Quilted Royal Icing How-To

This fabulous tutorial is courtesy of The Sweet Adventures of Sugarbelle. www.sweetsugarbelle.com

Quilting? Tufting? Whatever you call it, this easy technique is a simple way to dress up decorated cookies. It's pretty much my new favorite thing. It's possible to make quilted cookies without special equipment, but to save time, I prefer to use a Kopykake. If you don't have a projector, purchase Sweetamb's how-to video here.

• Printable quilting template (also includes a template for stripes)
• 20-second icing in the color of your choice
• White piping icing

1. Start by printing out the quilting template. Once the image is trimmed and secured in the projector, it will look like this. Center the design and adjust the Kopykake lens so the image fits the cookie.

2. Carefully fill alternating sections with 20-second icing. If necessary, use a toothpick to draw icing into the corners.

3. It's okay if the corners touch because they will eventually be covered, but for a cleaner look, try to keep it to a minimum.

4. Let the first layer set long enough to dry a bit. Patience is the most important part of creating a dimensional look.

5. Next, fill in the remaining squares. At this point, you won't need a projector. It looks a little messy, but don't panic, it's easy to fix.

6. Finish up by adding dots where the squares meet. It always amazes me how such a tiny detail can completely "clean up" a design.

This simple design is a great way to dress up any cookie collection. Whether you have a projector or not, they're easy to make.