Royal Icing (Almond or Vanilla)

This is a super easy icing recipe for decorating cookies. The piping is the hard part and there are lots of tutorials out there to help you learn how to pipe the lines and flooding techniques. I use the same consistency for both and a little thicker icing for writing.

This recipe is amazing with almond flavoring and works well with my Mexican Almond Sugar cookies.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup warm water

• 5 Tablespoons meringue powder

• 1 tsp cream of tartar

• 1 tsp almond extract (or clear vanilla)

• 2 lb bag of powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Add water and meringue powder together in bowl. Hand whisk for about 30 seconds until it becomes nice and frothy.

2. Add cream of tartar and hand whisk for another 30 seconds.

3. Add in flavoring of choice and whisk for about 15 seconds. The mixture should still be light and frothy.

4. Put the mixer on your electric mix stand, add all the powdered sugar into the bowl and using the paddle attachment, mix on low speed for 10 minutes. Yes, 10 minutes (which is why I say use a stand mixer).

5. Separate your icing into individual containers for each color and tint with food coloring.

6. If you need, you can cover the icing with a damp towel to keep it from drying out and hardened over.

Here is a quick supply list you will want to have for icing and links to where you can purchase:

• Disposable Piping Bags

• Meringue Powder

• Piping Tips (I used #1, #2 and #3 for these cookies)

• Food coloring gel

• Piping bag ties (keeps the bag closed and icing fresh)
  

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