There is one thing every cookier needs in their arsenal… a favorite royal icing recipe. The royal icing recipe that I’m sharing with you today is my favorite because it is not only yummy (of course!) but it is the perfect texture. There is a not-so-secret ingredient that allows the icing to harden enough for stacking and shipping while remaining soft on the inside. No more biting into a beautifully decorated cookie and cringing because the icing is rock hard!
After trying several recipes for classic royal icing, I came across Sweet P’s recipe for Royal Glaze, a cross between royal icing and glaze. I loved her recipe because the icing did not harden as much as classic royal icing. I adapted her recipe slightly, making it the exact flavor and texture I wanted.
Begin by using a whisk to mix 5 tablespoons of meringue powder and 3/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar with 3/4 cup of warm water. Mix it for about 30 seconds, making sure that you get rid of all lumps.
If you are not familiar with meringue powder, it is used in royal icing as a substitute for raw eggs whites. Look, Mom, no Salmonella! It also helps to stabilize the icing and give it a nice texture. You can find it at your local craft store in the baking section or online. I started out using Wilton brand meringue powder, but have found that I prefer the taste of CK.
Now, get ready for a vicious arm workout! In a separate large bowl, sift two pounds of powdered sugar. I always make a mess doing this, so if you figure out how to do this without getting sugar everywhere, you’re a superstar in my eyes! Pssst… I heard an unconfirmed rumor that you can skip the sifting as long as you’re not doing piping with a really small tip.
Next, add the water mixture to the powdered sugar and mix it for about a minute to get it all combined. Then, add 2 tablespoons of light corn syrup, 1 teaspoon of glycerin, 12 drops of white gel food coloring, and your flavorings (I like to use 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/2 teaspoon almond, and 1/4 butter). The corn syrup is an ingredient that is usually mentioned as optional in classic royal icing recipes. It adds a little gloss and elasticity to the icing. The glycerin is the not-so-secret ingredient that keeps the icing from being rock hard. You can find it in the baking section at craft stores or online. The purpose of the white food coloring is to make the icing a pleasant bright white instead of off white.
Now, put your mixer to work! Beat the icing on medium for about 6 to 8 minutes, until you can make a stiff peak that holds its shape. Pause and scrape down the sides of the bowl while mixing if needed.
Take a step back, lick your fingers, and smile at the fluffy white sweetness you have created!
If you are saving the royal icing for later use, I suggest storing it in Tupperware containers (that you use for icing only, see Keep Oil Out of Royal Icing for the lesson that I learned the hard way), covered with plastic wrapped, and sealed tightly.
If you are ready to start decorating, separate your icing into smaller bowls, color with gel food coloring, and add water (a tiny bit at a time) to get the consistency you want.
Well, what are you waiting for? Now that you’re a royal icing ninja, grab your sugar cookie recipe and get baking!
Royal Icing (That Won’t Dry Rock Hard)
sugarkissed.net
Ingredients
5 tablespoons meringue powder
3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 cup warm water
2 pounds powdered sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 teaspoon glycerin
12 drops white gel food coloring
1 teaspoon oil-free clear vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon oil-free clear almond extract
1/4 teaspoon oil-free clear butter flavoring
Directions
Use a whisk to mix together the water, meringue powder, and cream of tartar for about 30 seconds, making sure there are no lumps.
In a separate bowl, sift the powdered sugar.
Add the water mixture to the sugar and mix for one minute.
Add the corn syrup, glycerine, food coloring and flavoring.
Beat until the mixture forms stiff peaks, approximately 6 to 8 minutes, pausing to scrape down the edges of the bowl if needed.
To learn more about the importance about making sure all of your ingredients and utensils are oil free, please see Lessons Learned: Keep Oil Out of Royal Icing.
hi there: I was wondering where you purchase food glycerin? Is it the same used in soap? I’ve never heard of it as a food additive..excited to try this recipe!
Jill, I get it at Michael’s.
If you have a cake decorating/supply store near you, you’ll find it there. Most of the major crafting store also carry it. I’m not sure where you live but here in the US we have Michael’s, Hobby Lobby, JoAnn, Beverly’s and there are many others, I’m sure. Any store that has a well stocked baking section should have it. If you can’t find it locally, I’m sure you can order it online. I believe the brand I have is by CK.
Thank you! I am near DC and have all those so I will check tomorrow.. Thanks!
Hi Jill, I know it’s months later, but I just wanted to let you know that many pharmacies such as CVS and Walgreens also carry glycerin, as it is used as for skin care. And yes, it’s the same glycerin as in soap and other products. It is non-toxic, colorless and odorless, and has a very slight sweet taste. Happy frosting!
You mention to keep oil out of your royal icing; even any small amount. Isn’t glycerin an oil? If so, why doesn’t it adversely affect the royal icing? Thanks for your help.
Hi Cindy! Yes, you are correct. The glycerin *does* in fact affect the icing; it’s why this icing doesn’t dry completely hard like a traditional royal icing does. I believe Janine was warning us away from unintentially adding any *additional* oils, such as those that can sneak in via flavorings (be sure to check the ingredients of your extracts!) and the oils that adhere to used plastic ware.
LOLZ, please excuse the cat induced misspelling! Should read “…from unintentionally adding…”
Cindy, I’ve never had any issues with glycerin. I do not know exactly how it’s made as the only ingredient listed is glycerin.
Can I use this to frost a cake? 😀
Isabel, it will dry harder than frosting so only use it for embellishments.
If I make this ahead of time, what is the shelf life? Will it be better to store in the fridge until ready for use?
I usually only put it in the fridge if I’m not using it for a few days. You may need to remix it. You can also freeze it for long term storage.
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