Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing

Honestly, I was a bit nervous about my first experience with royal icing. However, I did a lot of research and asked around, so when it came time to actually make and decorate with royal icing, I was a bit more comfortable. The purpose of these cookies was for the favor of a retirement party. Since my co-worker is moving to the Orlando area and is a big fan of Disney, I wanted the cookies to reflect the Disney theme. So, I chose a Mickey Mouse cookie!

I used The Way the Cookie Crumbles blog to find the perfect sugar cookie recipe. After reading Bridget's comparisons, I chose her recipe (the first one listed on the blog entry). These cookies were delicious - soft but sturdy with a delicious flavor (from the extracts and lemon zest).
All I can say is - Thank goodness for Annie's Eats step-by-step instructions on royal icing decorating. I followed these directions closely. Since I was doing Mickey cookies, I decided on doing some black and some white. I was pleased with how they came out! And, everyone RAVED about the taste and look of these cookies. Royal icing is definitely a time-consuming process, but I think it's well worth it. I can't wait to work with it againg and to perfect my techniques.