Buttercream Icing is a soft icing that forms a light crust and can be colored and/or flavored for use on cakes. It is easily piped and can be smoothed with a clean hot spatula.

Cream butter and shortening. Add vanilla. Add sugar one cup at a time. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. For a stiffer icing, subtitute shortening for the butter. For spreadable icing, add 3 to 4 tablespoons light corn syrup.

Cook flour and water over medium to low heat until it starts to become transparent. Cool the mixture for two hours. Cream butter and sugar in a mixing bowl. Add flour mixture and vanilla. Beat until white and fluffy.

Combine sugar, butter, and evaporated milk in a saucepan. Boil mixture until it reaches the soft ball stage. Add vanilla and remove from heat. Cool to lukewarm. Stir until creamy enough to spread. If it is too stiff, add a drop or two of evaporated milk. If too thin, cook a little longer or add powdered sugar.

Royal Icing is an icing that becomes hard and crunchy and is great for making decorations, figure piping, decorating cookies and even icing cakes.

Beat all ingredients at low speed for 7 to 10 minutes until icing forms peaks. Add a bit more water to thin icing to quickly cover (or "flood") outlined cookies. Keep icing covered with a damp cloth or paper towel as it tends to harden fairly rapidly.

Simple Syrup is made by combining 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water, boiling for 10 minutes until the sugar is dissolved. Store in a covered jar in a cool place. Simple syrup can be brushed on cakes to add moisture and sweetness. Adding about 2 tablespoons of simple syrup to 1 cup fondant melted in a double boiler will make a pourable fondant frosting suitable for covering petit fours or other small cakes. Leftover simple syrup can be used to sweeten iced tea.

Apricot Glaze is a coating that is brushed or spread thinly on the all sides of a cake before icing, to keep cakes moist, to provide a crumb sealer, and to help the frosting stick to the cake. Apricot glaze can be made by taking apricot jam and warming it in a small sauce pan over medium heat until it begins to melt down. Take the mixture and strain the liquid from the pulp. Or, take 1/2 cup apricot jelly and 1/2 cup simple syrup and melt together over low heat. (This recipe would make enough glaze to coat about 30 to 40 1 x 1 inch petit fours.) The liquid can then be brushed on cake, bread or whatever you would like to seal with a shine.