View Large Image Royal Icing Recipe Get ingredients: 3 egg whites (any temperature) 1/2 tsp cream of tartar food colouring (optional) 1 tsp vanilla, almond, lemon, or other extract 9 oz (2 1/4 cups) powdered sugar digital scale thermometer sifter medium mixing bowl stand mixer bowl (large enough for 3 eggs) medium pot piping bags, tips, and ties drinking cups (to hold piping bags while filling them) spatula small bowls and spoons (one or two for each colour) plastic wrap 1 tsp, 1/2 tsp Prepare the piping bags and tips in the drinking cups. Set aside. Sift into medium mixing bowl: 9 oz (2 1/4 cups) powdered sugar Add to medium mixing bowl: 1/2 tsp cream of tartar Stir with a fork until combined. Set aside. Pasteurize the eggs: Make sure the eggs have no cracks. Fill a bowl with cold water and ice. The bowl should be big enough to fit 3 eggs underwater. Set aside. Fill a pot with hot water. (There should be enough water to cover the eggs with 1 inch of water above them.) Place the pot on the stove. Set heat to medium-high. Wait until it reaches 140° F (60° C). Turn off the heat (or leave the heat on very low). Place the eggs in the pot. Set a timer for 3.5 minutes. Stay to watch the eggs the entire time. If the temperature reaches 141° F (60.5° C), remove the pot from the heat. If the temperature nears 140° F (60° C), place the pot back on the heat. The temperature should never rise above 142° F (61° C) or the eggs will be cooked. When the timer is done, drain the water from the eggs. Place the eggs in the cold water bath for about 1 minute. Attach the whisk to the mixer. Separate the egg whites. (The pasteurized egg whites should look transparent, like raw eggs.) Add to mixer mixing bowl: 3 egg whites (one at a time) Set mixer to highest speed. Mix until frothy (about 30 seconds). Attach the plastic guard to the mixer. Set mixer to low speed. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the mixer mixing bowl. Once all the dry ingredients have been added and are no longer visible, set mixer to high speed until stiff peaks form (about 4-10 minutes). Add to mixer mixing bowl: 1 tsp vanilla, almond, lemon, or other extract Mix until it reaches outlining consistency. (If you scoop it with a spoon, the icing should fall off the spoon in slow blobs. If it's too stiff, add water 1/2 tsp at a time. If it's too runny, add more powdered sugar.) Turn off the mixer. If you want to store the icing to use later: Remove the bowl from the mixer. Wrap the mixer bowl in plastic wrap. Make sure the plastic wrap is touching the icing. Store in the fridge for up to 1 week. When ready to use, remove from the fridge and let return to room temperature (about 1 hour). Remove the plastic wrap and mix the icing again until it reaches outlining consistency. If you want to use the icing now: Using a spatula, scoop the icing into small bowls to add food colouring. Cover any bowls you aren't currently mixing with plastic wrap immediately. Add food colouring to each bowl. Stir with a spoon gently (to avoid creating air bubbles) until consistent. Tap the bottom of the bowl against the table to remove air bubbles. Once the colours are mixed, pour some of each colour icing into the piping bags. Use a spoon to guide the icing into the bag. Tie off the piping bags (so the icing doesn't spill out the top). Add water 1/2 tsp at a time to each bowl to make flooding consistency. (The icing should drip off the spoon in a constant flow, and it should disappear into the rest of the icing after a couple seconds (not immediately). If it's too runny, add more powdered sugar.) Pour/spoon the remaining icing into piping bags. Tie off the piping bags (so the icing doesn't spill out the top). Piping tips Outlining consistency: the icing should fall off the spoon in slow blobs Flooding consistency: the icing should fall off the spoon in a constant flow that disappears into the rest of the icing after a couple seconds Add water or milk to make it thinner (for flooding) Add powdered sugar to make it thicker (for outlining) Outlining: To start outlining, touch the tip to the cookie's surface, then lift the bag up about 1 to 2 cm and just let the icing fall on the cookie to create a smooth line. If you move too fast, the line will break. If you hold the tip too close to the cookie, you will get a wiggly line. Squeeze the bag while making the line. When you are ready to finish the line, stop moving, stop squeezing, then touch the tip down to the cookie's surface again. If you are outlining an intricate shape, you need to hold the tip closer to the cookie; letting the icing fall won't work. Flooding: Use less icing than you think you will need on the cookie, and then push the icing into place using a plastic toothpick. If you use too much icing, the icing will overflow the outlines and/or bleed into other colours. For small details, if you don't want to wait for it to dry, flood first, and then use the outlining piping bag to add the details on top of the flooding colour. Wipe excess icing off the tip each time after using it. You will likely need more outlining consistency icing than you think you will need, because you will likely be using the outlining consistency for details as well. If you are using the same colours for both outlining and flooding, then make the same amount of icing for each consistency. Put the outlining icing in piping bags, and leave the flooding icing in the small mixing bowls (with lids). Use a small cake decorating ball tool (or similar) to "scoop" the flooding icing onto the cookies. Outline first, then flood, then add details on top of the flood. Do not try to add details and then flood, because the details will disappear.
