Royal icing is not your only option for decorating cookies. Have you tried food coloring pens?
There are several brands available, but this:
AmeriColor Gourmet Food Writer Set is my favorite! Why? Because they come in great colors and the tips are finer and easier for small decorating.
A few examples of where I've used Gourmet Writers:
{for eyelashes on frogs...}
{eyes and ♥-shaped lips on sweet peas...}
{cookie decorating with the kiddo...}
{teddy bear faces...}
{and personalization.}
My tips...
- if using on royal icing, let the icing dry overnight before using the markers. The royal icing might look dry in a few hours, but it's not...trust me. :)
- use a light hand with the markers, or you can poke a hole right through the icing (those are the cookies you get to eat!)
- store the pens in the refrigerator
- have a paper towel nearby to blot the pen tips during use. Once you've decorated several cookies, the food coloring starts flowing a little more.
- BLACK...you'll need the black pen the most. After that, I probably use pink and red most often. I still like to have all of the colors, just in case I need them.