Royal Icing
Ingredients
•4 lbs. powdered sugar
•1 c. meringue powder
•¾ c. water
•4 T. vanilla
•Airtight container, for storage
Directions
1.Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a standing mixer. Use a PADDLE attachment, this trick will help you later on while decorating. A whisk attachment creates more air in your icing, which leads to frustrating bubbles later in the process. Please trust me, give your whisk attachment a break and use the paddle!
2.Slowly mix the ingredients until combined, turning the mixer up to a medium speed. Keep an eye out for the sludge-like mix to brighten into white icing as mixing creates stiff peaks; this process takes a while, so be patient. Time varies by mixer, but expect to be whipping for about 10 minutes.
3.To test the peaks, pull the paddle out of the bowl; the icing should be stiff and create a steady peak both in the bowl of icing and coming off the paddle. Cover immediately or transfer to an airtight container.
4.There are some troubles you might run into; over-whipping your icing is a real problem! The icing might appear to be okay, but then when you go to ice the cookies, the icing will never dry. Keep an eye on your mixer—a watched mixer does create the perfect peaks! As soon as you see those peaks, turn your mixer off. If you’re finding that the peaks are not stiff and the icing is still thin, turn your mixer back on, keep going, and have a little faith—it will get there. Royal icing can be a bit finicky the first few times you give it a whirl, but soon you’ll be BFFs and you’ll have it down!
Reminder: If you choose to use egg whites, find an alternative recipe. This recipe will NOT work with egg whites as a substitute.
Get the Right Color with the Right Products
There is a huge variety of food coloring out there. Although the majority of them will give you colorful happy results, for the purpose of royal icing, I would highly suggest using gel coloring. The four little squeeze bottles of color that were the center of any baking project when we were kids just won’t cut it for your soon to be cookie masterpieces!
I typically stick to the brands ProGel and AmeriColor. ProGel colors come in a variety of really bright colors that are what I reach for first when I am mixing colors. There are also some AmeriColor hues that I can’t live without; these are typically specialty colors such as gold and the darker hues. This book’s recipes will make use of AmeriColor’s “Bright White,” “Chocolate Brown,” “Gold,” “Copper (Flesh Tone),” “Super Black,” and “Super Red.” AmeriColor is a nice option for beginners because they come in small 0.75oz bottles, which are perfect if you’re looking to purchase a variety of colors without committing to large quantities. If I do not specify the brand, you can assume that I am referencing a ProGel color. Note that I am not sponsored by either company, I truly just love their products—so ProGel, if you see this, call me!
Mixing Colors & Filling Piping Bags
Have you met the color wheel? I would suggest you find yourself a picture of it and get comfortable with it. I have to admit I do not know a lot about color theory, but the basics have become my best friend and my biggest asset when working on mixing colors. This is especially important if you don’t plan on purchasing more than the primary colors in food colorings. Knowing the color wheel will help you achieve different shades, match existing colors, and find the best complementary colors.
This is a time-consuming process! I would recommend making a list of all the colors you plan on using for a particular batch and mixing them all at once. That way, when you are ready to sit down to decorate, you can really focus on what is in front of you.
Plan on mixing all your related colors in the same bowl. For example, I would mix all my pinks, reds, and oranges in the same bowl. Not only does this save on the number of dishes, it gives your colors a more cohesive look overall. Always start with your lightest colors and work in order all the way to your darkest shade. These basic principles will apply when mixing any colors.
Single-serving dining bowls are the perfect size to mix colors in. Fill the bowl with royal icing to the top, leaving enough room to comfortably stir. Time to add your color! Remember, you can always add more color, but you can’t take it away, so start with a very small amount; we’re talking pin-sized amounts. Stir until completely combined, making sure there are no streaks of color, then add additional color until your desired shade is achieved. Small spatulas work best for this, but use what you have in the kitchen. Don’t be afraid to mix different colors—this is where your color wheel will come in handy!
Fill Your Piping Bag
Ingredients
•Tipless piping bag
•Royal Icing
•Rubber bands (optional)
•Spatula
Directions
1.Take a cup and insert your tipless piping bag into the cup, folding the edges of the bag over the top. This allows you to have two free hands to fill your bag.
2.Add about one-third of the icing in the bowl to the piping bag.
3.Pick the piping bag up out of the cup, squeeze the icing to the bottom of the bag, and tie it off. Rubber bands can be used if the bag is too full or if you have trouble tying.
Flooding consistency is going to take the most practice out of any skill in this book. Be patient, and don’t be afraid to ditch anything that isn’t working and start over. Flooding icing is a thinned-out version of your piping consistency designed to self-level and create those smoothly iced cookies you’ve been drooling over.
Let’s go! You have a bowl with two-thirds of the icing left in it ready for you.
4.Turn on your faucet to a very slow dribble. You are striving to achieve the texture of soap or honey. Take a moment to flip your bottle of honey upside down for reference. Just like with color, you can always add more water, so start with a very small amount!
5.Keep adding water and mixing until the icing smoothly falls off your spatula and slowly settles by itself. The icing should still be thick, and the process of self-leveling shouldn’t be immediate.
Troubleshooting your flooding icing: If your icing is too thick and will not settle, remix with a little more water. Flooding icing that is too thick has an easy solution, but there really isn’t much you can do for icing that is too thin besides starting over. Don’t get discouraged when you have to throw the icing away. It will all be worth it when you have perfect cookies and don’t have to fight the wrong consistency during the entire icing process.
6.Once you have that texture nailed, transfer your icing into your piping bag while it is in your cup. Icing will naturally settle in the tip, so all you need to do is tie off the bag.
Repeat with all your colors! The process is tedious and can take a large amount of time. During the holidays, I spend almost an entire day just mixing and bagging all the colors! It will be worth it when you get to sit with your cookies in front of you and all your colors are ready