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.
GIMENA says
@ Ines:
Ines you can buy meringue powder in doña clara in once, and I’m sure you can also find it in any good cotillon shop
Ines says
@ GIMENA:
Thanks enormously! 🙂
Elite says
Thank you, Marian. Had that workplace baby shower and used your idea to make floodwork decorations for cupcakes. Also made a very rough version of decorated cookies which I hope will improve with practice. Here’s what I came up with…
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3731738&l=2c94836ea4&id=773812231
Thanks again for the inspiration and detailed tutorials, Elite
susan says
so cute…thanks for sharing your tutorial. it was really helpful. you are very talented.
Nelly says
Dear
Thank you for your superb site I absolutly loooove everything in it! I have a question how can I make the right icing consistency for writing ? I usually use tip No. 1 and it either curls or if I thin it the letters spread when I write !! HELP !
Marian says
Hi Nelly,
I do usually thin it out in that case – Have you tried using the 10 second rule to figure out the proper consistency? (It’s explained in this post) Using the recipe here might also help… It always works well!
Nelly says
Dear Marian, Thanks for the tip, I do use the 10 sec rule but nevertheless fail !! however I might try your recipie, cause currently I’m using Peggy’s one.-D
marian says
Hi Nelly; keep me posted on your progress!
Natalie says
Hi Marian, this is an amazing tutorial! I’m really excited to decorate my first batch of cookies!
My question for you is about mixing the icing. You mention using a paddle attachment, so I’m guessing the recipe is more for people that have a stand mixer like a Kitchen Aid. I only have a handheld, so would I do anything differently? I’m guessing it may just take longer, but I don’t know if having the regular 2-beater attachment would be any different.
Thanks!
marian says
Hi Natalie; you can certainly use a hand-mixer! Like you said, it may just take a little longer. Everything else stays the same!
Tanisha says
was wondering so when you outline and fill the cookie do you use the same consistency in icing? and if so is the consistency the 10 sec rule even when you outline?
marian says
Hi Tanisha; I do use the same consistency in icing. (I used to do two… the outline thicker and the flood icing thin, however I find it much faster to just to the one).
I do use the 10 second rule to determine the thickness. It can’t be too runny or the outline won’t have enough shape to hold the flood icing in.
Tanisha says
@ marian:
thanks for your reply…..that does seem alot easier. i will give it a try!
Kelly says
Marian,
I think your tutorial was great! I have always decorated cookies with buttercream and piped it on. My long search on the internet for ways to do the “smooth” icing has come up short until now! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
My only concern is the freshness of the cookies…. I always bake and decorate as close to the “event” date as possible because I want to produce the most best-tasting, freshest cookies as possible. This has bit me in the rear several times, as I am rushing last minute to get them done!
I have to assume that when you are leaving your cookies to dry/set, they are left out on a counter somewhere? Is this ok for the freshness of the cookie? How long are you able to keep your cookies set out, without being in an airtight container, without getting “stale” or hard? (I can post my cookie recipe or email it to you if it helps to know what all is in the cookie).
And does the royal icing produce a crisp, hard icing when it is dry? Is it still sweet tasting? I still consider myself a novice at decorating, but I do get orders occasionally and want my cookies to look and taste their best so any advice is greatly appreciated!!!
Thanks in advance,
Kelly
Kelly says
Ok, so I should have read more. Post, after post, after post, I guess I skipped a few! It is a very popular site!!!
I read Nicole’s post and your reply above, so the first 24 hours is ok, which I’ve done before to let the icing set. I just wasn’t sure about letting them sit another day…packaging, etc. And then the taste/consistency of the icing when it hardens.
Thanks again.
Kelly
marian says
Kelly I wish you lots of fun and success decorating your cookies! Please don’t hesitate to leave a comment should you have any questions.
Sally says
Hi, Marian.
Thanks to you and your wonderful tutorial, I have made my first batch of sugar cookies with royal icing for my boys’ birthday party this Saturday. I still have couple of days before the party. How would you recommend I store them? I have already put them in the refrigerator, am I in trouble? Should I take them out and let them “warm up”?
Thank you very much in advance,
Sally
marian says
Hi Sally,
Yes, take them out of the fridge. The moisture in the fridge will affect the icing – colors (especially darker ones such as red or black) will start to bleed into other colors.
If they’re not 100% dry, storing them in a plastic container is also not good; the moisture in there affects the icing on the cookies as well.
When my cookies are dry, I love to put mine in individually cellophane bags. They’re airtight, stay fresh (they’ll be fine for Saturday), and look so cute!
If you don’t want to put them in cellophane bags, make sure the icing on all the cookies is dry, and put them in plastic containers. If you’d like to stack them, make sure that a piece of parchment paper divides each layer.
Hope that helps!
Marian
Sally says
Marian,
thank you very much for everything!
Sally
myra says
hye marian.. can i replace maringue powder with the others receipe? i dont know where to find it at malaysia
marian says
Hi Myra,
Sure, you can use another royal recipe. If you can’t find meringue powder just find a recipe without it. For example, there are quite a few royal icing recipes on the net which are made using egg whites.
