Meaghan from The Decorated Cookie is our guest for this week’s first Tutorial Tuesday post! She’s the expert when it comes to making cute cookies that are great for giving away as gifts or enjoying for yourself. Tomorrow, we’ll be featuring her Piggies on a Stick tutorial, but we want to ask her a few questions first. Here’s all you wanted to know about Meaghan, blogger and author of Cookie Sensations!

What first inspired you to become a cookie decorator?

While I’ve always enjoyed drawing, crafts and baking, I did not set out to be a cookie decorator. I had been managing a paint-your-own-pottery store when a woman who was opening her own cookie business came in, saw my display pieces and asked if I wanted to work for her, as she needed an artist. I agreed, though I had never picked up a frosting bag, thinking it would be a temporary job until I figured out what I really wanted to do. I spent ten years at the shop, leaving only because I had my daughter. Not only did the flexibility of the job enable me to continue working through my graduate degrees, but I loved it. And I found I was good at it. Just about any object you name, I’ve put on a cookie: Elvis, popcorn, movie cameras, bulldozers, Dorothy’s ruby slippers, mac n’ cheese, cartoon characters, appliances, every animal from alligators to zebras, sneakers, beer, martinis, people’s dogs, human organs… I could go on for pages with both the common and bizarre requests. And as my other world is literature (I’d like to publish children’s books), cookie decorating allowed me to write my first book, “Cookie Sensations,” and gain entry into the tightly locked publishing world.

Some folks (myself included :) find cookie decorating challenging, would you say the key to making the perfectly decorated cookie is in the frosting?

Yes. Yes. And one more yes. More so than the cookie itself. Even misshapen cookies can be decorated. In fact, for cookies that have no cutter, such as a woman in a yoga pose, I would cut out imperfect shapes or fit the design on other shapes. Frosting consistency is key. I tend to use the outline and fill method. I use one frosting of medium stiffness to both pipe an outline and fill in, as opposed to flooding (piping a stiff outline and filling with runny icing). The former is not as smooth, but gives you total control to do intricate designs.

Aside from the frosting, practice is the other key to perfectly decorated cookies. I’ve trained many cookie decorators over the years, and their early cookies aren’t even sellable. Time will help you build some hand muscle, control the frosting, maintain consistency with piping and rid of shaky lines or holes.

What are your favorite sugar cookie and frosting recipes to work with?

I have an almond sugar cookie on my blog and in my book that I love. It bakes perfectly without losing shape, has a bit of softness, and people go nuts for the flavor (I’ve seen party-goers stuff them in their pockets. Really.) I also only use the frosting recipe from my blog, also in the book. It’s a version of royal icing with meringue powder in lieu of fresh egg whites and shortening added for an ideal consistency. It dries enough to handle and package, needs no refrigeration, takes color well, and lasts for several weeks.

As a mom who holds a Masters in Liberal Arts with a children’s literature focus, have any of the cookies featured in your book, Cookie Sensations, been created with children in mind?

In terms of gifts for children, yes…sports cookies, baby shower cookies, bugs, etc. In terms of having kids decorate themselves, not as much. The art can be pretty challenging. But that said, I’ve had readers contact me with pictures of cookies their kids have baked using the book with raves of how much fun they’ve had. And the cookies looked amazing, so I may be underestimating young bakers. I am working on a proposal for a second book with even more user-friendly designs, which will translate better for kids (that is, simpler designs, such as the piggies).

Cookies are a fun and popular treat to make around the holidays. Do you have any tips or shortcuts to share with families who enjoy making cookies during the busiest times of the year?

With all on my plate, I feel like it’s always holiday time! When working on the book, I had to make hundreds of cookies quickly in a Washington, DC rowhouse with about a foot of kitchen counterspace. Efficiency is key. When I have a lot to bake, I rarely do everything in one day. I’ll make several batches of cookie dough and freeze portions in plastic bags, then let it thaw for a couple hours at room temperature (you want your dough chilled to roll, so don’t let it thaw too much). And the beauty of the frosting is that it will keep for weeks. So I also make several batches of frosting, mix all my colors and prepare all the frosting bags in advance. Making the dough and frosting and preparing the frosting bags are by far the most time-consuming steps, so getting these done ahead of time is a huge help. Come cookie decorating day, all I have to do is roll out, bake and decorate with minimal prep time.