Margaret Chen · January 26, 2026
I still cringe — and laugh — when I think about the afternoon I tried to hand-paint a delicate geometric pattern onto two dozen Valentine’s Day cookies using nothing but a toothpick, a prayer, and what I now realize was an absolutely unhinged level of confidence. The result looked less like romantic lattice hearts and … Read more
Margaret Chen · January 22, 2026
The first batch of royal icing cookies I ever made looked like something a toddler had decorated during an earthquake. I had spent three hours cutting out perfect little snowflake shapes, only to watch my icing slide right off the edges, pool into sad little puddles, and dry with giant air bubbles cracking across the … Read more
Margaret Chen · January 9, 2026
I almost cancelled the whole thing the night before. It was 10 p.m., I had a double batch of sugar cookie dough chilling in the fridge, and I had just discovered — in absolute horror — that I’d forgotten to buy any powdered sugar. Zero. None. For the royal icing. For a cookie decorating party … Read more
