This guide covers everything you ever wanted to know about royal icing, including tips on how to make royal icing from scratch, how to make the perfect icing for cookies, and more!
You can watch this members-only video tutorial (without ads!) when you join my Cookie Art Club!
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What is Royal Icing?
Royal icing is made from confectioners sugar, water, egg white, and flavorings. This is the only icing that I use to decorate my cookies. The egg white is what allows it to dry hard, which is what makes royal icing so versatile.
I make my royal icing with meringue powder, which consists of dry powdered egg white and stabilizers (you can read more on the different forms of egg white below).
I use ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons of meringue powder per 2 pounds of confectioners sugar (yes, some would say that’s a lot of meringue powder. More on that later in this post).
How To Make Royal Icing From Scratch
To make royal icing from scratch, you’ll need confectioners sugar, meringue powder, a little salt, water, and vanilla extract (or any flavor you like!).
My complete royal icing recipe along with a video on how to make it are available in my Cookie Art Club.
Make sure you’re using the paddle attachment of a stand mixer to make your royal icing and not the whisk attachment. Using the paddle attachment will ensure that you are mixing your royal icing just enough without incorporating too much air, which can cause annoying air bubbles later on when you ice your cookies.
When you mix the royal icing, keep your mixer on medium-low speed (I use speed 2 on my stand mixer) and mix the icing for no more than 5 minutes.
The icing should hold a stiff peak and have a thick and creamy consistency. It looks a lot like softened cream cheese.
How To Make Icing For Cookies
To make icing for cookies, you will thin the icing with water. It should be thin enough that it smooths out easily, but not so thin that it runs off the edges of the cookies.
To check the consistency of the icing, take out a spoonful and drop it back into the bowl. It should take between 15 to 20 seconds for the icing to be completely smooth. This is called Flood Consistency Icing and it’s the perfect icing for cookies
Royal Icing Consistencies
There are three different consistencies of royal icing that I use most often when decorating cookies: Stiff consistency, medium consistency, and flood consistency.
Stiff consistency
This is the consistency I refer to when the icing comes off of the mixer. It is spreadable but able to hold a peak. It’s sort of like cream cheese.
How to achieve stiff consistency icing
I mix my icing on medium-low speed (speed 2 on a stand mixer) with the paddle attachment so as not to incorporate too much air.
While the icing will increase in volume and lighten in color as it is mixing, it should be thick and dense rather than very fluffy. Fluffy icing has too much air, leading to problems with air bubbles later on (more on that below).
What if I've added too much water to my stiff consistency icing?
If you've added too much water to your royal icing, it will not be stiff enough and you won't be able to create certain designs like piped roses or brush embroidery.
To solve this problem, mix up a batch of just the dry ingredients from the royal icing recipe. Then, sprinkle in a little bit of the dry mixture and mix on low speed until your icing holds a stiff peak.
Stiff consistency royal icing is used for: Brush embroidery, borders, roses, ruffles, basket weave (video tutorials on these methods are available in my Cookie Art Club)
Medium Consistency
The best way to describe this consistency is that it is similar to soft-serve ice cream that's on the verge of melting. It holds a very soft peak and doesn't spread on its own. It can, however, be smoothed out with a scribe tool.
How to achieve medium consistency icing
To achieve medium consistency, start with stiff icing and add a few drops of water at a time. It doesn't take much water to get there, so be careful to not add too much at once.
Medium consistency icing is thin enough to flow smoothly out of a small tip, but is not so thin that it spreads and loses the shape of the design you are piping, which is why it's great for piping lettering and filigree.
Medium consistency royal icing is used for: Tufting (or quilting), royal icing transfers, filigree, lettering.
Flood Consistency
I use flood consistency icing for creating a super smooth layer of icing on a cookie. The icing should be thin enough that it smooths out on its own within 15-20 seconds, but not so thin that it runs off the edge of the cookie.
I use flood icing to outline and fill in my cookies, so it's important that the consistency is just right. It will take some practice, so don't get frustrated if you don't get it right the first time (or the second time, or the third time).
How to achieve flood consistency icing
To achieve flood consistency, start with stiff icing and add a couple of tablespoons of water at a time. To test it, take a spoonful of icing and drop it back into the bowl. It should take between 15-20 seconds for the icing to smooth itself out. This is known as 15 or 20-second count royal icing.
Depending on how much icing you apply to your cookie or the pressure that you put on your piping bag, the consistency of your icing may need to be adjusted. I find that somewhere between 15-20 works best for me. Trial and error is the best way to learn what will work for you.
You can see the process of making flood consistency icing in my flooding with royal icing video, which is available in my Cookie Art Club.
What if I've added too much water to my flood consistency icing?
If you've added too much water, do NOT add more powdered sugar. Instead, add a spoonful of stiff icing to thicken it back up. Keep a batch of stiff icing on hand for this purpose.
Flood consistency royal icing is used for: Flooding, wet-on-wet technique, wet-on-wet filigree, tiny details (such as the reindeer on this cookie).
Meringue Powder, Dried Egg Whites or Fresh Egg Whites?
