Before we jump into decorating, I want to answer a really common question. What's the difference between frosting and icing, and which one is better for decorating cookies?

Let's start with frosting. Frosting has a creamy texture and a buttery taste. It's made with sugar, milk, and most importantly, butter. Frosting is also appropriately called buttercream, and it's used to decorate cakes and cupcakes. Frosting can be easily colored or flavored, and it holds its shape well for things like flowers or other designs.

Icing, on the other hand, has a sugar base, not a butter base. It's usually made with a mix of sugar and a liquid, like egg whites, and it's also referred to as "glaze" because of its glossy texture. Icing can be easily dyed or flavored, just like frosting.

Here's the main difference. Icing can be used on cakes and cupcakes, but its consistency doesn't hold a shape the same way that frosting can. The butter base in frosting is what holds those decorations together. Instead, what icing is great for is cookie decorating, because it dries with a smooth, glossy finish.

Icing is what all the pros use to make beautiful, professional looking cookies. In this course, we'll specifically be using royal icing, which is a thin icing that dries to a hard, solid finish. It's great for creating smooth colored bases and piping intricate cookie details, plus it's easy to make at home.

As a last optional note, there are a lot of fun extras you can use to decorate! You can use chocolate to drizzle, dip, or decorate your cookies, and you can use candies, sprinkles, or other toppings to add taste and decorative flair. At Teachable, some of our coworkers are particularly fond of Lindt chocolate, but feel free to choose anything you like.

Now that we're on the same page about royal icing, it's time to get decorating! In the next lesson, I'll show you the easiest way to make royal icing at home, including the recipe and simple techniques to ice beautiful cookies.