Royal Icing Lesson

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I love using Royal Icing to decorate my cookies because it can be used in so many different ways. And since it dries with a smooth finish, the cookie becomes my blank canvas. Here are a few designs I've done with Royal Icing:

You can see more designs in my Etsy Shop.

Royal Icing:

1# Confectioners Sugar

5 TBS Meringue Powder

1/2 c Water

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Combine all ingredients in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 7 minutes.

For the first layer of icing on my cookies, I always use thinned down or "10 Count" Royal Icing. The reason it's called 10 Count Royal Icing is because at the correct consistency it should take 10 seconds for the icing to smooth itself out once it's been piped. That way the icing is thin enough that your surface will dry smooth but not so thin that it will run off of the cookie.

In order to thin down your icing, add a tablespoon of water at a time. To test the consistency, take a spoonful of icing, drop it back into the bowl and time how long it takes for it to smooth itself out. If you've added too much water, just add more powdered sugar to thicken the icing.

I usually add color to the icing during the thinning process. It makes for less mixing later.

I recently received a comment on my blog asking how to decorate the Royal Crown Cookies so I'll concentrate on that one here. Most of my cookies use the same method, so you can apply this to many different designs. Cookies with brush embroidery or bead borders use stiff Royal Icing, but that's another lesson.

Start out with 10 Count pink Royal Icing and a piping bag fitted with a tip 3. Outline the cookie with the icing and immediately fill the cookie in. Don't worry about filling in every little spot because you can use a toothpick to spread the icing around so as not to put too much on the cookie and risk an overflow. Let the icing dry. I prefer to dry mine overnight.

This next step can be used for any design you'd like on your cookie.

Fill your piping bag fitted with a tip 1 with 10 Count Royal Icing. For the crowns, I use the same pink icing as I did for the base. If you prefer, you can draw your design on the cookie first by using an edible ink marker. Carefully pipe your design and let it dry completely. This small amount of icing only needs to dry a couple of hours.

Next, mix edible pearl dust with a few drops of vanilla extract or vodka and use a tiny brush to paint your design.

Happy decorating!