The form of egg white you use to make your royal icing is really a matter of personal preference. These days I prefer to use meringue powder, but during culinary school when I first learned about royal icing, we only used fresh egg whites.
From a food safety standpoint, I feel more comfortable using meringue powder. If you can’t find meringue powder where you live, you can replace it with dried powdered egg white in the same amount. However, in my experience, royal icing made with meringue powder is more stable and has a better consistency for decorating cookies than when it’s made with fresh egg white or dried powdered egg white.
Why do you use so much meringue powder the royal icing recipe?
Like I mentioned in the beginning of this post, I use ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons of meringue powder per 2 pounds of confectioners sugar in my royal icing.
This is about double what a lot of recipes call for, but I prefer it this way because it helps with the consistency and also gives a few more minutes to work with the icing before it starts to crust over. I'm able to spend 10 minutes (or more depending on the weather) on a wet-on wet design using my royal icing recipe!
How To Store Royal Icing
It’s better to have too much icing than not enough, so I almost always have royal icing left over after finishing a project. Even when I’m going to be using the same icing the next day to finish up a set of cookies, I never store the icing in the bags overnight – I always empty the bags into an airtight container, place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface, close the lid, and put the icing into the refrigerator.
When I was in culinary school, we would put a damp paper towel over the icing inside the container so that it wouldn’t form a crust. I don’t do this now because the moisture from the paper towel changes the consistency of the icing. As long as you clean the inside edges of the container before closing it up tightly, it will be fine.
My icing is separating after a few hours! Is this normal?
Separation is completely normal. Royal icing will separate after sitting for a while, so you’ll need to give it a good stir before using it again. If you won’t be using the icing within 10 days, you can store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Don't forget to put a layer of plastic wrap directly on the surface before storing it.
How long does it take for the icing to dry?
It takes at least 6 hours for flood consistency royal icing to dry completely, but I always allow the base layer of icing to dry overnight to be on the safe side. The cookies need to be left out in the open to dry properly, so make sure to let them breathe – don’t cover them up! In order to get a smooth, shiny finish on your cookies, make sure to dry them in front of a fan for at least the first hour. The faster the icing dries, the smoother the surface will be.
Medium or stiff consistency icing is usually used for small details, which only take an hour or so to dry. If you’re using medium consistency icing to make royal icing transfers, you’ll still want to let those dry overnight with the fan for the first hour in order to reduce the risk of breakage.
Dehydrators can help speed up the drying process. If you’re in a big hurry, you can certainly use one. However, I don’t recommend using a dehydrator unless it’s absolutely necessary because the heat can cause the butter in the cookie to melt, which will stain the icing. This is known as “butter bleed” (see more on this below).
Royal Icing Troubleshooting
Most of the problems I’ve encountered with royal icing can be solved by making sure the icing is not over-mixed. The icing should be thick and creamy when it comes off the mixer rather than light and fluffy. I mix my royal icing on medium-low speed for no longer than 5 minutes.
Dull Icing
As I mentioned before, in order to get a smooth, shiny finish on your flooded cookies, make sure to dry them in front of a fan. The faster the icing dries, the smoother the surface will be. Humidity will cause the icing to dry slowly, which will make it become porous, dull, fragile, and sometimes leave you with an uneven surface.
Dull icing can also be caused by icing that is over-mixed, so make sure to mix your icing for no more than 5 minutes on medium-low speed. Another issue could be that the icing is too watery, so try a slightly thicker consistency if you’re having trouble with dull icing.
Wavy Icing
If you've left your cookies to dry and you return to see that your royal icing is wavy, it's probably because there wasn't enough air flow as the icing was drying. This happens when you stack the trays on top of each other. Try to give the cookies space to "breathe" and put a fan in front of them to help the icing dry with a smooth finish.
Air Bubbles and Color Bleed
Icing that is too thin can also lead to air bubbles, uneven texture, fragility (a big problem with royal icing transfers) and even color bleed. It helps to keep the icing on the thick side so that you don’t encounter these problems.
When making flood consistency icing, try making it a day ahead of time so that the air bubbles can rise to the surface. Then, when you’re ready to use the icing, stir it by hand to get rid of the bubbles.
When making dark colors, try to use as little color as possible in order to get the shade you want. Too much food coloring in the icing will lead to color bleed. Make the icing several hours ahead of time so that the color can darken on its own.
See this post for my tips on making black royal icing.
Icing Dissolving When Painted
When you’re trying to paint on royal icing with luster dust or food coloring, there’s nothing more frustrating than icing that pits or completely dissolves when it comes in contact with the brush. This is most likely caused by over-mixed icing. Make sure that you mix your royal icing on medium-low speed for no longer than 5 minutes. When you’re finished mixing, the icing should be thick like a paste, not fluffy.
See this post for more tips on painting on royal icing.
See also, “Dull or Bumpy Icing” and “Air Bubbles and Color Bleed” above.
Clogged Tips
The smallest tip I use is a Wilton #1, which has a larger opening than a PME tip 1. I’ve never used those super small tips, such as a double 0, so I rarely have issues with clogging. However, If you are having issues with clogged tips, try sifting the powdered sugar. If that doesn’t solve the problem, you can strain your icing through a nylon stocking while filling your piping bag to filter out any little clumps.
