I accomplished a huge feat today. And, I will keep my words at a minimum because I mostly can’t wait to share what I did with you! I made chocolate sugar cookies from scratch! Yea, yea, I know…big deal. It’s sort of a big deal, but making  sugar cookie dough wasn’t what I was most excited. The cookie dough was just a vessel to allow me to use my HOME-MADE ROYAL ICING! Oh yes. You read that correctly. I made my own royal icing. This adventure has been somewhat of a nemesis for me for quite some time now. I knew it was out there. I knew I had to make it. I knew it seemed really hard. If you’d ask my sweet friend and co-worker (the one whom I idolize for attending pastry school) how many times I tell her that I want to make royal icing but am terribly afraid…she’d tell you too many times to count. I’m reminded of When Harry Met Sally (bear with me):

Me: I really want to make royal icing but I’m too afraid.

Her: Oh Jen. Don’t be silly. It’s easy. I know you can handle it!

Me: Oh no. I don’t think I can. I think it might be too hard and I don’t have what it takes.

Her: Jen, really. I assure you, you can handle it.

Me: You’re right, you’re right. I know you’re right.

Well, sweet friend and co-worker, you don’t know it yet, because I don’t work with you until tomorrow night, but GIRLFRIEND! I did it. And…it wasn’t that bad. In fact, I ROCKED it.

Please forgive my blatant shouting here, but I am rather triumphant…

Please, take a look for yourself and keep in mind that all of this was my first time piping and working with royal icing. Ever. There are so many photos because 1. I made these and I love them 2. They are lovely colors (that I colored myself with fancy color gel!) and 3. We (my man and I) are fervently working to improve our food photography skills, so thank you for your patience!

An actual post about the process may or may not be on the way… Thanks for stopping by! Cheers!