Some might not know that the beautiful designs you see on sugar cookies are actually made of a specific type of icing called Royal Icing. Typically this is made using whipped egg whites and sugar, but many home bakers use a substitute called Meringue Powder. This magical egg white based powder is reconstituted with water then whipped with powdered sugar and your flavoring of choice to create a delicious pipe-able icing. From the stiff whipped stage you can add water to achieve a consistency used for piping borders and designs, as well as a thinner consistency used to flood large sections of the cookie with icing.

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Royal Icing Recipe

• 1/3 cup Meringue Powder-natural vanilla flavor
• 2/3 cup warm water
• 28 ounces powdered sugar (multi-use cheap kitchen scale)

Instructions:

1. In a large mixing bowl add the meringue powder and warm water.
2. Whisk until fully combined and frothy, resembling whisked egg whites.
3. Add powdered sugar to the mixing bowl.
4. Using the whisk attachment on a stand mixing (this is the one I have!) or a hand-mixer, whip the icing mixture on medium-low until combined and resembles the look of glue.
5. Then increase your speed to medium-high and whip until whiter in color, larger in volume, and stiff peaks. This could take several minutes. To test for stiff peaks: dip whisk into icing, pull up, then flip whisk over. If the icing sticks straight up resembling a mountain peak then they are "stiff peaks". If the "peak" slowly folds over, whip more and test for stiff peaks again.

Consistencies:

*Add desired colors now, then follow these steps for consistencies*

• Stiff: This is the consistency straight from the mixer. Use this consistency for stiff details like flowers. You can use icing bags with tips to achieve different textures.
• Pipe: By adding water to the icing, you can change the consistency. Slowly add small amounts of water and mix. Pull up your spatula and allow a ribbon of icing to drizzle back into the bowl. You want the ribbon to take about 15-20 seconds to "disappear" back into the icing. This will be easy to pipe borders and designs without being too runny.
• Hybrid: The hybrid consistency is somewhere in between piping consistency and flood consistency. The icing is stiff enough to pipe outlines and details, but thin enough that your flood looks smooth and even. Add water until the ribbon of icing disappears between 12-18 seconds.
• Flood: From your pipe consistency add more water in small increments until a ribbon of icing disappears in 8-10 seconds.

This demonstrates using pipe consistency to outline the different sections of a pumpkin cookie.

Here you see me using the flooding technique with yellow flood consistency icing to fill in the drip border of this cookie.

Additional Product Recommendations:

Best meringue powder I've found!

Dye-Free rainbow sprinkles

Black Dutch Processed Cocoa for intense-chocolatey brownies or naturally dyed black icing!

The most vibrant natural blue color- and it changes to purple when adding baking soda!

The only flour I use

Supplies:

Beginner-friendly icing bag kit, includes bags, clips, and pin tool

Piping bags, tips, and scrapers- good for piping with stiff icing

Fall-themed cookie cutters

Fun frame cookie cutters

Mess-free silicone mat and rolling pin