Icing Curling As You Pipe
If your icing curls as it comes out of the decorating tip, it’s probably because of one of these:
1)There is a piece of dry royal icing or a clump of powdered sugar or meringue powder creating a blockage (see above for clogged tips)
or
2) There is a defect in the decorating tip. Some decorating tips have seams that are not completely smooth, which can get in the way of the icing coming out, causing the icing to bend and curl as you pipe.
or
3) You're squeezing the bag too hard as you pipe. Try easing up on the pressure and see if it helps.
Butter Bleed (blotchy icing)
When the weather is too warm, butter bleed can become a big problem. This is when the butter from the cookie melts just enough to seep into the royal icing and make it look blotchy or yellow.
Unfortunately, once this happens, there’s nothing much you can do. There are creative ways of covering it up, such as adding luster dust or hand painting some designs over the stained areas. If that’s not an option, you can wait and hope that the butter bleed covers the entire cookie so that at least it’s not blotchy.
It’s best just to keep the cookies as cool and dry as possible to prevent butter bleed in the first place. The same rules for preventing color bleed apply here. Thin, porous icing can exacerbate the problem, so make sure that your icing is not too thin when flooding and also make sure to dry your cookies quickly in front of a fan (no heat guns!).
You can also make tweaks to the cookie recipe, like adding more flour, for example. The outcome of any recipe depends on lots of different factors, so it might take some trial and error to make it work for you.
See my favorite cookie decorating products in my Amazon Store
Read this post for tips on making cookie dough and storing cookies.
This post was originally published in June 2013.
Amber, For the first time since I have been making royal icing, something happened to my icing. I did not, but should have, used your recipe. But the icing is like "marshmallow fluff". What can I do to correct it? Thanks, and Merry Christmas and God bless. Charlie
Hi. Please ignore previous question as I have read your blog thoroughly now and have my answers. Thank You for an Amazing Site.
Hi. I am loving your site, thank you. Have downloaded your videos and in the process of making your sugar cookies. Before I make the royal icing I have a quick question. I have dried egg white powder, can I substitute that for the meringue powder? Thanks with appreciation
I used your Royal icing recipe and the flavor of the meringue powder is coming through. The flavor is not good
If you haven't tried it already I would recommend using Wilton brand meringue powder as it has a nice vanilla flavor. Or you can also try using fresh egg whites instead of the meringue powder. Hope this helps!
Thanks for all of your great information! I just started making cookies and live in Richmond, Va which can be quite humid so I’ve experienced almost all of the problems you just described! Lol! I’m going to keep moving forward because I’ve been baking cookies my whole life and decided to try my hand at selling them. However, one of the problems that you did not mention is if you have pets. Particularly cats, whose hair floats around and wind up on my icing🤨😡. Do you have any suggestions for that.
And also I have a very small kitchen so I don’t have much counter space to leave the cookies out to dry. What suggestions for this?
Thanks!
Janet Morgan in Midlothian, Va
I always have a hard time piping flowers. They only hold their shape if I make the icing SO thick that it comes out super slow and I often end up busting my piping bag from the pressure. Any tips? I see others piping flowers so quick and effortless without them falling flat and I’m like how 😭
Is there a brand of meringue powder you prefer to use for your icing?
I use Wilton brand meringue powder 🙂
I love watching your facebook videos on decorating! My question is, how long do you let the boarder set before you do the flooding of the cookie?
Thank you!
Thank you, Rebecca! I don't let it set, I just fill it in right away. I use flood consistency icing for the outline, as well. There's more info in my online class: https://globalbelly.com/collections/sweetambs/products/royal-icing-101-with-sweetambs-pre-recorded-class
Hi! Do you recommend water or oil based food coloring?
Thanks bunches!
I recommend water based food coloring for royal icing 🙂
dearest
Ambra, I have been following you from Italy for a long time and I love following your wonderful works. I started a year ago to make these cookies myself, and if I can, I would have to ask you for advice. It happens very often to me that in the real ice made with meringue powder holes are formed in the ice despite everything I give with a scratch instrument, with the tip I mix for a long time but in the end these holes are formed. What am I doing wrong?
Thank you for the in-depth tutorial. I usually use a recipe with half the meringue powder and would like to try yours out. Apart from allowing some more time to work, does the added meringue powder have an effect on colour bleed, stability of icing (separation) and hardness? Despite taking all the precautions I could find on the internet, I still struggle with colour bleed when piping white details onto red/dark floods. Thanks so much!
Hi Sarah! I find that the extra meringue powder does help with color bleed, but separation still happens. I always empty my icing bags into a container at the end of the day and then I mix the icing by hand when I'm ready to use it again. It will be a little harder than royal icing with less meringue powder, but IMO it's not so hard that it's unpleasant to eat. I do add agave syrup to my cookies so that keeps them soft to kind of offset that crunchy texture of the icing 🙂
Hi,
How much agave syrup do you add to your cookies. I would love to do this. Thanks!!
