This is the best royal icing recipe that you are going to find! This Royal icing Recipe is perfect for decorating cookies and desserts. Everything you need to know about making royal icing (how to make cookie icing), coloring royal icing and decorating with royal icing will be covered in this post.
Royal Icing Recipe
What is Royal Icing?
Royal icing is a great icing because it starts off liquid than hardens when it dries. I love using this recipe with the no spread Christmas sugar cookie recipe. Royal Icing it the best icing to use when you are decorating cookies. To make it any color you want just add a few drops of food coloring in when you are making it.
If you are looking for cookie ideas be sure to check out these!
What do the seconds mean when talking about Royal Icing?
The seconds simply stand for the amount of time it takes the icing to reabsorb and return to a smooth finish.
There are some simple tricks to royal icing consistency. If it seem to thick just add a few drops of liquid at a time too thin it down. If it is too thin then add a small amounts of confectioners’ sugar and stir until you get it thick enough.
Royal Icing Consistency
Piping Royal Icing. This is what I call medium icing. Is it the icing recipe that is used fully as directed below. It is best used for piping decoration edges and making lines when you are decorating.
20 second Royal Icing. Thinned out with a little bit of water, it takes 20 seconds for the the icing to reabsorb and return to a smooth finish after piping it. You will want to use a #4 round tip with your piping bag for this icing.
Flood Icing. This icing is the thinnest consistency that you are going to use. It is best used when you are wanting to fill in a large area that you have already outlined as the frosting will spread quickly filling in the area that you have already lined with 20-second frosting or piping frosting.
Stiff Royal Icing. This is the thick, frosting like spreadable icing that you would use to make things like flowers that you are putting on a cake. To get this consistency you will use less water than the recipe below calls for. You can not pipe this frosting with a thin tip.
For decorating sugar cookies you will want your icing consistency to be somewhere between heavy cream and ketchup. Not too thick that it won’t come out of your pastry bag or squeeze bottle and not too thin that it rolls over the sides of your cookies.
How to Flavor Royal Icing
You can easily flavor this royal icing by using clear extracts in the flavors you want them to be. All you have to do is add a few drops of the flavor you want to have the icing be. If you are wanting the icing to remain white then you will want to use a clear extract. If you are working with colors then you can use the colored extracts to flavor the icing.
Extracts that work well with Royal Icing
How to Color Royal Icing
Coloring this cookie decorating icing is simple. All you will do is add a few drops of food coloring to your royal icing.
Use food coloring gel. Using food coloring gel is the best way to go. It is already similar consistency of the icing so it will not add more liquid to it like you would do if you were using liquid food coloring.
Make more icing then you think you are going to need. I find it hard to get the exact color a second time when I am making this icing so I always suggest making more of a color then you might need. It is better to have left over icing then having to make more and it not being the exact same color.
Royal Icing colors get darker as it dries. When you are making royal icing colored keep in mind that when the icing dries the colors will become darker.
Storing Royal Icing
You can make this icing ahead of time and store it, or if you find yourself with leftover cookie icing after you have decorated your cookies you can store it to use for later. To store the icing all you have to do is put it in an air tight container in the fridge.
It will keep in the refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. When you want to use it again, just let it come back to room temperature before working with it again.
Royal Icing Recipe Ingredients:
- 1/2 pound confectioners sugar (Powdered sugar)
- 2 1/2 tablespoons meringue powder
- 1/4 cup of water. (You may need more if you are thinning out your frosting)
- clear extract (Optional, if you are choosing to flavor your icing)
- Gel Food Coloring. If you plan to color the frosting.
How to Make Royal Icing
Combine all ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until smooth and creamy, about 8 to 10 minutes.
If icing is too thick, add more water. If too thin, beat icing 2 to 3 minutes more.
Next add a clear extract to make your frosting take on different flavors if you want to. This is also when you will want to color the frosting as well if you are going to color it.
Color icing with desired food colors by blending a drop of coloring into the icing. Gradually blend additional drops until you achieve the desired color.
This recipe makes Makes 1 cup, so if you are going to be making a lot of colors and cookies you will want to double, triple ect. this recipe.
best royal icing recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound confectioners sugar sifted
- 2 1/2 tablespoons meringue powder
- 1/4 cup water and more if needed
- clear extract
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until smooth and creamy, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- If icing is too thick, add more water. If too thin, beat icing 2 to 3 minutes more.
- Next add a clear extract to make your frosting take on different flavors if you want to. This is also when you will want to color the frosting as well if you are going to color it.
- Color icing with desired food colors by blending a drop of coloring into the icing. Gradually blend additional drops until you achieve the desired color.
Notes
Nutrition
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How do I store royal icing once made? Room temp ok? For how long?
Thanks!
I store mine in the refrigerate for up to 2 weeks. Just let it come back to room temp before working with it again.