What is the difference between royal icing and sugar cookie icing?

Cookie icing can be used in the same way that royal icing can; however, it doesn't dry as hard as royal icing does . It's great for flooding cookies or piping designs into wet icing. To thin the consistency of cookie icing, just pop it in the microwave for about 20 seconds.

Can I use royal icing on cookies?

When using royal icing to decorate cookies, pipe the icing first, then flood it . Outlining means piping a thin outline of the cookie with thicker icing and flooding means filling the middle with thinner icing. Piping an outline first keeps the icing from sliding off the cookies.

How do you harden royal icing on cookies?

You should NOT put royal icing cookies in an airtight container until they're completely dry. The icing needs to be exposed to the air to dry . This usually takes about overnight (approximately 8 hours).

What to use instead of a piping bag?

To pipe fine detail onto your treats, make a pastry cone using ordinary kitchen parchment paper ! Step 1: Tear off approximately 12” of parchment from the roll. Step 2: Take one corner of the sheet and fold it down so it is flush along bottom edge. Crease the paper along the opposite edge.

What are the three types of royal icing?

Royal Icing Consistency Explained Stiff Royal Icing is required when making flowers, leaves, ruffles, brush embroidery, and decorations that need to perfectly hold their shape. ... Piping Royal Icing is used for borders and outlines, decorative details, and lettering. ... Medium Royal Icing falls between Piping and Flood. More items...

What three ingredients is royal icing made of?

This royal icing is whipped up with a simple mixture of egg whites, powdered sugar, and vanilla . It stays stable and shiny for days, tastes delicious, and is fit for royalty!

How to make royal icing dry and shiny?

One of the main keys to shiny icing is getting that icing to dry quickly. The faster the icing dries, the shinier it will be. One simple method to faster drying is to just aim a fan at your drying cookies . I like to aim the airflow so that it passes evenly over my cookie sheet, not directly down at a particular cookie.

How long do royal icing cookies take to set?

You CANNOT put royal icing cookies in an airtight container until the icing is hard to the touch. This takes about 8 hours .

Why does royal icing not set hard?

Undermix, and your royal icing looks translucent and is structurally weak. Overwhip, and you're giving too much volume to the egg proteins via air, causing the structure to weaken in a different way . Overmixed icing usually looks porous when dry, and sometimes will not even fully dry and be soft/brittle.

What is the easiest way to decorate sugar cookies?

Start by outlining the cookie with piping-consistency icing in any color you choose. Then, use flooding-consistency icing to fill the outlined area, starting by flooding around the edges and working your way towards the center. If the flooding is inconsistent in thickness, redistribute the wet icing with a toothpick.

How do you box up decorated sugar cookies?

How To Package and Ship Cookies Step 1: Wait for the Icing to Dry. Before you package your cookies, make sure the royal icing has fully dried. ... Step 2: Bag Cookies Individually. Bag your cookies in individual clear bags as normal. ... Step 3: Wrap Your Cookies. ... Step 4: What's in the Box(es)? ... Step 5: Mailing Your Package.

How do you keep sugar cookies soft when decorated?

Some folks swear that placing a slice of white bread (or a flour tortilla) in the container with the cookies will keep cookies softer for longer.

Can I use canned frosting to decorate sugar cookies?

Yes! You can use any canned frosting or even make your own (but that's for another time).

Easy Royal Icing Recipe For Sugar Cookies

Jump to Recipe

This easy royal icing recipe for sugar cookies is SO ridiculously simple to make! No egg whites, no meringue powder, just four simple ingredients whipped up with a hand or stand mixer. So you can get down to decorating cookies with your kids with less mess and fuss…

This recipe was created in partnership with Tum-E Yummies — a fun, fruity drink option made with kids in mind. Thanks for supporting me and the brands I love!

Easy Royal Icing Recipe

Iced sugar cookies — yay or nay?!? If I’m being completely honest, I’d have to say I’ve never been a huge fan.

I feel like such a Grinch saying that, but I prefer my sugar cookies not-too-sweet, soft, and fluffy, like these old-fashioned sugar cookies I shared years ago.

On the other hand, I LOVE decorating sugar cookies. As do my kids — they adore gathering around the table to decorate cookies as a family during the holidays! We make it into a party with fun color-coordinated drinks and other snacks to nibble while decorating.

But let me clarify — we’re not talking the ultra detailed, royal icing piped cookies you’re seeing all over Pinterest right now.

