The Story Behind Cookie Icing Lab
My name is Mila, and I am the founder of Cookie Icing Lab. I did not come to cookie decorating from a pastry background.
I am trained as a choreographer and teacher. I started working with children very early, while I was still studying, and for many years I saw my future entirely in that profession.
I discovered decorated cookies completely by accident during my maternity leave. That was in 2013.
One day I saw a Christmas TV program where someone was decorating cookies. The process surprised and fascinated me so much that I immediately wanted to try doing it myself.
At that time there was very little information available. There were no clear explanations, no accessible courses, and very few detailed videos.
My first attempts were completely intuitive — and, honestly, not very successful.
I didn’t know about outlines, flooding, or that royal icing even had different consistencies.
I simply dipped the cookies into icing, and I even prepared the icing incorrectly — mixing it with powdered sugar instead of whipping it.
My first cookies were far from perfect.
But despite that, I didn’t stop.
I genuinely enjoyed the process itself, so I kept experimenting, collecting information piece by piece, and learning from my own mistakes. At that time I had two small children, and the only time I could decorate cookies was at night. During the day there were household responsibilities and childcare, and at night there was silence — and cookies.
Gradually I began to understand the techniques, the different icing consistencies, and the small details that make a big difference. At first I learned entirely on my own. Later I started purchasing workshops and learning from other decorators.
Life unfolded in a way that made it impossible for me to return to my previous profession after maternity leave. Over time, cookie decorating became not just a hobby, but a completely new professional direction for me.
Working as a choreographer is emotionally demanding and requires a huge amount of energy. You are constantly in the spotlight, expected to inspire others and create energy in the room, while the final result depends not only on you but also on many other people.
Working with cookies turned out to be the exact opposite. It is a calm, focused process where the result depends entirely on my own work. For me, it feels almost like meditation: working with my hands, paying attention to details, and finding a sense of inner quiet.
Over time I created an Instagram page, and the first orders began to appear — most often cookies for children’s birthdays, cake toppers with characters from cartoons and video games.
Today I continue doing what I love and sharing my experience — real experience built through practice, mistakes, and many years of gradual growth.
Why I Created Cookie Icing Lab
Over the years I realized that many beginners face the same difficulties I once had — a lack of clear explanations, scattered information, and techniques that are hard to understand without practical examples.
Cookie Icing Lab was created to make these techniques easier to learn. The guides and classes on this site focus on structure, consistency, and repeatable methods that help you achieve clean, stable results.
If you are just starting your journey with royal icing, you can begin with the guides or explore the step-by-step classes.