This is my first tutorial on tips and tricks for decorating cookies with royal icing. I have to say first off, that I’ve learned many great tips from various sources on the internet, from books and from cookie decorating classes. If you’re interested in other sources here are the main ones I’ve learned from:
1. Internet:
http://cakecentral.com – Find forums to chat with others about cake decorating etc., photo galleries for inspiration, tutorials and more on this gold mine of a cake decorating (& more!) site.
http://www.cakejournal.com/ – A lovely site with beautiful work by the author, Louise. She’s so great you might want to just leave here and check out her tutorial on decorating cookies! Why am I even writing this?! =)
http://chiccookiekits.blogspot.com/ – Meaghan’s got a great site dedicated to all kinds of cookie decorating. In addition to publishing her own book, Cookie Sensations, she writes for www.craftgossip.com edible crafts section.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZBXVveAEPE – Cat Cora from Iron Chef, shows how to decorate cookies on youtube.com. Hers is good for the beginner. There are lots of other video tutorials on youtube as well!
There are so many other great sites out there; have fun surfing!
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2. Books:
Peggy Porschen’s books have great recipes, easy to follow instructions, and beautiful cakes, cupcakes and cookies. She has a new book coming out in July, Cake Chic. I can’t wait for it!
Cookie Craft by Valerie Peterson and Janice Fryer is another excellent resource. It covers all the practicals of cookie decorating… from making or freezing the dough to a myriad of fab cookie ideas.
Toba Garrett’s Creative Cookies is one of the first decorating books I’ve bought. She covers many different techniques for decorating cookies, from piping royal icing, to covering them with fondant etc. For the beginner and advanced!
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Classes:
Bonnie Gordon’s School of Cake Design (www.bonniegordoncakes.com) – Super if you live in the Toronto area! I enjoyed the cookie decorating class offered there and learned some helpful tips. There are many other great-looking decorating classes I’d like to try in the Toronto area, but haven’t taken the classes yet, so I can’t comment on them at this point in time.
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Okay, here we go!
Decorating cookies is often called ‘flooding’ because you can essentially create a dam, wall or outline of icing on the edge of your cookie, and then ‘flood’ or ‘fill in’ that ‘dam’ with icing. There are those who like to decorate without using a dam by just applying the icing, but I find that I’m able to add more icing onto the cookie when the dam holds it in, therefore making the cookie surface look more thick and rich.
One of the most important components of decorating cookies is the royal icing itself. I have two favorite recipes; Antonia74’s (from cakecentral.com), and Peggy Porschen’s recipe from any of her books. Here is Antonia74’s icing recipe for decorating cookies:
Royal Icing Recipe
Ingredients:
6 oz (3/4 cup) of warm water
5 Tablespoons Meringue Powder
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 kilogram (2.25 lbs.) powdered icing sugar
*** Note; if your meringue powder has no vanilla flavour (vanillin powder) in it, add a teaspoon of clear vanilla to this recipe.
Directions:
In mixer bowl, pour in the warm water and the meringue powder. Mix it with a whisk by hand until it is frothy and thickened…about 30 seconds.
Add the cream of tartar and mix for 30 seconds more.
Pour in all the icing sugar at once and place the bowl on the mixer.
Using the paddle attachment on the LOWEST speed, mix slowly for a full 10 minutes. Icing will get thick and creamy.
Cover the bowl with a dampened tea-towel to prevent crusting and drying.
Tint with food colourings or thin the icing with small amounts of warm water to reach the desired consistency.
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Besides your cookies and the ingredients for the royal icing recipe, you’ll need your tools:
Cookie Decorating Tools:
1) piping bags
3) piping tips(at least #’s 1-5)
4) couplers
5) coupler covers – these aren’t necessary; you can just rest your tips in a damp cloth
4) glasses – to stand your icing bags in
5) clean cloths – a few damp and dry ones nearby
6) toothpicks
Icing Tips and Tricks:
One of the most important things I’ve learned about cookie decorating is that if your icing isn’t at the right consistency or thickness, the experience can be very frustrating.
So, once you have made the icing, it ususally needs to be thinned a bit to create the best consistency for decorating. This means that it needs to be fluid enough so that it will flow just enough that it settles into your cookie dam, but not too much so that it runs over.
You may realize that that the icing was thinner before you whipped it for 10 minutes according to the recipe, but it does make a difference in the texture that you mix it that long. Do mix it for 10 minutes and then thin it out if you need to.
