Royal Icing (Christmas Cookie Icing)
My mother's favorite cookie icing was Royal icing. It is simple, easy to work with (think children), and made with only three ingredients: powdered sugar, egg whites (or meringue powder), and a small amount of water. Christmas is complete with just some sugar cookies and royal icing.Characteristics of Royal Icing Smooth and Shiny: When freshly applied, royal icing is smooth and glossy, giving cookies a professional and festive look. Hardens When Dry: Once it sets, it becomes hard, making decorated cookies easy to stack, package, and display without smudging. Customizable: It can be tinted with food coloring, piped into intricate designs, and adjusted for consistency—thin for flooding large areas, or thick for detailed piping.Why Grandma Used It for Christmas Cookies Durability: Royal icing's firm finish ensures the cookies stay beautiful through handling and storage. Classic Look: Its crisp, clean finish is traditional and elegant, fitting the festive mood of Christmas. Creative Decorating: Grandmas often loved involving kids in decorating cookies, and royal icing is perfect for adding creative touches like patterns, dots, or snowflakes. Nostalgia: We have been using this icing for over seven generations.Many classic Christmas cookie recipes call for royal icing, keeping family traditions alive. This type of icing is particularly magical during Christmas because it allows for intricate decorations that sparkle with the holiday spirit, often reminding us of snow and frosty winter days.
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Equipment
- 1 Stand Mixer
- 1 Piping bag and tip or just use a ziplock bag with the corner cut
Ingredients
- 3 egg whites or 3 Tbsp of meringue powder (not plain egg white powder) and 9–10 Tbsp room-temperature water
- 1 pound confectioners’ sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Use a stand mixer or large mixing bowl to beat egg whites at medium to low speed until frothy, about 1 minute.
- Slowly add confectioners’ sugar and vanilla with the mixer on low speed.
- Once fully incorporated, increase speed to medium-high and beat until stiff peaks shiny peaks form.
- Divide the icing among small bowls and dye with gel food coloring if desired.
- Transfer to piping bags and decorate cookies.
Notes
Cover any icing that isn’t being immediately used with plastic wrap, as it dries out very quickly – which is what you want in the first place.
Nutrition
Calories: 1kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 0.2gFat: 0.004gSodium: 4mgPotassium: 4mgSugar: 0.03gCalcium: 0.2mgIron: 0.002mgZinc: 0.001mg
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