Royal icing, at its most basic, is a mixture of confectioner's sugar, liquid, and food dye. The type of liquid depends on taste, most contains at least some water, and many folks like to add lemon juice, extract, or (for the grown-ups) booze for flavor. More
My favorite recipe for making sugar cookies with royal icing comes from the venerable Martha Stewart. It's a classic recipe for perfect sugar cookies, the kind that are light and crisp and perfect for decorating. I recommend using brandy or cognac, which adds a butterscotch note to the cookies. More
Just right for birthdays or other special occasions, this Old-Fashioned Cake is a perfect balance of moist bittersweet chocolate cake and marshmallowy icing. More
Desserts don't get more Southern than a towering coconut cake. Fluffy and white, dusted with shaved coconut and gobs of seven-minute icing, it's a gorgeous way to end a meal. This particular version from Molly O'Neill's One Big Table incorporates an extra layer of coconut flavor in the form of a sour cream-coconut filling. Mixed up a few days before baking, it's a dead ringer for chocolate Easter egg filling, i.e., super delicious and plenty coconutty. More
Not only do I prefer the texture of boxed cake, I also love the ease. Open a box, dump in a few ingredients and in two minutes you have batter. Would it be possible, I wondered, to create a homemade, gluten-free, one bowl cake recipe? Turns out, the answer is yes. This cake, which was inspired by the classic gluten-filled Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" recipe, comes together quickly. White rice flour, cornstarch, and just a little sweet rice flour combine to create a cake that has a texture that's very similar to boxed cake—only better. More
Ahh, icing and cake. Few foods bring about more childlike joy. And yet, trying to bring these two together without a little know-how can make you feel like a five-year-old with two left hands. Here are a few pointers to make the next go-round less messy. More
Previously Tarragon Chicken » All French in a Flash recipes » One thing that hasn't changed since childhood is that I love playing with food. As a cook, that now means using ingredients in ways as creative as my... More