Hi Amber, I've come across your site and love all the tips and info. HOWEVER I am struggling like crazy with my royal icing sliding off the cookies after a few days of being dry almost every time I make them, like a transfer 🙁
Do you know what the problem might be?
The house is relatively dry, it's winter, the cookies are oat flour and quite smooth and hard. Is it too dry? Does the icing come off the cookie because the cookie is losing moisture? Too smooth?? I am about to try scoring the surface to give the icing something to stick to... but am really going nuts.
Thank you in advance!!
Hi Marion! This is something that happens to me when my cookies are sitting out for a while and the cookies have completely dried out. However, it only happens on the cookies that don't have orange zest in them, so it could be a combination of dryness as well as the texture of the cookie. I don't have experience baking with oat flour, but try scoring the cookies before baking to see if that helps. Or add some citrus zest if you can!
Hi Amber, I was just wondering if there was any way you could add cream cheese to this recipe? I recently made royal icing with almond extract added and there just wasn’t a lot of flavor there. Did I not use enough extract?
I made the royal icing recipe yesterday. The meringue powder did not completely dissolved with this method so now I have a granular icing. I can feel the crystals between my fingers and even when I tasted it was crunchy
Hi Maria! Thanks for letting me know. The royal icing will have a little bit of graininess but the sugar crystals shouldn't be so large that you can feel them when you eat it. The problem is most likely because of an issue with the conefectioners sugar or meringue powder rather than the method of making the icing. I use Domino brand confectioners sugar which is also known as C&H sugar in some areas (as long as you're using 10x confectioners sugar that contains cornstarch, it should be fine to use). I recommend using Wilton brand meringue powder or my Royal Icing Mix (https://globalbelly.com/collections/sweetambs/products/royal-icing-mix-by-sweetambs). I don't normally sift my ingredients, but if you do feel grains in the sugar or meringue powder, it wouldn't hurt to sift it before you make the icing.
Thank you. It could be the meringue powder, that it is more like granules than powder. I'll try the Wilton brand.
I made cookies yesterday and it was my first time using flood consistency icing. I left them out overnight to dry and while they have formed a smooth crust they are still wet underneath. If I touch them the icing will crack and you can feel it is still wet underneath
Any suggestions other than a dehydrator? I dont have one
Hi Christine! You can put the cookies into the oven on the lowest setting to help dry the icing. Check on them every 5 minutes or so. Just be aware that this could cause butter bleed. If the cookies still aren't dry, there might be something else going on with the icing (may have been over-mixed or has too much color) 🙂
Use pure icing sugar not icing mixture . Icing mixture contains cornflour and doesnt set as hard.
Hi Amber. I love your orange vanilla cookie recipe but it spreads so much. I've tried adding more flour but then I loose some of the chewiness in the cookie. I freeze the dough beforehand and roll between parchment. Is there anything else I can try to keep the spread to a minimum?
Hi Kathleen! I would recommend omitting the agave syrup in the recipe and replacing it with the same amount of granulated sugar. Please send me an email at info@sweetambs.com if you're still having trouble with it 🙂
Thanks so much. I'll try it.
Just curious to know if it worked using sugar instead of Agave syrup?
Hi there! I made your royal icin recipe but noticed that when they dried, the icing looks kinda sparkly and doesnt look smooth and silky. Also how can I keep my sugar cookies from not being too soft due to the royal icing? THANK YOU!!!
Hi.. I had the same sparkly problem when I started out and didn't have a dehydrator.. now I let the cookies dry in the dehydrator and I never had that problem again.. as for soft cookies.. whenever I'm not decorating I keep them in an airtight container with parchment paper in between them.. hope this helps..
Hi Amber! Will adding a tablespoon or two of corn syrup to the Royal Icing help it to stay shiny?
I followed your recipe. 2lbs powdered sugar, 10tbs merangue powder and 3/4 cup water. Its liquid:(
Very disappointed.
Don't use as much water or add more powdered sugar. It works for me everytime.
Amber my family doesn’t like royal icing and i love decorating cookies. Is there a recipe for buttercream that will produce a similar finish?
Hi Brenda! You can use the buttercream recipe that I used in my Rose Cake Pops: https://www.sweetambs.com/tutorial/rose-cake-pops/
It won't be as smooth as royal icing and it doesn't dry hard, but you can pipe beautiful decorations in buttercream (basket weave, roses, filigree, etc).
Hello,
I just purchased your course and I wanted to know if I can use a hand mixer for your cookie dough and royal icing recipes? I don’t have a stand mixer at this time. Thank you in advance for your help!
Thank you!
Aimi
Hi Aimi! Thank you for your purchase! You can use a hand mixer for the dough up until you add the flour, at which point I would recommend finishing the dough by hand. The hand mixer is fine to use for royal icing, just be aware that it might incorporate more air into the icing than a stand mixer would 🙂
Thank you so much for your quick response!!! Excited to make some cookies ??
Hi there! I made your royal icin recipe but noticed that when they dried, the icing looks kinda sparkly and doesnt look smooth and silky. Also how can I keep my sugar cookies from not being too soft due to the royal icing? THANK YOU!!!
