Royal Icing
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
10 mins
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Setting Time
30 mins
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Total Time
40 mins
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Servings
24 cookies
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Calories
122 kcal
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Course
Baked Goods
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Cuisine
American
Royal Icing
Description
The Royal Icing recipe combines sifted powdered sugar with meringue powder and water, whipped until stiff peaks form. This stiff consistency allows the icing to hold fine details and sharp lines when piped onto baked goods. Adding gel food coloring gives versatility in decorating colors. The method includes mixing the ingredients on a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, first on low speed to combine, then increasing to medium/high speed for about 5 minutes until very thick and shiny. Portions can be divided and colored separately for multicolor decoration. Allowing the decorated cookies to harden at room temperature for at least 12 hours ensures a firm finish.
This royal icing is primarily used for decorating cookies, as it dries hard and keeps detailed designs intact. It is not typically applied in large amounts on cakes but can be used to make decorative flowers or elements that are added to cakes after drying. The recipe includes notes on storage: fresh royal icing is best but can be refrigerated for up to a week when covered with a damp towel to prevent drying, while meringue powder-based icing can last up to a month. Freezing the icing is not recommended, but decorated cookies can be frozen after the icing has set.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds powdered sugar sifted
- 5 tablespoons meringue powder Genie's Dream Premium
- 2/3 cup water plus more for flood icing
- Gel food coloring (see notes above)
Instructions
- Combine ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer. If you don't have a stand mixer, you can use a large bowl and a hand mixer. Mix on low speed with a whisk attachment until ingredients are combined (enough that the powdered sugar won't fly everywhere).
- Turn up the speed to med/high and mix for 5 min or until very thick, shiny, stiff and white. You want the peaks of the icing to stand straight up without flopping over at all.
- If you want to make several different colors, divide the icing into several different bowls and beat in the food coloring by hand with a rubber spatula.
- Once you get the correct consistencies for piping (see notes above), place icing in piping bags and start decorating!
- After icing your cookies, allow cookies to harden at room temperature for at least 12 hours before storing.
To Make Flood Icing:
- Once you have used all of the royal icing you plan on using (or have set aside the amount of royal icing you need) add about a little of water at a time to the royal icing that you would like to make into flood icing, stirring constantly, until you get the right consistency.
- You want to be able to pull up a spoonful of icing and have it drip back down into the bowl and combine with the rest of the icing within just a few seconds. You don't want to have it lay on top of the remaining icing for long, you also don't want it to absorb immediately. That means it is too thin. There is a fine line here, which is why you only want to add a little bit of water at a time so you don't overdo it.
Notes
- Store royal icing in the refrigerator covered with a damp towel to prevent it from drying out; best used within one week.
- Meringue powder royal icing can be kept refrigerated for up to a month.
- Avoid freezing the icing itself, though fully decorated cookies can be frozen after the icing has hardened.
- Allow decorated cookies to dry at room temperature for at least 12 hours before storing.
- Use this icing mainly for cookie decoration or creating hardened shapes to apply on cakes, not for coating entire cakes.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 24cookies
Amount Per Serving
Calories 122 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 122kcal | 6% |
| Carbohydrates | 30g | 10% |
| Protein | 1g | 2% |
| Fat | 1g | 2% |
| Sodium | 14mg | 1% |
| Potassium | 11mg | 0% |
| Sugar | 30g | 60% |
| Calcium | 1mg | 0% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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