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The Easiest Royal Icing Recipe

This is an easy royal icing that even beginning cookie enthusiasts can make and use to make impressively decorated sugar cookies
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American

Ingredients
  

  • 4 cups Powdered Sugar
  • 4 tbsp meringue powder
  • 1/4 cup water slowly add water to desired consistency
  • 1 tsp Vanilla
  • 1 tsp Almond Extract optional

Instructions
 

Step 1

  • Add powdered sugar, meringue powder, extracts and roughly 5-6 tbsp water to stand mixer. Mix slowly on medium speed, increasing to high until mixture forms stiff peaks. You will want the frosting to be the consistency of paste.

Step 2

  • After mixing, divide out any frosting that you want to add food coloring to and mix in coloring. Reserve this thick icing to pipe borders.

Step 3

  • The remaining frosting can be "thinned" down. Slowly add 1 tsp at a time to thin frosting down. This is called "flood" frosting that will be piped onto the cookie after the border is piped. It can also be used for decorative elements within the cookie.

Step 4

  • Frosting can be poured into a piping bag. I like to use Wilton decorative tips, but if you do not have any tips, you can always cut a small corner of the bag off. Start with a small cut and make it bigger if you want a thicker flood or piping. Start by piping any borders of the design with the thicker frosting and then flood with the thinner frosting. The flood icing should smooth out to fill the space within the border, but if it doesn't, you can use a toothpick to smooth it over.

Step 5

  • Allow cookies and frosting to dry, preferrable for 4-6 hours before stacking or adding a secondary design. Cookies and frosting will freeze for at least 2 months. Just remove from freezer, thaw and enjoy!
Keyword icing, royal icing, sugar cookies