Add just drops of water at a time to make the icing runnier. If you add too much water at a time it’s more difficult to thicken it with icing sugar than it is to add water to it.
The trick I use to make sure my icing is at the right consistency, is called the “10 second rule“. Drag a butter knife through the surface of your royal icing and count to 10. If the icing surface becomes smooth in anywhere between 5-10 seconds, then your icing is ready to use. If it takes longer than approximately 10 seconds, the icing is too thick. Slowly add more water. If your icing surface smoothes over in less than 5-10 seconds, it is too runny. Mix your icing longer or slowly add more sifted icing sugar to thicken it.
I learned a slightly different ’10 second rule’, through Sarah Bell at Bonnie Gordon School of Cake Decorating… she likes to dip a spoon into the icing, lift it and let ribbons of icing drop back into the bowl, and count how many seconds it takes to make that surface flat again. (5-10 seconds).
Some people use a thicker consistency icing to outline their cookie shape and then a runnier one to fill it in. I have come to prefer using the same icing to outline and flood because it saves me time. (I don’t have to prepare two icings for each color, prepare two piping bags for each color etc.). That being said, the icing then can’t be too runny, because the outlines will not form properly.
Some decorators like to flood their cookies with a very runny icing, so if you are one of them, prepare two icing consistencies, one thicker, one runnier. The thicker icing should not be so thick that it is dry and curls when you try to pipe it. It should just hold it’s shape when you pipe it onto the cookie.
Coloring Icing:
Once you’ve managed to reach the desired icing consistency, add food paste coloring of your choice. I use a toothpick to slowly add color bit by bit. Because deep, dark colors such as red or black usually require a lot more food paste coloring, I’ll use the end of a butter knife to scoop out those colors if they’re in a tiny container. I should also add that I have come to prefer the Americolor brand for black especially. Americolor uses squeeze bottles which makes adding the color much easier, and it seems to bleed less into other colors.
Another tip when it comes to adding color to your icing; the colors usually deepen with time, so I try to color my icings 24 hours in advance to see if I’m happy with them.
Also, stirring your icing to add color will incorporate air into it, so if you leave the icing sitting for a while the air bubbles rise to the surface, where you can pop them by gently stirring just a little before you add the icing to the piping bags.
One more tip to help avoid air bubbles in your piping bag; massage the royal icing a bit before you twist the top end of the piping bag closed. Press the icing in the bag upwards, starting from the tip and working your way up, pushing out the air bubbles as you go. Then push it back down towards the piping tip.
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Filling Piping Bags:
I have disposable and non-disposable piping bags for decorating. Either are fine, however, I tend to lean towards disposable because I can quickly see what color each bag has in it. Important when timing is key! That being said, you could color-code each with a matching elastic if you don’t like using disposable bags. I’ve also tried using squeeze bottles with my students at school, and they’re also great for being able to see the colors easily, they aren’t very messy, and the icing can be kept in them as they’re airtight with the wee little lids. Trying not to lose them with teenage students is a problem though! Sorry guys it’s true! 😉 For me, the bottles are really only good for filling in, or flooding, so I tend not to bother with them for the most part.
Cut off the ends of your disposable piping bags, insert the coupler, tip and close it off. I generally use a number 2 or 3 piping tip to outline my cookies and a number 2 – 5 to flood them. The larger the cookie, the larger the piping tip. There are some great tips for small details, such as 00 or even 000, however they clog very easily! I like to use tip #1-#1.5 for smaller details.
Get as many glasses as I have colors out, add a clean, damp cloth to the bottom of each, and set one empty piping bag into each as well, with the opening of the piping bag folded over the rim of the glass. Fill the piping bag with your royal icing. I find it easier to fill the bags with icing when I have two hands free.
Twist the openings of the piping bags closed, and tightly secure them with elastic bands. Work over your icing bowl so that the icing dripping out of the tips doesn’t go all over your work surface. Rest your finished decorating bags back in the glasses until you’re ready to use them.
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Outlining Cookies/Piping Techniques:
Practice piping on your work surface so that your hand gets some practice before you begin the cookies. I usually find I need a few minutes to play around before my piping improves. I decorate my least favourite cookies, or my extra cookies first; that way if I make a mistake it won’t matter as much!
