Easy Royal Icing
This is an easy recipe for basic royal icing, with a simple technique for dipping the cookies, instead of using piping bags. The icing dries firm on top with a beautiful sheen, staying a little soft underneath.
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Ingredients
- 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 4 tsp meringue powder
- 3 - 3 ½ tbsp water or milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (see notes)
Instructions
Making the Icing
- In a bowl, combine the powdered sugar and meringue powder.
- Add the vanilla (optional) and the milk/water, and stir or whisk until smooth and combined.
- Let the icing drip off the spoon and back into the bowl. If the icing that drips off disappears in the bowl of icing in 5-10 seconds, then it's the right consistency for dipping your cookies (or "flooding", if you choose to use a piping bag). If it doesn't disappear, then the icing is too thick, and you should add more water, 1 teaspoon at a time. If the icing is so thin that the drizzles immediately disappear, then it's too thin, and you should add more powdered sugar, a couple tablespoons at a time.
- If coloring your icing, add a few drops of gel food coloring and mix it in.
- Use your icing immediately, or scrape it into an airtight, lidded container to store at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Icing the Cookies
- Dip a cookie into the icing, and gently shake off the excess icing.
- If there are any air bubbles on the surface of the icing, use a sharp tool, such as a cake tester or toothpick to pop the bubbles.
- If you'll be decorating the tops of your cookies with sprinkles or sparkling sugar, you'll need to let the icing dry for a few minutes so that the sprinkles don't sink into the icing. But don't wait so long that the surface of the icing crusts over and prevents the sprinkles from sticking.
- Let the icing dry at room temperature for several hours, before storing the cookies in a single layer in an airtight container.
Video
Notes
- This recipe makes enough icing to ice approximately 2 1/2 dozen cookies that are 2 - 2 1/2 inches in diameter.
- The dark color of vanilla extract will turn the icing an off-white color. If you want a pure white icing, either omit the vanilla, or use only clear extracts to flavor the icing.
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