Description

This Easy Royal Icing Recipe is perfect for creating irresistibly decorated cookies with a smooth, shiny finish. The icing combines powdered sugar, milk or warm water, corn syrup for shine and hardness, and vanilla or almond extract for warmth. Optional gel food coloring allows for vibrant, colorful designs. The recipe is quick to prepare, requiring no cooking, and ideal for precise cookie decoration using squeeze bottles.

Ingredients

Scale

Royal Icing Ingredients

2 cups powdered sugar (sifted)
2 tbsp milk or warm water (use almond milk for a dairy-free option)
1 tbsp corn syrup (adds shine and a hard texture)
½ tsp vanilla or almond extract (infuses warm flavor)
Gel food coloring (optional for vibrant colors)
Squeeze bottles (for easy decorating)

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Instructions

Combine Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine the sifted powdered sugar, milk or warm water, corn syrup, and vanilla or almond extract. Whisk the mixture vigorously until it becomes smooth and creamy, ensuring there are no lumps for a perfect icing texture.
Add Color: If you desire colorful cookie designs, incorporate gel food coloring into the icing. Stir thoroughly until you achieve your desired shade, adding more color gradually if needed for vibrant hues.
Prepare for Decorating: Use a spatula to carefully transfer the icing into squeeze bottles. This allows for precise and controlled decorating, perfect for piping detailed designs onto cookies.
Adjust Consistency: If the icing feels too thick to pipe easily, add a tiny splash of water gradually. Continue mixing until the icing reaches a pourable and workable consistency that suits your decorating needs.

Notes

Use almond milk instead of regular milk for a dairy-free alternative.
Gel food coloring is preferred over liquid to avoid thinning the icing.
Store unused icing in an airtight container to prevent drying out.
For harder icing, allow decorated cookies to dry overnight at room temperature.
If icing thickens upon standing, stir in a small amount of water to restore consistency.