GO-TO REFERENCE: Royal Icing
After trying numerous recipes and following a variety of recommendations on consistencies for outlining vs flooding vs detail work, I took the best of my two favorites and gave that a whirl. It worked so well that, dozens and dozens of cookies later, I haven’t even bothered to consider any other.
I have, however, done numerous flavor variations, which I’ll get into below. First, the basic recipe.
INGREDIENTS
2 pounds confectioners’ sugar, sifted
3 tablespoons meringue powder
scant 1/3 cup warm water (or combination of water and fresh citrus juice)
up to 1 tablespoon good quality extract(s)
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
DIRECTIONS
Sift the confectioners’ sugar into the upright mixer bowl.
In a measuring cup, whisk the meringue powder and water until foamy. Stir in the extract(s).
Fit the mixer with the paddle attachment, drizzle the mixture over the sugar, and mix on the lowest setting until it is beginning to become evenly moistened (2-3 minutes). Add the corn syrup and mix for another 4 minutes on low, stopping once or twice to scrape the bowl with a wet spatula. (If the mixture is not becoming smooth after 2 minutes, add an additional teaspoon of warm water at a time up to 1 tablespoon, and continue.) Turn the speed up one setting, and mix for 1 minute or until just starting to look fluffy. The icing should be very thick (like sticky spackle or paste).
Put the icing into a clean bowl and press plastic wrap tightly to the surface, and lay a damp dishtowel over the bowl. Color and thin the icing in smaller portions. (Details below.)
Okay, let’s talk about some of these ingredients.
Using meringue powder rather than the ‘traditional’ egg whites gets around all those raw egg concerns, though rumor has it that the icing is more glossy with them. Meh, that’s why we add the corn syrup (plus, it makes the texture a little softer). I’ve tried royal icing with and without meringue powder, and the set with it is by far the best. If you’re looking for a vegan or just egg-free version, the results with vegan meringue powder have been exactly the same.
Now, about the liquid and flavors. I don’t like my icing to taste like nothing but sugar, so I go heavy on extracts. Because it makes that flavor quite distinct in the overall taste of the cookie, do yourself a favor and use the best quality extracts you can afford. Vanilla is a classic (notes on resolving icing color below), and I’m also partial to almond, with a special fondness for the two together. You will want to adjust quantities based on the intensity of the flavoring — almond, for instance, is super potent, so a little goes a long way — as well as your personal preferences.
If it works well with the cookie flavor, I will also sub out up to half the water with lemon juice, for example. (And I have ideas about trying lime, apple, white grape, even pomegranate…which I’m hoping creates a lovely color all on its own!) I’ve included some suggested flavor pairings and quantities at the end of the post.
Speaking of color, some notes…
First, it’s best to color the icing to your desired color while it is still in its “spackle” form, before thinning it. Contrary to what you might think, it creates a more even color that way, and it’s far easier to avoid creating a lot of air bubbles at this stage. Gel food color gives the best pigment, allowing you to use less on lighter colors and getting quicker saturation if you want something deeper. If you don’t use food coloring often and all you have on hand is liquid, I recommend keeping colors more in the pastel range — and be mindful that you’ll need much less water in the steps below to thin your icing.
If you’re using vanilla or other extracts/juices with color, you’ll get a creamier tint to your icing. If you’ll be tinting to a muted or saturated color, it’s probably fine. For lighter or “cleaner” tints, whiten it first. To whiten it, you can use a VERY tiny amount of purple color (dip the tip of a toothpick into the color and stir into the icing, mixing well until the yellow/cream tint clears). Alternately, you can use a few drops of bright white food coloring, which will also help prevent color bleed when using multiple colors in a design.
Lastly, thinning that icing so it’s ready to use.
After going down more Instagram rabbit holes than I should admit, I fell in love with that bakery-store, outline-free flood…and then obsessed about how to achieve it. The secret is “20-second icing,” which allows you to outline and immediately fill, which then melds the area into a cohesive whole. And it creates a VERY puffy coat! I find that about 2 scant teaspoons of warm water per 3/4 cup of the spackle-thick icing creates the right consistency, and if it’s still a bit thick, I add more water a couple of drops at a time. If you’re going fancy and planning a layered design with more detailed piping outlines or other details, that will need to be a bit thicker, whereas beadwork should be slightly thinner.
The Cookie Countess has put together a really excellent tutorial video on 20-second icing here. I personally prefer an ever so slightly thinner consistency than the one she opts for (maybe 15-20 seconds), and I assure you that once you’ve iced a few dozen cookies, you’ll know exactly what works best for you.
Happy decorating!
A few flavor suggestions
Vanilla cookies — 2-3 teaspoons of vanilla extract, could also add 1/2-1 teaspoon of almond, lemon or butter extract as well
Lemon cookies — sub half the water for fresh-squeezed lemon juice, 1 teaspoon each of lemon and vanilla extracts, could also add up to 1 teaspoon of orange extract for a more complex citrus flavor
Almond cookies — 1 teaspoon almond and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Spiced cookies — in addition to vanilla and/or almond extract, consider adding up to a teaspoon of maple, honey, orange or cinnamon extract
Chocolate cookies — always use some vanilla extract because it enhances the chocolate flavor so nicely; from there, the options are nearly endless…consider adding almond or other nut flavored extract, orange (juice and extract!), a liqueur of your choice, peppermint extract for one of our family-favorite flavor combos, etc.
These are some of the items I find especially helpful for this recipe. (These are affiliate links.)
Kitchenaid 7 Quart Stand Mixer
Judee’s Complete Meringue Powder Mix
AmeriColor Soft Gel Paste Food Coloring, set of 12
12-Inch Disposable Pastry Bags from Ateco
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