Royal Icing Recipe for Decorating Cookies

Comments

Mary - October 10, 2023

Can almond extract be used instead of vanilla for royal icing?
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The Cookie Countess replied:
Hi Mary! Sure, you can substitute almond for vanilla if you prefer that. Alternatively, you can simply add almond in addition to the vanilla for even more depth of flavor. Vanilla acts as a great backdrop for pretty much everything! 😊

Lissa Barrett - October 10, 2023

This icing tastes amazing, but I had a bit of trouble with mixing as the mixture was so thick my stand mixer was ‘hopping’! I followed the recipe exactly, watched the video
4 times before attempting! My DIL is the family cookie expert (but lives 11 hours away) and her advice was to add more water and I had to add at least another 1/2 cup of water. I am using ingredients I found locally as far as the meringue powder, butter & lemon extracts. Could this be the issue?
P.S. I have made the ‘standard’ royal icing many times with no issues, but doesn’t even come close to the flavor of your recipe!)
Thank you, in advance, for any advice!!
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The Cookie Countess replied:
Hi Lissa! Yes, when made according to the recipe, this icing will be very thick straight from the mixer (you can see how stiff it is at the end of the video at the top of this blog!). This is the perfect consistency for stenciling, detail work, flowers, etc. If you are using your icing to flood, you can definitely just add more water to get it to the right consistency for you. I personally like to follow the recipe until I’ve reached the nice white, fluffy look I know means my royal icing is “right” and then add water to get where I need it to be. I hope this helps!

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.