Do you love baking and decorating cookies during the holiday season, or would you love to start? Today’s post will show you how to make icing for all your holiday cookie decorating. Get ready!

Most of your holiday sugar cookies can be decorated with a basic buttercream. Buttercream stays soft and smooth and is preferred when you want an icing people like to eat. To make a smooth, creamy and spreadable vanilla buttercream, you need the following:

butter

powdered {or confectioner’s} sugar

vanilla

milk, cream or half & half

Using an electric mixer, cream together 1/3 cup butter and 3 cups of powdered sugar until smooth and well blended. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla and 1 tablespoon of milk, cream or half & half. Whip the frosting on medium speed, adding enough additional milk to make the frosting spreadable, but not too thick.

To color your buttercream in several different colors, divide it into smaller bowls. Add 1-2 drops of food coloring and stir until blended. Add coloring by drops until you achieve the desired shade.

For an icing that hardens and is great for intricate designs and “gluing” together projects such as a gingerbread house, use royal icing. Royal icing holds its shape and gives your holiday cookies that glazed, fresh-from-the-bakery look.

To make royal icing, you need the following:

4 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup warm water {it needs to be about 110 degrees}

3 tablespoons powdered meringue

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

food coloring as desired

Begin by putting all ingredients {except the food coloring} into a large bowl. Use an electric mixer on low speed to thoroughly combine the ingredients together. Turn the mixer to high speed and beat for 7-10 minutes, or until stiff peaks form.

To add coloring, first divide the royal icing among smaller bowls. Stir in coloring as desired.

Hint: Royal icing dries quickly in the air, so keep the bowls of icing covered to protect them while you work.