Outline the cookies first, and wait at least 15 minutes before you flood the inside of the ‘dam’. If the outline is a dark color such as brown or black, I wait 24 hours before flooding the cookie. It lessens the chance that the colors will seep into each other. If you live in a humid climate, air conditioning or a dehumidifier will help prevent color seepage as well.
I should also mention, that if you don’t like the look of the outline on the cookie, outline your cookie and fill it in right away. The icing needs to be at medium consistency for this… not too runny or it will just flow everywhere, and not too thick or it won’t settle smoothly.
To outline the cookies, hold the bag at a 45 degree angle and position the tip at a corner of the cookie. Put enough pressure on the bag so that the icing comes out and start moving towards the direction you’d like your icing to flow at the same time. About a centimeter after you’ve begun your outline, start lifting the piping bag away from the cookie, so that the icing just falls onto the cookie. Start coming back closer to the cookie when approaching another corner. If the cookie is more intricate, or has more corners, you may not be able to just let the icing fall as there won’t really be room to. Also start to apply less pressure as you approach the corners. While decorating, every once in a while I twist and tighten the top part of the bag to create pressure so that the icing flows well.
Flooding/Filling In Cookies:
When your cookies are ready to flood use a #3 – #5 sized piping tip. The larger the cookie the larger the tip. Start at one area and quickly zig zag back and forth until you’ve covered your cookie. Don’t worry if you haven’t filled in every little spot; speed is more important at this point. If there are a few spots that haven’t quite filled in once you’ve basically covered the whole cookie, use your piping bag, a toothpick or a paintbrush (used only for food), to push the icing around and fill in the gaps.
If you would like to add more icing colors to your cookie so that they ”meld’ into the base color, you need to add it right away. The base layer starts to dry quickly so you need to add your next colors as fast as possible. For example, I added these two black lines and one colorful line and then drag a toothpick through them.
The ‘eye’ of the butterfly is then made by layering a few colored dots on top of each other, with the white or light color second last and black last. Dots are easy to make; position your piping bag straight above the area you’d like to pipe and gently apply enough pressure so that just a dot comes out of the tip. Stop the pressure on the bag and lift it away. Take your next color and keep layering, making sure that your dots get smaller each time.
Fill in each wing or every two wings at a time.
Packaging and Storing Cookies:
Let the cookies dry for 24 hours before you package them.
If you’d like to store them in tupperware instead of packaging them, stack them with the largest cookies on the bottom and the smallest, most delicate ones near the top, and insert parchment paper between each layer. Store in a cool, dry area. I try to make mine no more than one week in advance, and advise people to eat them as soon as possible! They should be eaten within one month for sure. Some people claim they are fine even up to 3 months, however, I’m a firm believer in “the sooner, the better!”
I hope this tutorial has helped you! I welcome any questions or feedback… Have I forgotten to mention something? Do you need clarification on anything? Please ask or let me know!
If you like learning with video, you can also find me on YouTube, by clicking here.
Have fun creating!!
xo,
Marian
For some other butterfly cookie examples see this older post here.
marian says
Hi @ Laura: https://sweetopia.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Classic-Royal-Icing-Made-with-Egg-Whites.pdf
Hi @ Megan and @ Wren: I forget! I did measure it at one point and it’ll be in the comment section here, but I’m sure all of us don’t feel like reading 374 comments. 😉 Approximately 4 cups if memory serves me correctly.
Tatjana says
Hi Marian!
I love your site so much…it’s just great…you’re absolutely talented no question 🙂
Can I use instead of cream of tartar something else? I live in Switzerland and unfortunately we don’t have any good bakery stores here…!
Thank you 🙂
Tatjana
Marian (Sweetopia) says
Hi @ Tatjana: Love your name 😉 It’s my (middle) name too.
You can still make the icing without the cream of tartar, no problem. It helps stabilize/dry the icing a bit, but is fine without it. xo
paula says
Hi Marian,
First off, I love your site and visit all the time. I’ve been making these sugar cookies for about eight yrs or so, and currently sell them at a local cafe. I leave them there for approximately 10-12 days. I don’t usually meld my colors because I’m afraid the colors will bleed because of the time frame. For example, I just put out spiderwebs in black and white but I ended up drawing the web instead of dragging with a toothpick. I see your butterflies and they are gorgeous, but will the decoration hold for two weeks?
Hope this makes sense, and thanks for the time and inspiration.
Paula.