Hi Amber! I want to start making cookies more regularly in larger batches, but the most difficult part for me is making the royal icing! It seems to take forever... I saw your recommendations for the cookie dough (freezing cutouts) and think that is a great idea. Do you have any recommendations for making big batches of royal icing? Mine is made with meringue powder and separates into an ugly mess.
Hi Allie! Royal icing can also be frozen. If the icing separates, you can just re-mix it on low speed. If you have a 6 qt mixer or larger, you can fit a double batch (4 lbs of powdered sugar), which helps it go a little faster.
Hi,
Isnt royal icing too hard to bite?
Years ago it was, when used for display cakes. Thanks
Very beautiful and easy to do
Hi Amber,
I LOVE watching your videos and learn so much! My question is about borders - what icing consistency do you use for borders? And what size tips? So far mine have either been too runny or so stiff the icing is bumpy. I just can't get it right.
You are an amazing artist.
Thanks,
Sue
Hi Amber,
I loved watching all your cookie decoration video and will be making some soon for my family. For making the royal icing please tell me the recipe with fresh egg whites. I want to use only fresh egg whites only for preparing the royal icing as its easily available in local market and good for health also. Please help. Waiting for your response:-)
Hi Amber. I’ve been watching your tutorials for 3 years now. They relax me. Since royal icing has been my nemesis, these tips have been helpful. I think I have been over beating the icing, since many sites state 10-15 minutes on low. Now, all I have to do is find the merengue powder. It has been taken off the shelves. Since my merengue powder expired, I had to use egg whites for my Christmas cookies. Thanks again for all the hints.
Hi! You can buy meringue powder at the craft store “Michaels”, it’s in the same aisle as the cookie cutters and cupcake decorations. That’s where I get mine every time!
I buy CK meringue powder on Amazon. Wilton meringue powder can be found at Michaels, Joann Fabrics, and Walmart.
Any cake decorating store has it. However, the stores are hard to find.
Hello, Amber - Found your website yesterday and I'm all a quiver. I've dabbled with royal icing recipes for the last several years but just purchased your cookie and royal icing recipe because your cookies are to die for. One question (and please forgive me if you have mentioned this somewhere on your site and I was too blind to see) do you sift the powdered sugar? If so, before you measure or after? Thank you so much for sharing with us. I have shared your website with many friends and family. Best one I've seen.
Where do you purchase the recipes?
Hi Christie! Here is the link to purchase my cookie and icing recipe 🙂 https://www.sweetambs.com/sweetambs-cookie-recipe-and-royal-icing-recipe/
Love your way of decorating cookies! Keep coming up with great ideas.
Thank you so much, Becky 🙂
Hi, Amber. I’ve purchased your royal icing recipe and one of the required ingredients is a meringue powder. It’s not readily available in my country, also the case with powdered egg white. How much fresh egg whites is needed to substitute for 104 grams of meringue powder. Thank’s!
You can buy meringue powder on line. Try Amazon.
hello! at what point in the process of making the icing do you add colour? and can you use any food colouring? or is there a specific one for royal icing?
I never used to use meringue powder or egg whites in my royal icing for decorating cookies and they would dry with a slight sheen, but would never get very hard (I couldn't stack the cookies without messing up the icing). I just started using the meringue powder to hopefully help with hardening the icing; however, now after drying for 18 hours they have a very dull, matte finish and are almost powdery. They look dry, but when touching them the icing just sticks to my finger. What am I doing wrong.
As she stated above: In order to get a smooth, shiny finish on your flooded cookies, make sure to dry them in front of a fan. Or, better yet, keep the cookies in an air conditioned room. Humidity will cause the icing to dry slowly, which will make it become porous, dull, fragile, and sometimes leave you with a bumpy and uneven surface. Dull or bumpy icing can also be caused by icing that is too thin, so make sure your flood consistency is not too runny.
New to decorating sugar cookies. My first attempt mixed two consistencies of icing using a meringue powder & icing sugar recipe. one to pipe one to flood. Second time I mixed again the same recipe but for a 15 second consistency only to avoid having to mix so much icing. in both cases I found that the piping icing and the 15 second gradually became more of a flooding consistency over the course of 2 hours of decorating. How can I stop this from occurring while I decorate? Is it the heat from my hands, in the air?? I'm using wilton disposable piping bags and tips. TIA!
I tend to have the same issue. My hands are always hot. When I find that my RI is getting too loose, I place the bag in the freezer for about a minute to help stiffen it back up.
Hi Amber! I live in a humid, and sometimes wet climate. Would you ever suggest using a Dehydrator to set up my icing quicker? I have been drying under ceiling fan and air conditioning and still experience some pitting and discoloration on some of the cookies while drying on my racks. Many Thanks for your help!!
When I make the royal icing I have problems with undissolved granules in it. I think it is the meringue powder. what do I do to prevent this?
Hi Avery! You could try dissolving the meringue powder in warm water or even try a different brand. I use Wilton meringue powder and haven't experienced any issues with it. I've heard great things about Genie's Dream Premium Meringue Powder, although I haven't tried it myself yet.
Hello- I just purchased your royal icing recipe and every time I make it my icing turns out with a small granular texture due to the merengue powerder not fully dissolving. Any tips for this?
