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Best Royal Icing for Sugar Cookies That Hardens Fast

A plate of round sugar cookies topped with vibrant, neon-colored cookie icing in shades of pink, yellow, and purple.
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Create flawless, professional-looking decorated cookies using this reliable royal icing recipe. This icing dries firm with a smooth, glossy finish, perfect for outlining and flooding cut-out sugar cookies.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 large egg whites (or 6 tablespoons meringue powder)
  • 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice or cream of tartar
  • Water, as needed for consistency

Instructions

  1. Prepare the meringue powder if using: In a clean, grease-free bowl, whisk the meringue powder with 6 tablespoons of lukewarm water until frothy. If using fresh egg whites, whisk them until they form soft peaks.
  2. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar to the egg white or meringue mixture while mixing on low speed.
  3. Once combined, add the vanilla extract and lemon juice or cream of tartar.
  4. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and beat for 5 to 7 minutes until the icing is very stiff, bright white, and holds stiff peaks. This is your stiff consistency icing, perfect for piping borders.
  5. To create flood consistency icing, take a portion of the stiff icing and add water, one teaspoon at a time, mixing gently after each addition. Stop adding water when the icing flows smoothly off the whisk and the trail it leaves on the surface disappears in about 10 to 15 seconds.
  6. Color the icing using gel food coloring if desired, mixing thoroughly until the color is uniform.
  7. Use the stiff icing for outlining cookies. Immediately fill (flood) the outlined area with the thinner flood consistency icing.
  8. Allow the icing to dry completely. Depending on humidity, this can take 4 to 12 hours. The icing will dry hard and glossy.

Notes

  • For a no-corn-syrup cookie icing alternative, omit the corn syrup if your base recipe calls for it, or use this meringue powder recipe which naturally hardens well.
  • To achieve a smooth cookie icing finish, use a scribe tool or toothpick to gently pop any air bubbles in the flooded icing before it sets.
  • Store unused icing in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks, or freeze for longer storage.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://alchemychef.com/best-cookie-icing-royal-icing-recipe/