Marian (Sweetopia) says
Hi @ paula: Humidity plays a big role with that issue, so it does depend on where you live, or what the ‘environment’ in the cafe is. Here are some posts which should help:
https://sweetopia.net/2009/10/how-to-prevent-your-icing-from-bleeding-7-tips/
https://sweetopia.net/2011/07/how-to-avoid-spots-on-icing/
Hope that helps!
xo,
Marian
Nicole says
Hi, I’m not sure if you know but this blog has used your images as part of their tutorial on cookie decorating
http://cutesweetthings.blogspot.com.au/2011/03/pretty-butterfly-cookies-step-by-step.html#!/2011/03/pretty-butterfly-cookies-step-by-step.html
I only found it as I’m looking for a few different butterfly designs to try for my daughter’s birthday coming up
Sherry says
I just found your website while searching for royal icing directions for decorating cookies. I have to say that your website coupled with your YOU TUBE tutorials were the best instructions( including pictures, videos, tips) ,that I found anywhere on the web! I have bookmarked your site and will be giving the royal icing cookies a go next week.
THANK YOU!!!!!!!
Marian (Sweetopia) says
Thanks for your kind consideration @ Nicole!
High compliment! Thanks, @ Sherry. 🙂
Dalia says
Hola Marian!! This is my first time in your awesome site! See my little girl & I bake Cookies yesterday, “Grandma’s recipe” 🙂 But hers call for shortening instead of butter.. What’s the difference? And also I dont’t owe one of those blenders so standing with the regular type of blender for 10 min. I don’t know .. Tku for making this world more beautiful!!
marian says
Hi @ Dalia: Shortening and butter are both fats, and cookies generally need some sort of fat for flavour. Shortening is a little less ‘natural’ or more processed and here is a little more detail for you: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shortening
For the icing it will take a little more work to stand for 10 minutes yes. 😉 Sorry about that but hope you have fun!
Kelly Senyei (Just a Taste) says
Thanks so much for links to all of the amazing resources (including your site, of course). I can’t wait to dive into winter holiday cookie-making!
Deanna Williams says
Hi Marian! I just started making/decorating sugar cookies since I am away in college (I don’t have many friends yet, so why not bake all day?) Your site has been very helpful! I’ve been making “outline” and “flood” icing separately which really is a pain with multiple colors. Just want to get this clear: so you are using the same consistency icing to outline and flood the cookies? the outline seems thick and strong but the blue wings look much smoother. Does it take forever to guide the icing (with a toothpick) to where it needs to flow?
Thank you!
marian says
My pleasure, @ Kelly Senyei (Just a Taste)!
Hi @ Deanna Williams: Seems like a good thing to do with your time! 😉
I show how I flood and marble in my YouTube videos if you’d like to check them out. At the top of the blog is a yellow circle which clicks over to my YouTube page.
Hope that helps!
Laura says
Your cookies look gorgeous! I am going to try them and the royal icing recipe soon. I told my mom I want to try it and she said that you have to work really fast with royal icing – is that true? It looks simple to me the way you do it!
Miriam says
Love your blog! You do such gorgeous work. I was wondering can you freeze decorated cookies? Will they defrost well?
Thanks for sharing your techniques with all of us!
Marian says
Hi @ Laura: Royal icing does dry fairly quickly, so if you’re marbling icing you need to work fast. I’ve got some videos if you’d like to see it that way. 🙂 (Youtube page can be found by clicking the yellow circle on the top right of the blog). Hope that helps!
Hi @ Miriam: Yes, you can freeze them, but I haven’t had 100% success with the defrosting. (not bad though!). Please see here for the discussion:
https://sweetopia.net/2011/03/freezing-decorated-cookies/
Deanna Williams says
your videos definitely helped thanks! just oneee more question hehe… do you switch to a larger piping tip after you outline the cookie and are filling it in?
in the videos it looks like it is coming out of a bigger hole than it was when you were outlining… or maybe you’re just adding lots of pressure?
marian says
HI @ Deanna Williams: Just adding more pressure. When I lift the piping bag in the video I’m twisting the top of the bag to push the icing down and create more pressure. I’ll need to videotape from further away next time. 🙂
Sam Norton says
Hello, thank you so much for your fab tutorials and all the information you share with everyone.
Your guides have really helped with my icing technique and having seen how you tap your cookies to get the air bubbles out as well is something I would ont of thought about.
