Sarah Ostrominski, the baker behind Sarah’s Sweets and More has mastered the art of royal icing cookies. I stopped by her dreamy home in North Austin to spend some time in the kitchen with her as she created a batch of delicious 4th of July treats. Let me tell you, not only does her kitchen look like an ad in Southern Living, but her cookies should be featured as well. I have spent many hours in my own kitchen trying to learn the art of royal icing cookies (yes, it truly is an art) and the only outlet MY creations should be featured on is Netflix’s Nailed It – yikes! Sarah was kind enough to share some tips and tricks for creating the perfect royal icing cookie worthy of any 4th of July party. 
What tools does she suggest?
- Silicon baking mats
- Cooling racks
- Gel icing coloring – Americolor brand is her favorite!
- Madagascar Vanilla – a secret ingredient that gives each bite a subtle vanilla bean flavor
- Mixer – any mixer will work, but she prefers Kitchen Aid
- Piping bags – her favorites come from Grunderfully Delicious
- Scribe for smoothing royal icing
- Cookie cutters
- Rolling pin – Sarah suggests a rolling pin with spacers to designate how thick your dough will be. This ensures your cookies has a flat surface on top.
After you’ve gathered your tools, start with a good recipe. Sarah experimented with several recipes before she found one she loved. Master your recipe and then move on to icing! 
Royal Icing: Royal icing is by far the hardest step in creating beautiful cookies. If the icing is not the right consistency it is all down hill from there. Here are some tips to help: – Royal icing consistency should be similar to the consistency of shampoo. Not too thick, but definitely not too thin. – Don’t worry! If the consistency is not right, you can add powdered sugar to thicken it up or just a sprinkle of water until it is thinned. – It is easier to go from thick to thin when getting the right icing consistency. – As you mix your royal icing ingredients, be sure to sift in the powdered sugar a little at a time. – Be sure to wash out your mixing bowl with a little vinegar (then rinse) before using. If any butter is left in your mixing bowl, it could affect the consistency of your icing. – Royal icing dries very quickly. Be sure to store your icing in an air tight container after you make it to prevent it from hardening quickly. Pipe your icing around the edges as a border before flooding the inside of your cookie. After flooding, use your scribe to smooth out the icing and get rid of any bubbles. As for Sarah’s biggest piece of advice – be patient. Nothing is going to be perfect the first time you try it, but stick with it and don’t be afraid to ask questions. There you go – tips and tricks for creating Royal Icing cookies that are sure to be a hit at any 4th of July party! 
