Royal Icing
I have taught thousands of students the art of royal icing. I have made what feels like a million royal icing cookies. Can things be made way overly complicated? 100% But if I can do it, so can you!
Things to remember:
· I only make two consistencies: Outline and 12-second.
· This recipe will first make an OUTLINE consistency. It should feel like peanut butter or toothpaste. Use this for all detailed trim work that you don’t want to go anywhere. If you want your icing to go to the edge of a cookie, you must you this consistency.
· You must add in water by hand with a spatula to get a 12-second consistency or you will overly mix the meringue, and you want it to deflate to become thinner.
· Don’t overmix royal icing! 1-2 minutes max or it will be weird and puffy, and it will not harden.
· Make sure your bowl is super clean and free of grease! Grease is the enemy of royal icing.
· You can use gel, powdered, or airbrush coloring for royal icing. If using airbrush, you will add less water. If using powder, you will need a tiny bit more water.
· You can store royal icing up to two weeks left out at room temperature. Be sure you stir it well before using it again to get the right consistency.
· Royal icing can take 8-10 hours up to 3 days to completely cure. If you want to bag your cookies, let them dry overnight uncovered.
· For meringue powder, I prefer Truly Mad Plastics or Dream Geanie Brand.
· I never add corn syrup and suggest avoiding adding that if you live in a place with higher humidity.
· I use a paddle attachment 99% of the time I am mixing. I have found this helps me get the right consistency quicker.
· Once I get an outline consistency, I always set some aside just in case I ever need to thicken up the 12-second icing again.
· You will need a scribe or toothpick to help you smooth the icing or you will run the risk of overfilling the cookie.
· I never add any flavoring to my royal icing. You can, but you will need to adjust your liquid.
· Tipless bags are what I always use. I only use Truly Mad Plastic Brand! Not all bags are created equal and there is nothing worse than having a blowout of icing on an almost finished cookie!
Ingredients:
4 Cups Powdered Sugar- make sure it is lump-free. I prefer Sam’s Brand.
1/3 c Meringue Powder
6-8 Tbsp water
Directions:
1. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, place powdered sugar and meringue powder. With the mixer on low speed, allow the two to blend. This should also help break up any lumps in your powdered sugar.
2. Once the two have mixed, add 4 Tbsp of water turn your mixer to low speed, and allow things to mix for 30-40 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure there are no dry lumps, add 1 additional Tbsp of water, and continue to blend. If the icing is having a hard time coming together, add 1 additional tablespoon of water. The consistency should move from a thick paste to a lighter texture once everything is wet and starting to blend. Continue to mix for 1 minute, scraping down the sides as needed. The mixture will become fluffier in texter but will still be dense and should form a stiff peak from the paddle when the mixer head is lifted. This is your outline consistency.
3. To convert the icing to a 10-second consistency, remove the bowl from the mixer and use a rubber spatula. Begin by adding 2 Tbsp of water to the mixture. The icing should start to break down slightly and become looser. Add 1 additional tablespoon if needed until you reach 12-second consistency.
What does 12 second mean? Think about a boat going across the water and it takes 12 seconds for the water to smooth. This is what 12-second icing is. When you run your spatula through the icing, it should take 12 seconds to smooth again. If it is still too thick, add more water 1 Tablespoon at a time. You can gently shake the bowl back-and-forth to encourage the icing to lay flat.
Once you have 12 second icing, you can add coloring as needed.
4. Fill your bags and begin decorating!
I use 12-second icing for both outlining and filling the cookie. If you use this method, ensure you don’t put your outline too close to the edge or it will flood over the sides. Use a scribe to help you swirl the icing, then gently shake the icing back and forth to help settle the icing.
Don’t get in the habit of dropping your cookie to smooth the icing! You will damage and break the cookie.
If you want to add detail work, like a name or design, allow the first layer of icing to crust over then apply the second layer using an Outline consistency.
If you want to make a wet-on-wet design in your icing (think a tie-dyed look or polka dots) add the second layer of icing while the first layer is still wet. This will allow the second layer to sink down within the first layer and create a seamless look, think a wallpaper look versus having a texture.