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Royal Icing
is a pure white icing that dries to a smooth, hard, matte finish. Besides
its lovely finish it also colors beautifully which makes it a favorite of
professionals who use it not only for frosting cakes and cookies, but also for
intricate
piping of decorations (flowers,
borders, and lettering). There are two ways to make royal icing. My preference
is to use one made from a mixture of
confectioners sugar (powdered or icing),
lemon juice, and raw egg whites. However, because of the risk of salmonella when using raw
egg whites, some may prefer the recipe I have included using meringue powder. Meringue
powder is a fine, white powder used to replace fresh egg whites and is made from
dried egg whites, sugar, salt, vanillin and gum. You can purchase it on line, in
cake decorating stores or Michael's or Joann's.
When making royal icing
it is important that it is of the proper consistency. When frosting sugar cookies, I like to first pipe a border around the
outside edge of the cookie, as this will prevent the icing from dripping
down the sides. For this border the royal icing needs to be thicker than
the recipe given below which is used to spread over the entire surface of
the cookie. To make a small batch, beat together one large egg white, one
teaspoon of lemon juice, and about 2 cups (230 grams) confectioners sugar,
or until the frosting is stiff (like a meringue) and of piping
consistency. Then place the icing in a piping bag, fitted with a small
plain tip, and pipe a border around the outside edges of the cookies. Let
it dry completely before covering the surface of the cookie with royal
icing.
The royal icing recipe I
have given below is for covering or "flooding" the entire surface of the
cookie. The right consistency to cover cookies is when you lift the
beater, the ribbon of icing that falls back into the bowl remains on the
surface for a few seconds before disappearing. Another way is to take a
cookie and place a small amount of icing in the center of the cookie.
Using a small knife or spatula, push the icing to the edge of the
cookie. If the icing runs off the edge, thicken the icing by adding a
little more confectioners sugar. Do not add too much sugar at once. Conversely,
if the icing is too thick, add a little water or lemon juice. You
want the icing to spread smoothly, but don't worry about a few light
streaks as they will disappear as the icing dries. Be aware that the icing
can take several hours, or even overnight, to dry completely.
It is important when
working with royal icing to keep it covered (with plastic wrap) as much as possible as it
dries out very quickly. Another way to prevent a crust from forming on the
icing's surface is to add a few drops of glycerin (glycerol) to the
icing. Glycerin is a sweet, odorless, clear, and syrupy liquid (chemically
an alcohol) that comes from fats and oils. It is available in cake
decorating and party stores (like Michaels or Joann's).
Now, let's talk about which
type of food coloring to use. Personally, I like the concentrated gel
paste dyes that are sold in small 1/2 or one ounce (14 - 28 grams)
containers. Only a very small amount is needed to color the icing, and I
measure it out using the end of a toothpick. Make sure to thoroughly mix
the paste into the icing as you do not want streaks. You can buy gel
pastes at cake decorating stores or stores like Michael's and Joann's.
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