Sugar Cookie Icing
Prep time
Total time
This is a classic royal icing recipe...use either meringue powder, or real egg whites (pasteurized for safety). Keep your mixer and utensils completely grease-free to achieve the correct consistency here. Meringue powder can be found where Wilton cake decorating supplies are sold. This recipe makes 3 cups of sugar cookie icing.
Author: Gwen
Recipe type: Dessert
Ingredients
- 4 c. (about 1 pound) powdered sugar
- 3 Tablespoons meringue powder or 1 egg white
- 5-6 Tablespoons of warm water-see notes below
- ½ t. flavoring extract
- gel-based coloring-optional
Instructions
- For stiffer icing, or if you're using a heavy duty stand mixer, use only 5 T of water.
- Add all ingredients to a mixer bowl.
- Beat until icing forms peaks: 7-10 minutes on low speed with a heavy duty mixer, or about 10-12 minutes at high speed with a hand held mixer.
- Divide as needed for thinning and coloring.
- The un-thinned icing is perfect for piping details, lines, and dots.
- After base-coating with thinned icing, allow icing to "set" for 15-20 minutes, and then continue to add piped or painted layers.
- When you're done decorating, allow cookies to dry overnight before stacking. A flat, clear storage bin is a good "topper" over the cookies as they dry.
Notes
Thinning Icing for Base Coating: Thin by adding 1 teaspoon of warm water per cup of royal icing. Use a grease-free spoon to stir in, and continue to add warm water, just ½ t. at a time. You want it to be about the consistency of elmers glue, where if you drizzle the spoon over the top of the bowl, the drizzles disappear in 5-6 seconds. Like this: 
This icing can be painted on, or poured over cookies.
This icing can be painted on, or poured over cookies.
Recipe by Gwen's Nest at https://gwens-nest.com/sugar-cookie-icing/