Royal Icing

Icing, or royal glaze, is widely consumed at Christmas and the December holidays, but it is also used in other types of desserts. With a unique and unforgettable flavor, it is ideal to decorate shortbread cookies and some other sweets. Learn how to prepare it in the following article.

How to make royal icing?

Surely you know those cookies decorated above and that are prepared with egg whites, lemon juice, a little food coloring and icing sugar. One of the most important components is the royal icing . Although it has a very “pompous” name and may seem very complicated to prepare, it is not at all.

Ingredients

• 1 egg white
• The juice of 1 lemon
• 250 g icing sugar, sifted

Utensils

• Container
• Electric rods

• Knife or spatula
• Squeezer
• Pastry bag
• Sleeve nozzle

Preparation

1. Place the white, a splash of the lemon juice and a part of the icing sugar in a bowl.
2. Beat using the electric rods so that they integrate well at medium-low speed. The goal is not to achieve a fluffy meringue, but rather that the ingredients blend well.
3. To know when it’s ready, lift the rods and draw on the icing. If it doesn’t deform, stop beating. You can also cut the icing with a knife. It has to return to its original shape in 10 seconds.
4. In order to achieve the perfect point (keep the cut for 5 seconds) add more lemon juice. 
5. Place the royal icing in a piping bag with a nozzle depending on what you are decorating. And ready! You can already use it.

Data of interest

• Difficulty level: easy
• Preparation time: 15 minutes
• You can put coloring in the tone that you like the most so that when decorating the cookies it has a different effect.

• If you don’t have a piping bag, you can put the icing in a plastic bag and cut one edge. Do not forget to close the other end of the bag so that the air does not enter and the icing hardens.

Some tips for a perfect royal icing

Royal frosting is white and rather hard in consistency. It is used to decorate cakes, cookies and many other sweet recipes. It can be used as a soft topping (marzipan) or as sharp spikes. Some tips to make it look perfect are:

• You can add a little glycerin. This way you prevent them from hardening when you cook them.
• The edges of the cakes or cookies are made with thicker icing. To do this, keep the sleeve separate from the dough to decorate and the line will be more straight.It’s simpler than you think!
• When the glaze is more liquid, it is used to fill the cookies. With a toothpick you can cover the entire surface of the dough.

• While the icing is cool, use food coloring for other designs or pictures on top of the cookies or cupcakes. Prepare it before putting it on your sleeve and make sure that the tones do not mix.
• With the help of a toothpick  you can transform the icing into stars, hearts or shapes that you like. Finish your design with grated coconut or icing sugar!
• Before storing in a closed container to make them last longer, let the icing dry well. .. Otherwise all your work will have been in vain!
• Instead of egg whites  you can use powdered meringue to avoid the risk of salmonellosis. You can also use pasteurized egg whites.

Do not hesitate to decorate your desserts with royal icing, you see that it is very easy to prepare. In addition, it will give a different touch to your recipes.