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Description
This recipe guides you through making royal icing perfect for decorating Christmas cookies. It creates a smooth, hard-setting icing ideal for outlining and flooding.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 cups (about 1 pound) powdered sugar, sifted
- 3 tablespoons meringue powder
- 9–10 tablespoons warm water
- 1/2 teaspoon clear vanilla extract (or other clear extract)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the sifted powdered sugar and meringue powder.
- Gradually add the warm water, starting with 9 tablespoons. Mix on low speed with an electric mixer until combined.
- Increase speed to high and beat for 5-7 minutes, or until the icing is stiff and glossy. The icing should hold a stiff peak when the beaters are lifted.
- If the icing is too thick, add the remaining tablespoon of water, a few drops at a time, until desired consistency is reached.
- Stir in the clear vanilla extract.
- Divide the icing into separate bowls and tint with gel food coloring as desired for decorating.
- Cover with plastic wrap directly on the surface of the icing to prevent it from drying out.
Notes
- Sifting powdered sugar prevents lumps.
- Meringue powder helps the icing set hard and shiny.
- Adjust water for desired consistency; thicker for outlining, thinner for flooding.
- Always keep royal icing covered to prevent it from drying out.
- Store unused royal icing in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 tablespoon
- Calories: 50
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 5mg
- Fat: 0g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 13g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Keywords: royal icing, Christmas cookies, sugar cookie icing, cookie decorating, hard icing, flooding icing