Here’s Martha Stewart’s recipe:
http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/marthas-royal-icing
Happy decorating!
Marian
elizabeth says
Hi Marian,
I just adore your site! I’ve been baking for some years now, but I’ve never ventured out on the royal icing for decorating. Your tutorials helped me so much! I made some butterflies out of royal icing and your recipe worked beautifully. I was wondering if you ever use corn syrup to get the icing a little more shiny? I noticed that the more color I used in the icing, the duller it became. Or maybe it was just my eyes, LOL! Anyway, thanks so much for such a beautiful site! My husband tells me he’s going to block it if I don’t start to get some sleep…it’s keeping me up at night! LOL! <3
marian says
Hi Elizabeth,
I’m so glad to hear my site is useful for you! I would love to see your cookies! Would you post them on my facebook page please?
I have heard about the corn syrup making the icing shiny as well, but haven’t played around with it enough to write about results. I’ll write a post about it when I know for sure. If you’d like to come back and post your results here if you end up experimenting, that would also be great!
Happy decorating!
marilyn says
Hi Marian
Really gorgeous cookies – I’m absolutely inspired. I’m making cookies for a friends wedding and would like to try the Royal Icing recipe you supply, since I’m not fond of the one I’m currently using. However, I don’t have a paddle attachment (I’m using a hand mixer). Can I use a whisk or the normal mixer attachements instead?
Thanks!
marian says
@ marilyn:
You can, but you’ll probably find you have more air in the icing that way. It’s still doable though.
Make sure you let the icing sit after you’ve got it to the consistency you’re happy with, and after you’ve colored it. That way you can pop the air bubbles which rise to the surface before you begin decorating.
Good luck!
marilyn says
Thanks Marian – I’ll give it a try. Would it be wiser to just mix with a rubber spatula by hand do you think?
marian says
@ marilyn:
That’s a lot of hand-mixing but it would work. I’d be more worried about air bubbles (using a whisk attachment), if I were making very detailed cookies. If you’re making quite a few cookies (for a wedding), the whisk should work fine.
Eva says
Thank you for the great tutorial! The cookies are beautiful and Id love to try making some. They look really thick. What cookie recipe did you use? How thick did you roll them out?
marian says
Glad you like it Eva! Check out the tutorial section (top left of blog for the tutorial category), to find my Sugar Cookie Recipe.
My cookie thickness varies depending on my mood -anywhere from 1/2cm to 1cm really!
Karen says
Hi Marian,
Thank you for the beautiful tutorial. I’m going to try this out today. But I have a couple of questions. I browsed through the comments to see if anybody else have answered them but I didn’t find it…
1. How do you store the colored icing for 24 hours? In a glass container? Covered with just a damp towel? Can I put them in the decorating bags then just leave at room temp?
2. Is it okay safe to store the cookies stacked on a covered pyrex container for 2 weeks at room temp?
Thank you!!! I’m making these cookies for party 2 weeks from now. Is it too early? I want to get them out of the way coz I’m also making cake.
marian says
@ Karen:
Sure, no problem.
1) I store my icing at room temperature. If you make your icing with egg whites it needs to go in the fridge.
I store it in tupperware containers. Put the icing in the container, lay a piece of saran wrap right on the surface of the icing, AND put the lid on the plastic containers/tupperware. Stir well the next time you use it again. The water separates from the icing sugar over time, so it’s likely that by the time you use it again, it will have separated. (that’s why I don’t keep the icing in the piping bag. can’t stir it then!)
2. I like to pack my cookies in the decorative bags right away. SOMEtimes when I store cookies all together in a plastic container, the moisture in the cookies affect the icing (the icing bleeds). If you don’t want to put them in separate packaging, I’d make them closer to the date.
Yes, you can make them for two weeks from now. Of course, freshest is always best, but they’ll still be good!
I wish you all the best and enjoy decorating!
Marian
Emma says
I have a question regarding the flooding and outlining. When doing two colors side by side (red and white, for example) how long should I wait after outlining and filling in with one color, before I begin to fill in with the second color right by it without them bleeding into one another?
marian says
@ Emma:
This post, How to Prevent Your Icing From Bleeding – 7 Tips will help.
Happy decorating!
Karen says
@ marian:
I mentioned you on my blog. Thanks for all the help!!!
Kaci says
Hi Marion.
I just wanted to let you know that I have been experimenting with several royal icing recipes. Last night I tried yours and it is by far the best recipe I have found. Thanks for sharing!
marian says
Thanks Kaci for sharing!
1st birthday dress says
Marian, thanks for such a wonderful tutorial, soon will be my boys’ 1st birthday party and this will be just great.
Thank you very much,
Mary.
cc's mom says
Hi Marian,
I’m so excited to find your website today. I am making my daughter’s birthday cake and panda bear cookie pops which I really wanted to make nice for the guest to take home. So now I think I can! I had no idea that is how to make the gorgeous cookies. I have always had a problem finding a sugar cookie recipe that doesn’t dry out right away so I am anxious to try your recipe.
