Martha Stewarts Royal Icing Recipes

ROYAL ICING WITH EGG WHITES

Steps:

• Place egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat using the whisk attachment until frothy. Add 1/4 cup of the sugar and mix well. Gradually add the remaining 3 3/4 cups sugar, beating on low speed and scraping down the sides.
• Increase the speed to high and continue to beat the mixture until soft peaks form, about 5 minutes. At this stage, the icing will be very thick. Add water, a few drops at a time, to thin it to the consistency appropriate for the kind of decorating you are doing. As a rule, the icing should be stiffer for lettering, more malleable for making petals -- but you will need to experiment to find the consistency that works best for you. Store icing at room temperature in an airtight glass or metal container. It should be used within two days.

ROYAL ICING FOR SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine sugar and meringue powder. Mixing on low speed, add a scant 1/2 cup water. For a thinner consistency, usually used for flooding, add more water. A thicker consistency is generally used for outlining and adding details. Mix until icing holds a ribbonlike trail on the surface of the mixture for 5 seconds when you raise the paddle.

ROYAL ICING FOR LOVEBUG AND ONE-PIECE COOKIES

Steps:

• Using a hand mixer with the beater attachments, beat together meringue powder with 1 cup water until peaks form. Add sugar and continue mixing until smooth. If mixture seems too thick, add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and mix until desired consistency is reached. If mixture seems too thin, add confectioners' sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached.

ROYAL ICING

Steps:

• Stir together the confectioners' sugar, meringue powder, and 1 1/4 cups water in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until smooth, about 7 minutes. Add water, 1 teaspoon at a time, to achieve a consistency slightly thicker than honey. Icing can be stored airtight up to 2 hours.

ROYAL ICING FOR MONOGRAMMED SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Beat sugar, water, and meringue powder with a mixer on low speed until smooth, about 7 minutes. Continue beating until opaque. Use immediately on.

ROYAL ICING FOR ICED SUGAR COOKIES WITH LEMON ZEST

Steps:

• With an electric mixer on low speed, beat confectioners' sugar, meringue powder, and the water until smooth, about 7 minutes. If icing is too thick, add more water, 1 teaspoon at a time; if too thin, beat icing 2 to 3 minutes more, or add more sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Use immediately, or store in an airtight container at room temperature up to overnight; stir until smooth again before using.

ROYAL ICING FOR HOLIDAY SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Mix sugar, water, and meringue powder with a mixer on low speed until smooth, about 7 minutes. Icing should be the consistency of glue. (If icing is too thick, mix in a little more water. If icing is too thin, add more confectioners' sugar.) Add food coloring, 1 drop at a time, until desired color is achieved; if making more than 1 color, divide icing and work in batches. Use immediately, or refrigerate for up to 1 week. Stir before using.

ROYAL ICING FOR JEWEL HEART COOKIES

Steps:

• Place confectioners' sugar, meringue powder, and water into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; beat on low speed for 10 minutes. Use immediately, or store in an airtight container up to 2 days (icing hardens quickly when exposed to air). Beat well with a rubber spatula before using.

SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. In a separate bowl, beat butter and sugar with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Gradually mix in flour mixture. Turn out dough, and divide in half. Flatten each half into a disk, and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds of oven. Let one disk of dough stand at room temperature just until soft enough to roll, about 10 minutes. Roll out dough on a lightly floured work surface to just under 1/4-inch thick, adding more flour as needed to keep dough from sticking. Chill in refrigerator until firm, about 30 minutes. Cut out cookies using desired cutters or templates. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets as you work. Roll out scraps, and repeat once. Repeat with remaining disk of dough. Chill cookies in freezer until very firm, about 15 minutes.
• Bake cookies, switching positions of sheets and rotating halfway through, until edges turn golden, 15 to 18 minutes. Let cool on sheets on wire racks. Decorate with Royal Icing.

VERSATILE ROYAL ICING

Steps:

• Put sugar, meringue powder, and 3 tablespoons water into mixer bowl; mix on low speed until combined. Use immediately, or refrigerate airtight up to 1 week; bring to room temperature, and stir before using.

ROYAL ICING FOR EASTER EGG PUZZLE COOKIES

Steps:

• Combine sugar, meringue powder, and water in the bowl of a mixer. Beat on medium speed until smooth, about 4 minutes. (If icing is too thick, add more water, 1 teaspoon at a time.)
• Divide icing into batches, and mix in a different shade of food coloring to each to tint.