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Ingredients
- 3 tbsp meringue powder
- 1 lb (about 4 cups) powdered sugar
- 1-2 tsp clear extract flavoring (ex. vanilla extract)
- 1/3 cup warm water, or more as needed
- Food coloring (amounts will vary)
Preparation
Step 1
Meringue powder is used as an egg white substitute in recipes. It is made primarily from dried egg whites, with corn starch and food-based stabilizers added to help it bind together. It adds stability and texture to the royal icing, and can be used in the place of raw egg whites. It can be purchased in craft or cake decorating stores, or in my online market here.
Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
Use an electric mixer to beat the ingredients together for a few minutes. Make sure your mixer’s beaters are completely clean and grease-free before starting, to avoid texture issues with the icing.
Start on a low setting, scraping the edges of the bowl periodically, till the mixture is fluid and all the dry ingredients are incorporated.
Continue to beat on a higher speed till stiff peaks form.
Once stiff peaks form, add food coloring to the icing. Add color a few drops at a time. I use Wilton kosher food coloring, it adds vivid, beautiful color and you only need a very small amount- you can purchase it in my online market. Use your mixer to mix the color into the icing until well distributed throughout. Keep in mind that color will deepen over time. Let the icing sit covered with plastic wrap for at least 30 minutes to allow color to develop before using.
If icing cookies, you will need to thin out the icing to a different texture before starting. Check out "How to Decorate Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing" on TheShiksa.com for more details.