Thicken Royal Icing To The Perfect Pipe-Able Consistency With More Powdered Sugar

To decorate cookies that look like they came from a professional bakery, know that it's all about the icing. Royal icing dries into a glossy and firmly set finish, giving the cookies crisp lines and a vibrant look. Whereas regular icing is just milk or water combined with powdered sugar, royal icing also uses egg whites and a hint of lemon juice. Lemon juice is optional but is often added to whiten the icing. Whipping the egg whites creates a smooth base for the frosting and provides a glossy sheen. Nevertheless, to achieve bakery-worthy decorations and designs, the amount of powdered sugar is the key to a perfect pipe-able consistency.

There is an art to making royal icing. Knowing how much powdered sugar to use is dependent on factors like how many cookies you are making and how many colors you need to decorate with. Importantly, you also must know what function the icing will serve. For one, flood icing is meant to cover the whole cookie in a consistent layer. This icing is runny, yet not watery. On the other hand, to achieve a perfect pipe-able consistency, the icing will need more powdered sugar to thicken up. Pipe-able icing needs to stay in place and not spread out. Add in powdered sugar to the egg whites one scoop at a time until the icing forms soft peaks when you pull the spoon out. Keep an eye on the frosting and work slowly, and you'll get this desired texture.

Pipe-able icing has a toothpaste-like consistency. It is thick enough to maintain its shape when piped, and thus, has a vast range of uses. First, pipe-able royal icing is ideal for performing lettering on cookies. You will achieve crisp lines and produce more than sufficiently legible writing. Likewise, use this icing for any decorations or drawings on your cookies. Pipe-able icing is also used as a border for flood icing. Since flood icing has a more runny consistency, it tends to spread down the sides of the cookies, which ends up looking sloppy. In order to prevent this spillage, pipe-able icing should be added in a line around the shape of the cookie to make a border wall.

Additionally, powdered sugar is the secret to the best royal icing for your gingerbread house. Royal icing is always used in gingerbread houses for its ability to dry down so firmly — it's like an edible mortar. But this icing also needs to be pipe-able and very thick, accomplished with plenty of powdered sugar. That way, you can be certain that your roof will never collapse.