If you are the kind of person who will still be adding tiny little decorations with tweezers to your cookies at midnight, honey, pull up a chair and sit next to me. The holidays are coming up and I get the urge to bake like crazy. I am sure there must be an exuberant fall baking syndrome support group somewhere…HELP ME! Actually, for our family, frosting is like finger painting, only you get to eat it later!
For those of you who are at peace with cut-out cookie addiction, here is an easy cookie decorating icing recipe. It’s the standard Royal icing.
Royal icing dries hard so you can stack and/or freeze your cookies after you decorate them — a BIG time saver for all of us busy cookie people. Royal icing is also very forgiving. Too thin? Then add sugar. Too thick? Then add water. Super easy. Experiment with consistency. It will dry to a matte finish. Remember that when you add color it is easier to add than to take it out!
Today we made a few fall cookies. Usually, I make up my dough, chill, then we roll out and bake just a dozen or so a day. That way the kids get to really have fun decorating without sprinkle burn out. (Me too!) They usually save their favorites for desert and the rest go to the freezer after the frosting dries.
The chocolate cupcakes in the picture are from the Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free chocolate cake mix we got from a friend. (Thank you, Tammy!) Wow! Very tasty. The cupcakes are very much like a Devil’s Food chocolate cupcake. Very moist and rich.
Royal Icing
Ingredients
- 4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar (powdered sugar)
- 3 Tablespoons meringue powder
- 6 Tablespoons warm water
- 1/2 teaspoon gluten free vanilla
Instructions
- Beat 8 to 10 minutes. By hand, stir in optional desired tints or coloring.
- Add up to 8 T of warm water if you want the icing to be a flow consistency to coat your cookies smoothly. The thicker base icing is perfect for gluing ginger bread houses together or to make thicker, fluffier details on your cookies.
I am just so impressed with your talents!!!!!