Confectioners sugar glaze is a classic for a reason. It's less fussy than royal icing and more precise than buttercream. Plus, it also dries hard, takes color brilliantly and tastes good, too.

For children, we recommend that you find small squeeze bottles and fill with multiple colors of glaze for the family to share. They make it easy to draw patterns or pictures, write names and do Jackson Pollock-esque dribbles and squiggles that actually turn out looking really cute!

This recipe, which we found on Family Fun magazine, makes enough to decorate about 24 cookies.

• 1 pound confectioner's sugar (powdered sugar)
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• extra water for thinning
• several small bowls for mixing different colors
• gel food coloring
• sprinkles, jimmies, colored sugar, other decorations
• small squeeze bottles with caps to keep glaze from drying out**
• wet wipes, paper towels, smocks/aprons and a plastic tablecloth!

• Beat in your mixer until smooth, about 1 minute or so.
• To thin the glaze, add a very little water at a time and mix. We recommend about 1/2 teaspoon to start.
• Divide the glaze among bowls and add gel color to tint. Use sparingly at first and mix well. Add a little more for more vibrant colors. Warning: the gel colors can add a slightly unpleasant flavor in some colors (especially red). 

** GREAT TOOL
You can use any type of squeeze bottle, but we found this great set that we highly recommend. By Progressive PrepWorks, the set includes two bulb-squeeze bottles that are easy to use and clean. Perfect for little hands and tired, hands, too. Fittings hold one of the 6 included decorating/piping tips. Easy to change out the tip without having to use a new bag! Click on the photo below to learn more or purchase on Amazon.com.

We receive a small referral fee if you purchase this after linking on Amazon.

This no-fail sugar cookie dough is perfect for family baking and decorating. It's easy to roll out and holds its shape in the oven. It bakes up perfect cut-outs every time!

You can fancy up the flavors by using brown sugar in the dough or substituting the vanilla extract for almond, lemon or orange flavor. But you don't need to - vanilla is the classic for a reason.

If you don't have time to do all the steps at one sitting, this dough can be frozen for up to a month. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before using.

You can also decorate cookies at a later date. Baked cookies will keep at room temperature for a few days in a sealed container. They also can be frozen for about a month. Defrost and allow to air out before decorating.

This recipe, adapted by one found in Family Fun magazine, makes 24 - 36 cookies, depending on size and desired thickness.​

I remember the first time I had Nutella. It was in Italy about 25 years ago. And it was love at first decadent smear for me. I didn't have it again until my daughter was a young girl in the early 2000s. She's been a fan most of her life. True confessions---my favorite way to eat the chocolate-hazelnut spread is right off a spoon! But this recipe might give the spoon a run for its money.

The soft, chewy cookie is a riff on a peanut butter cookie. The Nutella is the star flavor, and we think that's the way it should be. We added chopped, toasted hazlenuts to the cookies for a little crunch. But they are delicious as-is. The original recipe called for 1/2 cup of chocolate chips, but some of us thought it was too much chocolate and interfered with the hazelnut flavor. (Did I really just say "too much chocolate?") But others thought with the chips was perfection.

This recipe takes about 15 minutes to prep. There's no need to refrigerate before baking. although letting it rest for 30 minutes allows the dough to develop. It makes around 15, 3+-inch cookies.

Adapted from a recipe by Samantha Merritt of Sugar Spun Run.

This preparation of the French butter cookies, sablés, is great if you want a perfectly uniform thickness and edge to your cookies. These buttery, sandy delights are a huge step up from your usual sugar cookie. Depending on the sugar you choose to finish them, it can look elegant for adults. With brightly colored sugar, the delicious treats are perfect for kids (and "big kids," too) !
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The original recipe, by Dorie Greenspan, calls for European butter and vanilla beans, but we've simplified ours so you can make these fabulous treats with what you have in your fridge and pantry right now. For a special occasion, feel free to upgrade your ingredients.

The dough for these cookies freezes really well. We keep a log of these cookies in the freezer so we can bake a few whenever the mood strikes or we have last minute guests.
Frozen dough will keep for 2 months if well sealed in double layers of plastic.
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