Nicole Hopper is a recipe tester and developer based in Birmingham, Alabama. If you ever wondered what the secret is to perfectly frosted cut-out sugar cookies, we’ll fill you in: royal icing. This ...

This story first appeared on Food52, an online community that gives you everything you need for a happier kitchen and home – that means tested recipes, a shop full of beautiful products, a cooking ...

We use two types of this for decorating, one thick and smooth for piping details and edging, and a runnier glossy mixture for ‘flooding’ larger areas. For the basic mixture, place 75ml cold water in a ...