View Large Image Royal Icing Recipe Get ingredients: 3 egg whites (102 g) (large, any temperature) 2 g (1/2 tsp) cream of tartar 248 g (2 1/4 cups) icing sugar 4 g (1 tsp) vanilla, almond, lemon, or other extract food colouring (optional) stand mixer thermometer bowl (large enough for 3 eggs) bowls and spoons (one or two for each colour) mixing bowl (medium) saucepan (medium, 2 litres) piping bags piping tips sifter spatula plastic wrap Fit the piping bags with the piping tips. Set aside. Sift into medium mixing bowl: 248 g (2 1/4 cups) icing sugar Add to medium mixing bowl: 2 g (1/2 tsp) cream of tartar Stir with a fork or spoon until combined. Set aside. Pasteurize 3 eggs: Ensure 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 saucepan with hot water. (There should be enough water to cover the eggs with 1 inch of water above them.) Place the saucepan 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 saucepan. Set a timer for 3.5 minutes. Stay to watch the eggs the entire time. The temperature should never rise above 142° F (61° C) or the eggs will be cooked. If the temperature reaches 141° F (60.5° C), remove the saucepan from the heat. If the temperature nears 140° F (60° C), place the saucepan back on the heat. Drain the water from the eggs. Place the eggs in the cold water bath for 1 minute. Attach the whisk to the stand mixer. Separate 3 eggs. (The pasteurized egg whites should look transparent, like raw eggs.) Add to stand mixer bowl: 3 egg whites (102 g) Set stand mixer to high speed. Mix until frothy (about 30 seconds). Set stand mixer to low speed. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the stand mixer bowl. After 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 stand mixer bowl: 4 g (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 icing sugar.) If you want to store the icing to use later: Remove the bowl from the stand mixer. Cover the bowl with 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. After the colours are mixed, pour some of each colour icing into the piping bags. Use a spoon to guide the icing into the bag. 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 icing sugar.) Using a spatula, scoop the icing into the piping bags. 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 icing 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.