I am just wondering how you get your icing to look so smooth as not see the outline edge on single colours!
They are truly wonderful.
Thank you once again for sharing your beautiful work
Sam
Kristen Rizzo says
HiMarian,
If I’m doing soccer ball cookies, what is the least amount of time you would recommend letting the black dry before adding the white? Is it better to do either color first. Thanks for your help.
Sandra says
Love your cookies and your videos. I have been sitting here just soaking up your expertise and really appreciating your generous offering of your knowledge.
I do, however,have a question that I don’t see covered in your videos or posts and that is the question of how to store your royal icing on the night you make it. You said that you make it the day ahead to let the colors darken and the air bubbles to surface. Do you mix in small bowls and cover with plastic wrap laid on the surface to keep it from drying out? Then, the next morning place carefully in decorator bags?
What do you do with the leftover royal icing after decorating your cookies? Do you use it up by making transfers or do you keep it in the bags for a couple of days if you plan on working the next day? I know you asked the question in one of your posts about freezing it. If you have chosen to do that, how to you wrap it? Sorry for all the questions, I just HATE to waste it!
Marian (Sweetopia) says
Thanks @ Sam Norton, what a nice comment! Here’s a video on how I ice the cookies without the outline: https://sweetopia.net/2012/02/video-how-to-outline-and-flood-cookies-with-royal-icing/
@ Kristen Rizzo: Absolutely… It would depend on the following… If I am working in a room with a dehumidifier and A/C, I would wait a few hours to about 6 hours. If I’m not working in a climate controlled room, I would wait 12-24 hours. To be honest, black and white are one of the worst things for bleeding, so I would 100% recommend working in a climate controlled room. Here are a few posts about it for you:
https://sweetopia.net/2009/10/how-to-prevent-your-icing-from-bleeding-7-tips/
https://sweetopia.net/2011/07/how-to-avoid-spots-on-icing/
Hi @ Sandra: Here is how I store royal icing:
https://sweetopia.net/2011/01/how-do-you-store-royal-icing-and-how-long-can-you-keep-it/
I like to make transfers with the royal icing:
https://sweetopia.net/2011/01/valentines-love-cupcakes/
or freeze it: https://sweetopia.net/2012/03/easter-bunny-lamb-decorated-cookies/
Happy decorating!
Erica says
hey! i pinned this blog post on pinterest b/c i am using it for sure for christmas. thank u for this! you do such a great job with this tutorial i would have to be really stupid to mess it up, lol! but i had a really good question. is there any way i can make this a cream cheese frosting and still get the results? it would be ideal but i want my cookies to look cute so please let me know! thank you so much!
Marian (Sweetopia) says
Thanks, @ Erica! Cream cheese frosting tastes so yummy, but it would be a bit difficult to achieve the same results as royal icing (different consistency/texture).
marian says
Hi @ Sam Norton:
Here’s a video on how I do it:
https://sweetopia.net/2012/02/video-how-to-outline-and-flood-cookies-with-royal-icing/
marian says
Hi @ Kristen Rizzo: If you live in a humid environment, you’ll need the info. from these posts:
https://sweetopia.net/2011/07/how-to-avoid-spots-on-icing/
https://sweetopia.net/2012/01/video-how-to-dry-cookies-decorated-with-royal-icing/
https://sweetopia.net/2009/10/how-to-prevent-your-icing-from-bleeding-7-tips/
Hi @ Sandra: Here are some posts for you:
https://sweetopia.net/2011/01/how-do-you-store-royal-icing-and-how-long-can-you-keep-it/
For left over icing, I make transfers… For example, https://sweetopia.net/2011/01/valentines-love-cupcakes/
or freeze icing:
https://sweetopia.net/2012/03/easter-bunny-lamb-decorated-cookies/
Hope that helps!
ronee says
about how much in volume is 1 kg of icing sugar
Erica says
hi! i had a question! i was wondering if I could make the icing with some cream cheese too? i prefer that type of icing
Marian (Sweetopia) says
Hi @ ronee: Weights are a little tough to measure out/convert with an ingredient such as icing sugar. The way one person measures a cup of icing sugar can be so different from the way another person measures it out. For example, one person might pack it in more, where another person might aerate the icing sugar and measure a “loose” one cup. That’s why I like to stick with weighing for icing sugar… less room for error. If you can go to a bulk store which sells icing sugar and weigh out 1 kg there, you won’t have to buy a scale. Either that or check the measurements on your icing sugar package… 1 kg = 2.2 lbs (pounds). Hope that helps!
