Problem with My Royal Icing Drying Smooth

Hi Diane

If you don't think it's the consistency of your icing (too thick), try giving it a little shake or taping it (gently) on the counter right after you flood. That can help give you a smoother setting ... also, if you notice the dough bubbled in spots during baking, take a toothpick and pop it and push it down, you won't see it and you won't have little 'hills' in your cookies!  Hope that helps ... anyone else?

Thank you so much for the advise! I will try all of the suggestions and play around with my icing consistency.

Any time!

I've had that happen when I haven't put enough icing on a cookie.

???

Hi Diane and welcome!  My opinion is that there is no greater disappointment, (other than sticking your fingers or fist into a finished cookie for it to completely smear all icing off) than to have dents in your icing after all the effort you put into a piece to wake up and find craters in your icing.  Been there and done that and so has everyone else.  The best advice I received was to tap and shake obviously, that will give you a level flood, however to avoid any craters, if you run a toothpick or something similar all the way through your flood before you shake it to level it off.  I swirl my toothpicks through the flood to insure the edges especially disturb any devilish air pockets that will ruin all the work I've put into a cookie.  In the event you wake up the next day to find air pockets that have caved in, you can fill the hole and lightly cover the surface of that same color to make the best of it, or better yet, use those spots to be creative and glue flower transfers, etc.  And the best tip ever I have learned is to make extra cookies to the end of packing, just in case a cookie breaks or your fist goes into a finished cookie :-)  Even if you don't use it, there will be neighborhood kids who will know you as the cookie lady with extras!  LOL