Does the royal icing work good if you make something separately and use them as decorations on cakes? I was thinking about adding a few 3d butterflies to the cake, but didn’t know if it would stay hard enough.
Thanks so much — I love you site!
marian says
I’m glad you like it!
You can certainly use royal icing decorations separately to use as decorations on cakes. It does dry hard. I have some instructions on making them here.
Hope that helps!
https://sweetopia.net/2009/12/how-to-do-royal-icing-flood-work-or-runouts/
Marian
yvette says
today i came accross your website and i’m in love! i loved this tutorial. soo easy to follow. what kind of cookies are these? shortbread or sugar cookies? and do you have a great recipe? mine always seems to crumble regardless of how thick i make them 🙁
marian says
Yvette,
I use a sugar cookie recipe; it’s right here:
https://sweetopia.net/2009/12/sugar-cookie-recipe/
Have fun decorating!
May says
Hi Marian,
I’m thrilled to find your RI recipe that can work for both outlining and flooding. Am keen to try it out soon.
Just wanted to check, if i’m using liquid coloring for the icing, does the 10 second rule still apply or do you recommend to increase to slightly longer, say 12 sec?
Also, approximately how many cookies can your RI recipe cater to? Thanks in advance.
marian says
May, I would add the liquid food coloring you’re using first, and then add the water, if you need to, to thin the icing out even more. The 10 second rule still sticks, but because you’re using the liquid coloring and that will already thin the icing out a bit, you need to add your coloring first.
Hope that helps! Happy decorating!
Sarah says
Hi Marian,
Thank you so much for your wonderful tutorial. It has been extremely helpful!
I have a question: How hard is the icing supposed to be once it dries? The cookie was soft but the icing was very hard.
After I iced the cookies, I let them dry overnight uncovered. Is there something I can do to prevent this?
marian says
Thanks Sarah!
Yes, the icing dries fairly hard; a good thing when you need to put them in cellophane bags! If you don’t leave them out too long to dry, the top layer of the royal icing will form a hard crust, but the inside will stay soft.
Hope that helps!
Lisa says
Marian,
Your cookie recipe is just too delicious! I started making them to take to parties and as party favors for parties that I host and now I’ve been asked to make a large number of them this Christmas for a function at my church. I was wondering if I could make up the dough in advance and freeze rolls of it then cook them up the week of the event? Have you done this before and how long is too long in the freezer?
cheryl hicks says
Hi – quick question, I don’t have a paddle for my stand mixer, can I just use the regular beaters on slow to make my icing? Thanks!
Cheryl
marian says
@ Lisa:
Yes, the dough freezes well for quite a long time – I use it up to 3 months in there!
Glad to hear you like the recipe!
marian says
@ cheryl hicks:
Yes, you can, but the whip attachments will incorporate a bit more air. When the icing is done, let it sit (covered), for a few minutes to let the air bubbles rise, then just use a plastic spatula and ‘paddle’ it a bit. Hard to explain, just keep smoothing the icing with the flat part of the plastic spatula to pop the bubbles.
Happy decorating!
Polina says
This is a great tutorial! Thanks so much for posting it. I just have a few questions.
I use Wilton brand meringue powder and in the ingredients it lists cream of tartar. Should I still add cream of tartar separately as the recipe you provided instructs?
Also, approximately how many cookies can you decorate with the amount of royal icing the above recipe makes?
marian says
Polina,
Yes, even if I’m using the Wilton brand, I put cream of tartar in.
As for amount, it’s difficult to say exactly because there are so many sizes of cookies; I’ll say on average about 25-30 cookies.
Hope that helps!
Momsy says
Thanks so much for providing this tutorial!
Adelina says
I’m amazed at your dedication and passion! I’ve never attempted to decorate cookies nor learn about royal icing but starring at all of your creations made me think twice about trying it out!
Thanks for this incredible post!
Bonnie says
Thank you so much for this tutorial! I followed it when decorating some Christmas gingerbread cookies this weekend. It really helped. 🙂
I do have a couple of questions, though.
First of all, my cookies tend to be slightly raised in the centre, which means that when I flood them, it sometimes goes over the lines as the icing runs down the slight “hill” of the middle of the cookie. Any tips for getting a flatter cookie?
Secondly, when doing my outline, lifting the tip off the cookie to finish it off tends to result in a little blob of icing rather than a smooth finish. Any tips for avoiding this?
Thanks again! 🙂
marian says
Bonnie, I’m glad to hear it went well!
For the slightly raised center, try omitting the baking powder (leavening agent) in your recipe. I’ll be doing a post on how to help cookies keep their shape soon, and in the meantime I have some tips for this in my sugar cookie recipe post.
For the outline, your icing might need to be a bit thicker, and apply less or no pressure by the time you get to the end, so that not as much comes out.
Hope that helps!