Hi @ Erica: Cream cheese icing is delicious, isn’t it! Using that icing for this type of decorating won’t have the same effect, as the consistency of the icing is different. You could try making the cream cheese icing a bit runnier, with water, and you could try it, but my best guest is that it won’t quite have the same texture. If you give it a try, please let me know how it goes! Thanks!
Cinzia says
Ciao Marian,
mi sono innamorata del tuo sito e volevo provare a fare la glassa reale, per questo volevo chiederti quanto tempo prima si può preparare e quanto si mantiene se non usata subito? Grazie
beginner says
hi marian. using meringue powder with egg whites so smooth and beautiful is not it we do? I just started a new Royal Icing believe it would be much better to do with your help. you’re wonderful .. thanks ..
Amy says
Hi Marian
Can I reduce the Icing Sugar, lets said half of the above recipe is 500gm, I use only 450gm will that effect the flow. Love your site and learning alot from you. Thanks.
Virginia says
Hi! This was really helpful, thanks so much! Just one quick question though…how much icing does the recipe make? I just wanted to do some simple decorations so I don’t know if I want to go with a full kg of icing sugar. Thanks again!
michelle says
Hi –
I read you could substitute 5 Tbs of meringue powder instead or 2 egg whites for royal icing. I don’t really want to go out and buy meringue powder when I have 2 eggs in my fridge — do you think this is a fair conversion for the royal icing recipe you listed above?
Thanks!
Agnes Lau says
Hi. Im Agnes from Hong Kong. Thanks for your tutorial. it helps me a lot !^^ i got a question for icing cookie. As I remember, the cookies are become softer after i put the icing on it last time. Im thinking whether i add too much water in my icing or my cookies are not fully-cooked?
Thanks!!
Agnes
Sue Ann Akers says
I live in a humid climate and have trouble getting the icing to dry?
marian says
Hi @ Amy: If it’s too thin, yes, you’ll need to add more icing sugar (check after you’ve mixed it for 10 minutes). You can find a video on finding the right consistency on my youtube page.
Hi @ Virginia: It makes approx. 3 cups.
@ michelle: I’m sorry, I’m not sure about that question.
@ Agnes Lau, @ Sue Ann Akers:
A humid environment and how they are dried really affects the outcome of your cookies. Here are a few posts for you:
https://sweetopia.net/2012/01/video-how-to-dry-cookies-decorated-with-royal-icing/
https://sweetopia.net/2011/07/how-to-avoid-spots-on-icing/
Natalie says
Hi! Where can you buy icing sugar? I can’t find it in any of the stores around where I live. Would you be able to use confectioners sugar instead?
marian says
Oh yes, @ Natalie, they are the same thing! I live in Canada and that’s the name for confectioner’s sugar here. Just in case you need to look up any more terms, I’ve created a glossary here:
https://sweetopia.net/glossary/
Consistency says
I have made recipe 3 times and it comes out so thick. Dont know
What im doing wrong. I have measured very carefully. Please help!
Marian (Sweetopia) says
@ Consistency: The recipe is thick, you have done nothing wrong…. I know it’s a lot to read in this tutorial, but if you look under ‘Icing Tips and Tricks’, you will see where I explain how to find the right consistency for your cookie decorating. You might also like this video;
https://sweetopia.net/2011/02/video-royal-icing-consistency-made-easy-the-10-second-rule/
Erica says
OMG! Those butterflies are adorable. I hope I can use the idea soon.
erika says
Hi. I have a question is different royal icing recipe that is lightweight with more consistency??? Because I want to do textures. What can i do
Marian (Sweetopia) says
Hi @ erika: I’m sorry, I’m not quite sure what your question is asking. Please try and explain further and I will do my best to help.
Thanks @ Erica! (with a ”c”).
Carol McNamara says
When i make shortbread cutouts and decorate them they end up after a few days looking like there are water spots on them. I use a frosting of milk, karo syrup , confectioners sugar and vanilla .Wondering why this happens..My family doesn’t like royal frosting because it gets so hard.Why does this happen .i use wilton gel food coloring and have tried the liquid also and it still happens especially on cookies with like darker colors ,,reds gold green blues .. I would appreciate you responding about this .. Thank you C McNamara