You Only Need 2 Ingredients For A Perfect Glossy Glaze On Sugar Cookies

With the holidays rapidly approaching, sugar cookies will soon be back on the menu in households across the country. Decorating these confectionary delights is a time-honored tradition for many folks, and part of dressing them up includes giving them a stunning glossy sheen that makes them look too good to eat. There are various ways to achieve a glass-like shimmer on your holiday treats, but one of the most straightforward methods only calls for two simple ingredients: corn syrup and alcohol.

Higher-proof alcohols like vodka have the ability to thin out the viscous consistency of corn syrup, creating a concoction that is easily spreadable and can be applied atop toppings like royal icing. Some recipes call for a one-to-one ratio of the two ingredients, while others call for a higher ratio of corn syrup to alcohol, but this is something you can easily eyeball. The goal is to end up with a glaze that will efficiently cover the entire cookie and, once it's been allowed to air-dry, will grant a crystal-clear shine. Keep in mind that trace amounts of alcohol will likely remain in the glaze.

You don't need to seek out the best-ranked vodka brands just to make a glaze. In fact, you don't need to use vodka at all. Utilizing other spirits can create the same effect and, depending on your purposes, some might even work better.

When creating a glossy glaze to elevate the appearance of your sugar cookies, you have more options at your disposal than vodka. Many light rums have mild flavors that would work well to make your confection shine. Rums with higher alcohol content than most vodkas do the job well, like Bacardi 151. Because of the higher proof, these spirits may not require you to use as much to achieve the desired result, so add just a few drops at a time and keep an eye on the consistency.

However, some spirits might be best left for cocktails. Bourbon and Scotch have distinct flavor differences that many a whiskey aficionado loves to rave about, but they are both robust liquors. Some of the dominant flavors they contain may come along for the ride when blended into the glaze mixture, so leave the whiskey for creating your own flights for guests at holiday get-togethers. Make the sugar cookies with a glaze that uses less forceful — and potentially less expensive — ingredients that will simply thin out the corn syrup.