Royal Icing Recipe - Delicious and Perfect for Cookie Decorating
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Royal Icing Recipe for Decorating Cookies

Royal Icing Recipe for Decorating Cookies

This is my all-time favorite royal icing recipe for my iced sugar cookies.

Find the Spanish Voiceover video here.

What is meringue powder?

Meringue Powder is a mix of dried and powdered egg whites, sugar, flavor, and stabilizers. It's an essential ingredient in making royal icing.

Where can I find meringue powder?

We sell Meringue Powder in our online store and ship anywhere within the United States. If you need meringue powder right now, try your local grocery store or craft store.

Is royal icing easy to make?

Royal icing is simple to make, and only takes 4 ingredients: meringue powder, vanilla extract, powdered sugar, and corn syrup. You can make royal icing in as little as 10 minutes.

How do I color royal icing?

Add a few drops of gel food color and then add droplets (yes, droplets!) of water to bring it to the consistency you want. Read our blog on coloring royal icing here.

 

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Comments

Sarah - August 23, 2023

Is this Icing suitable for piping florals? I’ve only had icing be too stiff to pipe through a tip or the floral losses shape because the icing begins to spread a little
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The Cookie Countess replied:
Hi Sarah! Yes, you can use this recipe for piping florals. You can thicken pretty much any royal icing recipe by adding a little less water, or by adding a little more powdered sugar if you’ve already added too much water. It’s a fine line, for sure, but play around with it until you find what works for you! Good luck!

Rosemary - July 12, 2023

Hi I use your royal icing recipe with Genie’s Dream Meringue Powder and have amazing results. Last night I icing my cookies and let them dry over night and the icing is still damp. It didn’t harden like it normally does. What could have I done wrong? Thank you
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The Cookie Countess replied:
Hi Rosemary! Royal Icing that has been mixed too long has a tendency to not dry properly, so it’s possible you might have just accidentally overmixed it. Alternatively, check the humidity in your decorating area; that could definitely be playing a part. Good luck!

Marie Swinton - June 30, 2023

If I wanted to cut the royal icing in half do I just divide all the ingredients by half?
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The Cookie Countess replied:
Yes, this recipe halves well 😊

Jamie - June 30, 2023

How do you store RI to keep it from hardening until you are ready to use it?
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The Cookie Countess replied:
Our favorite tool for that is Glad Press N Seal! You get a really good seal on the edge of your bowl, and the icing will stay fresh and not crust over.

Kelly Sherley - March 20, 2023

On the package of judees meringue powder it says to use 1 cup of mix for three cups of powdered sugar The seems excessive.. is that correct?
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The Cookie Countess replied:
That is Judee’s recipe for their product, so it’s their suggested amount. You can certainly experiment to modify it to your needs. We have used Judee’s meringue powder with our royal icing recipe, and had success.

Raquel - February 22, 2023

Hello!
I’m trying to locate your Buttery Goodness Flavoring on your website and do not see it anywhere. Is this item discontinued? If so do you have a replacement suggestion? Like can we use Butter Vanilla Bakery Emulsion or Butter Bakery Emulsion as a substitute for your royal icing recipe?

Thank you!
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The Cookie Countess replied:
Hello! Due to supply chain issues, we’re unsure about the timeline of the return of Buttery Goodness. The Lorann flavor “Buttery Sweet Dough” that we sell is a popular substitute!

Anne - March 9, 2023

When do I add the rest of the powdered sugar?
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The Cookie Countess replied:
Hi Anne, if you refer to the recipe steps, it says that we add the remaining pound of confectioners sugar at step 8, just after you incorperate the light corn syrup.

Cynthia - January 12, 2023

I do not have a standing mixer, can I make it with a regular mixer? Also do you just change the consistency for outlining, floating and detail?
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The Cookie Countess replied:
Yes, you can use a regular mixer. Yes, it’s just a difference of consistency. For example, detail work should be stiffer, flooding you would thin out the icing with small amounts of water until you get to a flood consistency.

Pat Nordenberg - January 12, 2023

What does the corn syrup do for the RI recipe.

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The Cookie Countess replied:
Corn syrup adds shine to the icing and will help soften the bite of the cookie.

Susan - December 13, 2022

how many cups are there in 2 lbs confectioners sugar? I have a 5-lb bag. And do you measure before or after sifting?

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The Cookie Countess replied:
Hi Susan, The usual 32-ounce package (2 pounds) of powdered sugar has about 7½ cups of powdered sugar. You don’t need to sift the confectioners’ sugar at all for this recipe.

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