Yes, they are totally amazing and beautiful! And I could literally spend all day watching videos of talented bakers decorating them. However, this mama does NOT have the time or patience for that, nor do my kids…

Royal Icing For Sugar Cookies

We keep our cookie decorating FAR less ornate, with just a few simple strokes of icing and sprinkles to highlight the shape of the cookies.

And we DO use royal icing — but it’s a bit of an unorthodox recipe. It doesn’t use egg whites (no stressing over what to do with all those leftover egg yolks), and it doesn’t use meringue powder (I really hate one trick pony ingredients).

Instead, it uses corn syrup to give it a crusty finish that has the most gorgeous glossy sheen. I bet you have some in your pantry right now, yes? Try it — you may just ditch your classic royal icing recipe for good. Seriously, this icing is SO ridiculously easy to make when you eliminate the eggs whites and/or meringue!

Best Royal Icing Recipe Tips

While I’m far from a royal icing expert, I do have a few tips to share that will help you get the best results from this easy royal icing recipe:

1| The icing will be very thick to start, like surprisingly thick. This is OKAY! It’s easier to thin it down than it is to thicken it back up. Just add water, a tiny bit at a time, to thin it down. A simple spray bottle of water works wonders for this task. And if you thin it too much? Simply add more confectioners’ sugar as necessary.

2| Not sure what the consistency should be for piping? An easy way to check is to simply use a spoon to scoop up some of the icing and drizzle it back into the bowl. If ten seconds have passed and you can still see where you drizzled it, it’s too thick. On the other hand, if it combines before ten seconds have passed, it’s too thin.

3| Royal icing sets up very quickly. Keep the bowl covered with a piece of plastic wrap pressed down directly on top of the icing in between uses. This also means that if you’re using sprinkles with your royal icing, you should apply them immediately after piping. Otherwise the icing will set up, and they’ll just bounce off.

Squeeze Bottle Royal Icing Hack For Kids

Piping royal icing onto sugar cookies with plastic ziploc bags works great for adults and older kids. But I noticed my younger kids getting frustrated when decorating their cookies with them. The ziploc bags were hard for them to control, and the icing ended up flowing too quickly.

As I looked through the cabinets trying to find a solution, I noticed the Tum-E Yummies drink bottles they were sipping from while decorating. Maybe they would work in a pinch?

I grabbed a few empty squeeze bottles, washed them out, and used the plastic bags to squeeze the icing into the mouth of the bottle. Then I replaced the squeeze top, and voilà — an instant DIY cookie-decorating tool for kids!

The tip makes it much easier for them to control placement of the icing, and when they need a short break, they can just close the top and return to it when they’re recharged.

If your cookie decorating party is a bit less spontaneous, you might consider picking up several of these mini squeeze bottles. The tops snap closed tightly, which will help keep the royal icing fresh. And the size is perfect for splitting up a batch into multiple colors.

NOTE: If you’re planning to color this royal icing, I highly recommend using gel food coloring to get the most vibrant colors without thinning the icing too much.

And a BIG thanks to Bakermom for sharing in the comments that using this white gel food coloring will help you create a true white royal icing that is perfect for Santa beards and such.

P.S. One more #momhack I’ve learned over the years… Placing sugar cookies on a quarter-sheet cookie tray while decorating will prevent the sprinkles from running all over your kitchen!

How To Make Royal Icing

Soooooo, have I mentioned how EASY this royal icing recipe is, yet? Just kidding — but I really just can’t get over it.

Simply whip together confectioners’ sugar, a little milk, some corn syrup, plus a touch of pure vanilla extract, and then thin it out with a touch of water to the perfect consistency.

THAT’S IT! Can’t wait to hear what you think…

Ridiculously Easy Royal Icing Recipe For Sugar Cookies

Yield: 2 cups of icing

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

This easy royal icing recipe for sugar cookies is SO ridiculously simple to make! No egg whites, no meringue powder, just four simple ingredients whipped up with a hand or stand mixer.

Ingredients

3 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
water, for thinning

Instructions

Add confectioners' sugar to a mixing bowl or to the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the wire whisk attachment.
Start mixing on low, and slowly add the milk, corn syrup, and vanilla extract. Continue to whip on medium until smooth.
If the royal icing is too thick, thin it out by misting it with a spray bottle of water, one spritz at a time, until it reaches the proper consistency. If it's too thin, add additional confectioners' sugar a teaspoonful at a time, until it reaches the proper consistency.

Notes

If you're planning to color this royal icing, I highly recommend using gel food coloring to get the most vibrant colors without thinning the icing too much. And a big thanks to Bakermom for sharing in the comments that using this white gel food coloring will help you create a true white royal icing that is perfect for Santa beards and such.