Reddit reviews Casabella Silicone Rolling Pin Spacer Bands

Recipe: https://twitter.com/malytwotails/status/533381261377540096/photo/1

These are a 3 day process if you're going to do them right. They taste the best around day 5, although they rarely make it that long. The icing sets up hard and sugar-crunchy because of all the meringue powder, and it smells like vanilla divinity.

For flavoring, I've done 1-2tsp vanilla extract, depending on how vanilla-y people like it. I'm NUTS for vanilla, so I do 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla emulsion + 1 tsp vanilla paste. I've also added 1/2 tsp vanilla powder on top of that (the Horde ones that have the red hots on top are the triple vanilla recipe).
If you prefer a more almond/nutty flavor (yeah, yeah...) you can do 2 1/4 C flour + 1/2 C almond meal, and sub in 1 tsp princess cake & cookie emulsion (found at Hobby Lobby [yeah, boo, hiss, whatever, this stuff tastes delicious]). The moonkins and ghost wolves are the almond variation, they're a little more flat because the almond meal spreads out a bit more, but also they seem more moist.

I like to use baker's sugar for the dough if possible, it's in that weird middle ground between granulated sugar and powdered sugar. Makes the cookies super light and fluffy. These cookies are delicious with or without the royal icing.
If you want chocolate icing, just dump cocoa powder into your royal icing until it's brown enough and chocolate enough. This is a "to taste" sort of thing, so be prepared to lick a lot of icing test bits in the name of perfection. I know, it's a sacrifice some of us just have to make.

Day 1: Make dough, split into two little discs and wrap in plastic, chill overnight in fridge.
Day 2: Roll/cut cookies (I suggest using something like these, they're great for getting uniform results - http://www.amazon.com/Casabella-Silicone-Rolling-Spacer-Bands/dp/B0058VX11Q/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1416090951&sr=8-2&keywords=silicone+baking+rings ).
-Bake cookies - use a silicone baking mat if you can, these are delicate little princess cookies and could scorch if you bake them on bare metal.
-Cool cookies
-Make royal icing
-Ice and decorate cookies, leave to set up overnight. Royal icing is very liquid and takes a long time to soak into the cookies and harden. You can't rush this step. Leave them out and uncovered, they need to air out. I promise they won't get stale!
Day 3: Wake up like it's super Christmas because you have like two dozen GORGEOUS COOKIES waiting for you in the morning, they're finally ready to enjoy!

Make sure you have several bowls for mixing icing colors. You can also use tupperware for this.

Spatulas. The more the better. I got a bunch of tiny ones from Walmart for $1 each that I use to mix icing colors, and bigger ones to scrape down the sides of the mixer. They're super useful.

Sifter. Useful for both powdered sugar and flour. Lumpy icing sucks.

Rolling pin. Standard size. I have a fondant rolling pin, which doesn't have handles, it's just a long plastic cylinder, but I prefer to roll out smaller batches at a time to minimize dough sticking to the rolling surface, so a regular rolling pin works just fine.

The rest is stuff you'll probably need to go to a craft store to get. Or online. I use Amazon a lot.

Parchment paper.

Pastry Bags.

Cellophane Bags. For packaging cookies individually, if you want to do that. You can use different sizes, but these are good for most average cookies.

Rolling Pin Spacers. These suckers are awesome. I use the yellow ones, they're about 1/4" and perfect for rolling out cookies to an even thickness every time.

Needle Tool. This thing is a lifesaver for popping air bubbles and smoothing out icing, but toothpicks work just as well.

As for ingredients, I prefer to get my Meringue Powder online as well.

Americolor gel is the shit. But you can use the Wilton stuff that craft stores sell just as easily. No big deal.

I buy my flour and powdered sugar in bulk at Costco and store it in big plastic tubs. Always get more powdered sugar than you think you'll need; it keeps well, and nothing sucks quite as much as ruining a batch of icing, or running out, and having to stop everything and go to the store for more powdered sugar.

I'm making a batch right now, so if I think of anything else I'll come back and edit this comment. All this stuff was all collected over a period of many months, so don't feel like you have to have all of it now. Just get what you need for the project you're doing, improvise as you can, and catalogue what you think will really help you with the next batch.

Hope that helps! :)

Edit: Was reminded during my decorating this evening: you're gonna need paper towels. So many paper towels.