Description
Make perfect royal icing for decorating cookies using this simple recipe. This icing dries hard and smooth, ideal for outlining and flooding, and includes instructions for using meringue powder.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 3 tablespoons meringue powder
- 6 tablespoons warm water
- 1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the sifted confectioners’ sugar and meringue powder.
- Add the warm water and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients.
- Beat the mixture with an electric mixer on low speed until just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and beat for 5 to 7 minutes until the icing is very stiff, glossy, and holds stiff peaks.
- To achieve piping consistency, add water one teaspoon at a time until the icing flows slowly from the mixer paddle.
- To achieve flood consistency, thin the piping consistency icing further by adding water half a teaspoon at a time until it flows smoothly off a spoon and disappears back into the bowl after counting to 10.
- Cover the bowl with a damp cloth while working to prevent the icing from drying out.
- Use immediately for decorating cookies.
Notes
- If you do not have meringue powder, substitute with 2 large fresh egg whites, but beat them until slightly frothy before adding the sugar.
- If your icing cracks when dry, add a few drops more water next time.
- If your icing remains sticky after 24 hours, you may need to add a few more drops of lemon juice or a small amount of corn syrup next time you make it.
- Store unused icing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week; you may need to re-whip it before use.
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 0 min
- Category: Baking
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 cup
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 110
- Sodium: 5
- Fat: 0
- Saturated Fat: 0
- Unsaturated Fat: 0
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 112
- Fiber: 0
- Protein: 1
- Cholesterol: 0