*meringue
*powder
I’m wondering the same, going to try and dissolve the meringue powder in warm water (the amount needed in recipe) first and letting it cool back down to room temperature before making icing. May be a huge mistake but I am going to make a half batch first to see how it does so I don’t waste my meringue powder that’s with it’s weight in gold, haha.
Previously I have sifted my powdered sugar and meringue powder together before mixing and it’s been okay thus far.
Will let you know how it turns out.
Worth it’s weight in gold*
Hello! I love your cookies 🙂 I'm wondering if you have suggestions for white icing when piping on a darker color. My white sometimes begins to look transparent ans pick up the color of the base. Do you and white coloring to yours when using plain white?
Hi Sara! I don't use white coloring in my icing. If you haven't tried it already, I'd recommend increasing the amount of meringue powder. I use 10 tbs to 2 pounds of powdered sugar 🙂
Thanks!
I've been searching for the best royal icing recipe and so far most of what I've found use half the amount of meringue powder as your recipe. I'm going to try yours because you have beautiful cookies - so you must be doing something right! But I'm wondering what the reasoning behind using so much meringue powder is? I'm genuinely interested in knowing! Thank you 🙂
Hi Maria! I use a lot of meringue powder in my recipe because I find that it gives the icing more of an elastic quality, allowing me to work with it a few minutes longer before it starts to crust over 🙂
do you put flooded cookies into the refrigerator after you flood them to get the icing to harden? I have had problems with the writing bleeding onto the flooded top of the cookie! Why is this happening and how do I prevent it from happening? Also do you refrigerate or freeze cookies at all to get them to harden faster and stay fresh? How do you keep them from getting condensation on the frosting top too when you want to bag them up for favors?
Hi Josi! You'll definitely want to dry the cookies at room temperature (use a fan to help speed up the process). This post on royal icing has tips on how to prevent color bleed (look for the section on Royal Icing Troubleshooting)
I don't freeze baked cookies, but I do freeze the raw cut-outs to help get a head start on large quantities of cookies. You can learn more about my process here: https://www.sweetambs.com/tutorial/cookies-some-general-information/
Whenever I do liner work,I cant seem to start without making a small lump of icing with my initial starting point.
Ive tried different angles with the tip, applying hardly any pressure at the beginning etc.
I watch the videos and the directions,touch down on cookie,then gently pull the icing just doesn’t seem to work.
Help !
Hi Debbie! It's difficult to avoid those little bumps at the beginning of a line. I still get them sometimes, so I just use my scribe tool to clean up the edges when I'm finished piping 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with us in the cookie world! Ive been using meringue powder for my royal icing (3tbs meringue powder, 4 cups powdered sugar, 1/4 tsp vanilla, 1/4 cup of water) and all of a sudden I’ve been getting a very “gritty, powdered sugar” taste from it! Please tell me what I’m doing wrong!
Hi Ashley! It could be the brand of meringue powder that you're using. Some batches have a gritty texture, even if it's the same brand. I'm not sure why it happens! You might want to try straining your icing through a nylon stocking. Sounds like a pain, I know, but it might help get rid of those little lumps 🙂
Finally! Thanks for describing this the way you did! I have tried reading others but it didn't make sense.
Hi! It says here that you recommend medium consistency royal icing for tufting, but I've often seen flood consistency recommended for the technique. Does either work?
Hi Liz! I prefer medium consistency for tufting, but I use flood consistency, as well. Either one will work and each one has its pros and cons - medium consistency keeps its shape better, but it's more difficult to get a smooth surface, while flood consistency will give you a smooth surface, but it doesn't always stay where you want it to 🙂
Hi Amber!
I made a purchase of the royal icing back in 2016 but lost the file. Is it possible to send me a new link to download? I can send the receipt as proof of purchase. 🙂
I was trying the links attached to the receipt but it just redirects me to your website.
Hope it's not much trouble.
Thanks and more power!
Hi! It's no problem at all! I'll send you an email. Thanks!
Olá gostaria de obter informações sobre o curso de cookies. Valores em reais.
Hi! Thanks for being such an inspiration. You’re amazing! I’m also a cookie artist and I’m having trouble with my cookies once they’re packaged. After they’re packaged it’s almost like they sweat inside the bags and it smears and ruins the cookie. Also the same happens if I use a food pen for decorating. Do you have any tips on how to fix this? I wait until they’re completely dry to package them. I’m not sure what else to do! Thanks in advance ?
Can I leave the cookies to dry in a refrigerator?
The icing will not dry properly if they're kept in the refrigerator. It's best to keep them out in the open to dry. If you live in a humid climate, you can pop them into the oven for a couple of minutes to help the icing dry. Or you can use a food dehydrator 🙂
Hello. Some of my cookies turn out “matte-like” and some are “glossy-like”. Is it due to amount of meringue powder? Thank you so much—this site is so helpful!
Hi Maureen! My cookies turn out glossy when the air is dry, which is usually in winter/fall. When it's very humid, they dry with a dull finish 🙂
Is there a way to get the 25% off class still?? Thanks 😀
Hi Amber! Craftsy has moved to a subscription based platform, so I don't believe there is a discount for individual classes anymore.
