This royal icing is made with just 3 ingredients. It’s sets quickly and dries to a smooth, hard and matte finish. It tastes delicious and can be used to decorate sugar cookies (making letters, designs etc). This can be used both for piping and flooding consistency.
What is royal icing?
Royal icing is a hard white icing made from lightly beaten egg whites and icing sugar. It is used to decorate cookies especially Christmas cookies, wedding cakes, Christmas cakes, ginger bread house and many others.
What you need for royal icing?
•Egg whites: By using pasteurised egg whites, you can safely use them to make royal icing.
• Powdered sugar
• cream of tartar: An acid is needed to stabilise the egg whites. You can even use lemon juice too but I don’t want the lemon flavour in the icing.
Can I substitute cream of tartar?
Yes, you can substitute cream of tartar with 1 tsp of lemon juice. Add more powdered sugar to get desired consistency.
How to make royal icing?
Here, I’m showing the royal icing with only one egg white which yields icing to decorate around 35 medium cookies. You can easily double or triple the recipe.
In a clean bowl, whisk egg white and cream of tartar until combined.
Then add powdered sugar in 2 batches and whisk until smooth (almost like tooth paste consistency)
Divide the icing into 2 bowls and add colour (optional). Always cover the unused icing with damp cloth to avoid the skin formation.
Transfer the icing into piping bag. This is used to outline.
In the remaining icing, add little water to get flooding consistency. Remember to add water little by little.
Now use your creativity and decorate the cookies! Try these best sugar cookies for decorating. They just melt in mouth! While filling the cookie (flooding consistency), use a tooth pick to spread the icing. You can always remove the excess icing with the tooth pick.
Allow them to rest for at least an hour and it dries up hard with a smooth and matte look. You can even stack the cookies!
Can I add colour to royal icing?
Of course, it’s more fun when colours are used. I prefer using gel colours as it doesn’t affect the consistency but if you are using liquid food colours, add more powdered sugar to get the desired consistency.
Tools you need to decorate sugar cookies:
• Piping bags (If you are decorating with kids, better to use plastic squeeze bottles instead of piping bags)
• Gel food colouring
• Piping tips ( you will need this for the lettering)
• Tooth pick – To spread the icing
How to store the royal icing?
The recipe works best when used immediately. You can also store the royal icing in air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Before using, it should be mixed again as icing sugar and water separate after refrigeration.
EASY ROYAL ICING RECIPE
10
minutes10
minutesThis royal icing is made with just 3 ingredients. It’s sets quickly and dries to a smooth, hard and matte finish. It tastes delicious and can be used to decorate sugar cookies (making letters, designs etc). This can be used both for piping and flooding consistency.
Ingredients
1 pasteurised egg white
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp water , if needed
Food colouring , optional
Directions
- In a bowl, whisk egg white and cream of tartar until combined.
- Add powdered sugar in 2 batches and whisk until smooth (tooth paste like consistency)
- Add food colouring if needed and transfer to piping bag
- To the remaining icing, add very little water to get flooding consistency.
- Use it to decorate the cookies!
Notes
- 1. Use pasteurised egg whites.
- 2. Always cover the icing with damp cloth when not used to avoid skin formation.
- 3. Let it dry for atleast an hour before stacking them.