Updated post here: Royal Icing Recipe
This is the very first time I’ve ever attempted to decorate a cookie with royal icing and the whole “flooding” technique. I don’t have any step-by-step picturess for you yet… I was too busy trying to NOT get icing everywhere (#fail).
I think they turned out okay but I obviously had my icing too runny, or I just used too much icing… either way, I had, um…. overflow (see below… under the cooling rack and dripping off several of the cookies).
But I learned a few things and will improve next time… that’s what matters, right?
So, I don’t have pics, but I’ll give you a few details of how I did this.
According to my children, this is not the best tasting cookie they’ve ever had, so I won’t be sharing the recipe (I didn’t get to try them, I’m doing a 40 day sugar fast).
Update: I now have a favorite roll-out sugar cookie recipe!
But if you find yourself a really good roll-out sugar cookie recipe… or these Brownie Roll Out cookies would work perfectly too, then I’ll you can follow these (very vague) instructions to try these yourself! I used the largest cutter in this Ateco Heart Cookie Cutter set for these cookies (about 3″ tall, I guess).
Then after they’re baked and cooled, you’re going to use royal icing to get the effect. After drawing an outline with some really thick royal icing (see recipe below), allowing it to set, and then thinning it out and “flooding” the center, I sprinkled on some hot pink sugar and that prettied them right up!
My kids did really liked the royal icing, so I will share with you how I made it! I found this recipe over at Bake at 350 and it’s definitely a keeper! At Bridget’s recommendation, I used Americolor Premium Meringue Powder and the recipe below.
After flooding the cookies, while they were still wet, I used Pink Sugar and Jumbo Heart Sprinkles to decorate! Then I just let them dry overnight and they were good to go!
Here’s the printable recipe (cut in half – I only had about 20 cookies to decorate):
PrintRoyal Icing Recipe
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 10 mins
- Yield: Icing for 20 3" cookies 1x
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeIngredients
- 2 Tablespoons of Meringue Powder
- 3 tablespoons of water
- 1/2 pound of powdered sugar, sifted (I don’t always sift but it is recommended!)
- 1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon light corn syrup
- A few drops of clear extract (I used vanilla… you could use almond, lemon, etc.)
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, add the meringue powder and water.
- Beat with an electric mixer until foamy.
- Add in the sifted powder sugar, mix slowly until combined.
- Add the corn syrup and any extract, if desired.
- Increase speed to high and beat for around 5 minutes, until you get stiff glossy peaks.
- Do not overbeat!
- Cover tightly with plastic wrap – make sure it touches the icing or the icing will harden!
Notes
When the icing is at this stiff consistency, it is perfect for outlining cookies; just spoon it into a frosting bag with a small round top. To fill in or “flood” the cookies, add water (a teaspoon at a time) to your icing until it reaches the consistency of syrup. Use a toothpick to pop any air bubbles or to spread the icing to the edges… obviously I need to work on this step… I had quite a bit of overflow!! 🙂
This was enough for about 20 cookies.
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Is this like those wonderful cookies at Janie’s Bakery?
I’ve never had Janie’s cookies, so I don’t know!
Were can I find Merengue Powder?
I buy it online at Amazon here or Country Kitchen Sweetart, but you can also get it at grocery stores, Walmart, or any baking supply store.
sigh. is it already time to contemplate valentine’s day? as festive treats go, i like these–tasty, pretty, and not too complicated!
I feel your pain! I’m a bad blogger though… I haven’t made or done anything *new* to blog about for Valentines and I see other bloggers already rolling out brilliant new ideas. I was just trying to get in the mood by recycling this old post… ha!
Hi Rose!! What does “scant” mean? Hot water? I am going to do some figures with this recipe. Love your work!!
Slightly less than full or slightly less than whole… just a bit shy of filling up your 1/4 cup measuring cup.
What did you use and how did you do the details on top of the icing?
I buy it at Walmart or I know you can get it at cake or bakery supply stores.
Ilive in morocco, I have just started making american pastry but I don’t inderstand when you say one cup or two cups , can please tell me the weight using grammes (gr)
Thank you very much
I’m sorry – I don’t have any of my recipes in metric measurements. 🙁
thank you as well I’ll try to fend otherwise
Oh! I used the meringue powder for the first time for the royal icing and the container did not say to mix the powder with the water first! I didn’t like the taste (I could taste the meringue) and it was so thick that I had to keep doing water while it was beating. Maybe I’ll try it again
For your frosting recipe…is the frosting soft in the middle while drying hard on the top?
It’s not super hard – it’s light/crunchy when it dries.
Hi Rose
I am an avid fan & im from south africa. i would like to know if i could substitute the meringue powder for anything else?
please advise
and i must compliment u cause i am a home baker and sometimes i take ideas from ur blog so thank you for this site.
I’ve never tried a recipe for royal icing without meringue powder but you might read this article for tips: https://www.tipsfromatypicalmomblog.com/2013/12/royal-icing-without-egg-whites-or.html.