My cookies turned out s lighter shade of color in the middle and darker around the outside edge? Any idea what could have caused this? I did make the icing the day before and left it at room temperature then had to thicken it up with powdered sugar because there was some separation. Could that have caused it?
Hi Amber! I seem to be having a problem with little clumps in my royal icing- regardless of consistency. I’ve been making it the same way for about a year now, but noticed the last two times when I tried adding corn syrup these little beige clumps appear after mixing. I changed my meringue powder, from the last time, and still the same result. Could this be from the corn syrup? Every thing else is done the exact same way! I’m getting really frustrated and would love some advice ! Thanks!
hi dear this one is possible to put in the cup cake as an icing ??? appreciated your reply thanks a lot
This dries pretty firm, you would want a butter cream for cupcakes.
I could watch your videos over and over again. After watching my first video I decided to explore other decorating techniques. I'm still learning, but decorating cookies is so relaxing to me!
That's so great to hear! Thanks, Andrea!!
My piped icing comes out wriggly and curls around the tip...making it hard for me to really draw nicely...is it because of the tip? I use parchment paper. Or is it because of my icing consistency? Thanks for your videos...they really inspire me.
Hi Jacqueline! I'm so glad you're enjoying my videos. Wriggly icing could be caused by a small blockage in the bag, or it could be from an imperfection in the opening of the parchment bag. I think it would help to try using a slightly thinner consistency and straining your icing through a nylon stocking before filling the bag. Also, if you're cutting the parchment bags yourself, make sure your scissors are super sharp and there are no tears in the paper where the icing will be coming out.
Last minute I found out I do not have sufficient egg white powder and can't find in in any of the stores close by. I only have about 7 tbs. Do you think that will be enough for 2 lbs icing sugar or should I go with less sugar? thanks
You would want to go with less sugar, water and flavoring if you don’t have the same amount called for in the original recipe. If you half the recipe, that would be 5 Tbsp. of merengue powder, 1lb. of powdered sugar, etc. Hope that helps!
Hi Roberta, sorry I missed this one! I'm sure by now you've made the icing, but if you're in this situation again in the future, I'd cut the recipe in half and just use 5 tbs of meringue powder to 1 pound of sugar rather than using 7 tbs meringue powder in 2 lbs of sugar 🙂
Can you suggest vegan icing instead of royal icing
I just started to explore this because of my daughter’s egg allergy, and there are some out there that call for aquafaba (chickpea brine) or corn syrup. I think it will be a series of trial and error, but you can do a quick google search for “vegan royal icing” and get a few good hits. A side note—if you decide to go with aquafaba, I’ve noticed some people mention reducing it BEFORE using, while others don’t mention this step. It seems like reducing it will help with the structure of the royal icing (more of a true egg white consistency vs. watery egg whites). Good luck! ??
I make my frosting with corn syrup.
Your videos are such a delightful way to show off your beautiful and creative designs. You truly do have a talent for making cookies come alive so much so that I find it hard to believe that anyone would want to eat them and destroy your artwork. Amazing creations! Thank you for sharing your talents.
I have a problem with pointy dots. Instead of being nice rounded dome on top of my dots, they stay in a point. It seems to do it in thin or thicker consistency. I use a #1 or #2 tip and would love some guidance. I'm suspecting the consistency is too thick but even thinner seems to do it as well. Thanks!
Hi Lisa! You can eliminate the points by smoothing the dot with the piping tip before pulling away. If you pull straight up, you'll end up with a point. My piping basics video has instruction on how to pipe smooth dots: https://www.sweetambs.com/cookie-decorating-video-tutorials-1-5-recipes-basics/
Thank you so much for your tutorial. I can't wait to make my own.
I'm so sorry people feel the need to leave negative comments on your posts. It's completely ridiculous. Thank you for sharing. You are very talented!
You don't need to use any eggs or egg powder for anything including it clings. All you're doing is suppprting the very extremely cruel egg industry. Why would you support and promote such an awful thing? There are many alternatives to eggs that work just as well if not better than smelly egg whites ? Do you even know what egg whites are and where and how they get to us? Well, it's rather vile and very cruel! Its unfertilized fetus of a very abused, tortured and neglected baby chicken forced to live in either teeny tiny cage for her entire life or thrown into a shed with millions of other chickens living in filthy conditions killing each other. Why can't you promote something cruelty free and healthy? Try using aquafaba (juice from can of chick peas) by placing 3oz of it in bowl and whooping it for 3-4,minutes on medium speed until frothy then add 4 cups of powdered sugar, vanilla extract and pinch of salt. Best icing I've ever used and it's cruelty free! Now go visit an animal sanctuary to see how these egg laying chickens suffer so you can have eggs. humans are not superior to other living beings!
Uhg!! Are you for real???
??❤️??❤️?? #crueltyfree #compassion
It really isn't that serious!!! ?
I completely agree! The egg industry is cruel and there are other ways to make royal icing that don’t involve animal products!
