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Thick, glossy Royal Icing for Decorated Cookies piped into a swirling Christmas tree design on a festive plate.

Royal Icing for Decorated Cookies

Learn how to make perfect royal icing for decorating cookies. This recipe creates a glossy, smooth icing ideal for intricate designs.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Servings: 1 batch
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 51

Ingredients
  

  • 3 egg whites
  • 1 pound confectioners’ sugar (450g)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Equipment

  • Stand mixer
  • Mixing bowl
  • Piping bags

Method
 

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer or large mixing bowl, beat egg whites on medium-low speed until frothy, about 1 minute.
  2. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add in confectioners’ sugar and vanilla.
  3. Once fully incorporated, increase speed to medium-high and beat until stiff, shiny peaks form.
  4. Divide icing among small bowls, and dye with gel food coloring if desired. Keep any icing that isn’t being immediately used covered with plastic wrap as it dries out very quickly. Transfer to piping bags and decorate cookies.

Nutrition

Calories: 51kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSodium: 4mgPotassium: 4mgSugar: 12gCalcium: 1mgIron: 1mg

Notes

For decorating, pipe an outline of the cookie with thicker icing, then fill the middle with thinner icing. Add a few drops of water to the icing and stir with a spatula for a flooding consistency, continuing until you achieve the desired consistency. This outline prevents the icing from sliding off.

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