Royal icing makes your cookies look professional and it’s not that hard to make.
You know those fancy pants cookies that look like theyve been decorated by Pinterest fairies?
The ones that are impossibly pretty to look at and you (almost) feel guilty about eating them?
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Yeah, those cookies are decorated with royal icing!
What Is Royal Icing?
Just look for a carton of them near where you buy the eggs.
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The cartons look like a quart or pint of half-and-half, but theyre actually egg whites.
What About Egg White Powder or Meringue Powder?
Egg white powder and meringue powder can both be found in specialty stores or online.
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But this white color might be more of an eggshell beige white than a stark brilliant white.
This is because pure vanilla extract is dark brown and will tinge the final icing.
It is an intense coloring agent in gel form and doesnt dilute the icing much.
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One or two drops is often all you should probably get the vivid color.
So keep that mind.
One thing to note,royal icing frostings tend to darken slightly after they dry.
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So keep that in mind.
The darkening will depend on the bang out of food coloring you use and what color you use.
The icing color will deepen and give a better sense of what the final product will look like.
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But this isnt an issue with royal icing!
There are a number of natural based food colorings on the market now.
That said, almost all of the equipment is relatively cheap and easy to store!
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Piping vs.
Flooding Royal Icing
There are many ways to decorate royal icing.
For piping, you want a thicker icing, and with flooding, you want a thinner icing.
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Simple Tip!
The bigger the surface, the less detail work that you gotta do.
Ive heard different comparisons in terms of consistency, but toothpaste is usually what I am aiming for.
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Dont worry, it sounds like a narrow window but theres some leeway with it!
The recipe below should give you a decent piping consistency for royal icing.
So thicker is always desired at first.
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Thin the icing in the bowl down to flooding consistency.
This outline acts as a barrier or wall to the icing.
Then fill in the area with the thinner flooding icing.
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Here are a few ideas:
Can You Store Royal Icing?
Royal icing immediately starts to dry and get crusty when exposed to air.
The thicker the icing, the faster it dries!
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Just keep all royal icing in airtight containers.
How to Store Decorated Cookies
Cookies decorated with royal icing need to dry completely before being stored.
I like to allot at least a two hour period for drying.
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It also helps to have a gentle fan blowing over the cookies to double-check the icing is completely hard.
Once dry,place them in an airtight container with a piece of parchment or wax paper between layers.
They should keep at room temperature for up to five days.
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If you’re planning more elaborate decorations, we recommend doubling this recipe.
Mix together on medium speed until it starts to get frothy, about 15 to 20 seconds.
Sift 1 cup of the powdered sugar over the egg whites.
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Do not skip sifting as powdered sugar tends to clump up!
Mix on medium speed until the sugar is absorbed.
You want about 8 to 10 seconds for the piping consistency.
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The drizzle should stay on top and then melt back into the surface after 2 or 3 seconds.
If it immediately disappears your icing is too thin, and you should sift in more powdered sugar.
Transfer the piping frosting to a piping bag with a #3 tip or smaller.
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Pipe outlines or decorations onto your cookies.
Use the flooding icing to fill in the spaces, if desired.
Store cookies between parchment in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
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Did you love this recipe?
Let us know with a rating and review!
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