Royal Icing (For Sugar Cookies)
MAKES 4 1/2 CUPS
This is the icing to use when you want a smooth, hard finish on your cookies. The consistency of the icing will depend on how it's used; the stiffest icing is for outlining. Thinner icing is for flooding. Judge the consistency of the icing by the number of seconds the icing takes to flow back into itself when a line is drizzled over the surface. Before piping directly onto cookies, test icing consistency on a sheet of parchment paper.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 5 ounces pasteurized egg whites (from about 5 eggs)
- Assorted gel-based food coloring
Directions
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add confectioners' sugar and cream of tartar. With the mixer on low, slowly add egg whites, scraping down sides once or twice until whites are incorporated. Increase speed to medium-high and whisk until icing is stiff, white, and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
- Divide icing into as many bowls as colors you plan on using. Stir in gel coloring to each bowl or leave white.
- Add enough water (see quantities below) to thin icing to consistency needed, depending on use. If icing becomes too thin, sift in enough confectioners' sugar until desired consistency is achieved.
- Transfer icing to disposable piping bags fitted with a 1/8-inch tip. If not using right away, cover tips with damp paper towels to prevent tips from developing a crust.
- *Water quantities needed for thinning 1 cup of icing:
- andbull; Outlining: 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon water; icing will flow back into itself after 20 seconds
- andbull; Piped decorations: 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons water; icing will flow back into itself after 15 seconds
- andbull; Flooding: 2 to 3 teaspoons water, icing will flow back into itself after 10 seconds
Nutrition
- Calories: 50
- Fat: 0.0 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.0 g
- Trans Fat: 0.0 g
- Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
- Sodium: 0.0 mg
- Carbohydrates: 13.0 g
- Fiber: 0.0 g
- Added Sugars: 0.0 g
- Sugar: 12.0 g
- Protein: 0.0 g