout Cookie Sugar Glaze

2 cups confectioners' sugar
4 teaspoons light corn syrup
4 teaspoons milk
food coloring (optional)

Mix thoroughly and spread over cookies as a base for decorating.
It will dry shiny and firm.

[The corn syrup will help make the icing shinier and set faster too. You can make this icing as thick or as thin as you want. Thicker for making outlines on cookies and thinner for the fill. Or I even saw a recipe where you dip the top of the cookies in the glaze. Use a toothpick fill in areas that did not get coveered.

For outlining: To test the icing, lift the whisk or spoon from the mixing bowl; you should see ribbons of icing that fall back into the bowl for 3 to 4 seconds. If needed, add more milk to thin out the icing or more powdered sugar to make it thicker.

For fill: When you lift your whisk or spoon from the bowl, the icing should quickly melt back into the bowl of icing.]

Confectioners' Glaze
(makes approximately 1 cup of frosting that hardens on the cookies)

1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon flavoring (vanilla, almond extract, etc)
1/4 cup (approximately) skim milk

Sift confectioners' sugar into small bowl.
Add flavoring and stir in milk gradually until frosting is runny, but stiff.
Brush or spread on cookies.

Note: For lemon or orange glaze - lemon or orange juice may be used in place of milk
Chocolate glaze: Add 2 tablespoons cocoa to the sugar.

Cutout Cookie Decorator Frosting

2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1/4 cup softened butter
2 to 3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla (or other flavored extracts)
Food coloring

Combine ingredients. Beat at low speed until fluffy (1 to 2 minutes). Add food coloring.

Royal Icing for cutout cookies
(makes 2 1/2 cup)

Royal Icing becomes harder as it dries, and so is best used for decorative purposes, such as to frost cut-out cookies and decorate gingerbread houses.

Whites from 3 large eggs or meringue powder/no fat egg substitute
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 pound (3 3/4 cup) confectioners' sugar

In large bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar with an electric mixer until frothy.

Gradually add confectioners' sugar and beat 5 to 7 minutes until stiff, glossy, peaks form.