You have no idea where she gets her eggs and this is quite rude to post on her page. I have my own flock of free range hens and have absolutely no problem collecting the unfertilized eggs to use for whatever I please. If you want to attack others for no good reason, make sure you know that they are actually doing what you disapprove of. Otherwise, you are just being a bully.
My icing design slowly gets slightly blurry after it dries (when
I use the wet on wet technique). It looks sharp when I pipe it, but then the design slowly gets fuzzy over the next few days. What can be causing it?
Hi Amber,
I've heard some of the cookie decorators put their cookies in a low temperature dehydrator to maintain Shiite of royal icing. Will it cause butter bleed because the dehydrator, even at the lowest temperature is till warm.
Hi Amelia! We use a dehydrator during classes when we need the icing to dry very quickly. It has caused butter bleed in my experience, so I always prefer to allow the cookies to air dry at room temperature in front of a fan 🙂
Hello Amber, I have been binge-watching your cookie decorating videos for days and I am fascinated!
I tested a sugar cookie recipe this weekend (not your own; it was a simple one based off another video) and I decided to see how badly a first attempt with Royal icing would go since I had all the stuff already, but actually they have turned out well! One thing I have found is that the biscuits have gone slightly stale/soft during the time I left the icing to dry; would this be an error with my making of the cookies or the fact I left them out overnight? As well as using a fan to speed drying, do you cover the biscuits to avoid staleness?
Hi, I just bought the cookie and royal icing recipe. If I do not have meringue powder on hand, how many eggs substitute for the 10 tbs of meringue powder?
Hi Amber, could you tell me if I use hand mixer , how many mins should I mix the icing ? Thank you
Hi Fiona! I use a stand mixer on medium/low speed for no more than 5 minutes. There is a video tutorial available in the shop 🙂 https://www.sweetambs.com/cookie-decorating-video-tutorials-1-5-recipes-basics/
Hi there. Your cookies are amazing. I currently use a recipe that's made with confectioners sugar, milk, corn syrup, and a few drops of lemon juice for taste. It does harden enough to stack. In your experience, what would make one recipe better than another. Just a self taught baker/decorator here, looking to hone the craft. Thanks in advance!!
Love you so much. I am going to try it with meringue powder. Thanks alot.
Thanks for this useful tips!
Very helpful! Especially the consistency comparisons to things we know. Thank you.
Hola tendrá clases en español? O instrucciones en español?
Hi, I want to send a cookie kit to my daughter in overnight camp and I am worried about the coloured royal icing seperating in the icing bag.. how could I prevent the icing from seperating ?
Thank you!
Shira
I am writing from turkey, I follow you closely, can you give me a wonderful recipe for royal cream
Can I freeze or refrigerator my cookies before I decorate them and then decorate them when they are still cold? Or would that make the icing thicken too quickly?
Hi Tanna! I don't recommend freezing or refrigerating baked cookies. This post has information about how to store cookies before and after decorating: https://www.sweetambs.com/tutorial/cookies-some-general-information/
Can I ask why no freezing or refrigeration? I've frozen and refrigerated my decorated cookies with no problems. In my mind it keeps them fresher as I make several dozen cookies for shipping to family and friends for the holidays.
I'm truly curious as to why it's not recommended?
Hi Jacqui! I don't recommend freezing them only because in my experience, they taste better when fresh. It's really just a matter of personal preference 🙂 Refrigeration, on the other hand, is risky because the moisture in the fridge can make the colors run and make the cookies too soft.
Hello!
Love your blog! It's so helpful for a newbie like me! Question. It seems like no matter how long I let my base Icing dry I end up with light bleeding along my piping I put on top. I usually shoot for 24 hours, have used a fan and still have it. I live in TN and during the summer we do have higher humidity. Any thoughts? Thank you so much!
Thank you so much! It's very difficult to get around color bleed when it's humid in the summer. I've been dealing with that issue here in New York over the last few days. If the fan is not enough to prevent color bleed, try using a thicker consistency icing.
Hola Amber,
Mi nombre es Sabrina, soy de Argentina y no encuentro el polvo de merengue, puedo reemplazarlo con claras de huevo?
Gracias!
Si, se puede. Pero hazlo con cuidado porque va a cambiar la consistencia un poco.
hello thank your for your information, i make royal icing at present, but would like to try this one. do you show your recipe and how to make the different consistency if so where. thank you marg
Hi Amber, like Julia I live in Peru,(I also bought the tutorial and the book) and can't find meringue powder nor powder egg white,,, so how can I replace the meringue powder with fresh egg white?
Thanks,,
Roberto
Hola Roberto, en la tienda Deco Dulces en miraflores encuentras meringue powder de wilton.
Hi Amber! I have purchased your tutorials and have a question. When I have to dry the royal icing (8-12 hours), how can I somehow protect the biscuits so they do not get tough? Thank you!
Do you ever add vanilla or other flavoring?
Yes, I always add vanilla extract to my royal icing 🙂
Hi! Your cookies are amazing! I am starting with cookie decorations, in Argentina where i livemi do not have meringue powder, do you have a royal icin recipe with fresh egg whites? I thonk I can find dried eggnwhites too, so any of both would help.
Thanks!
Julia
Thank you so much, Julia! I haven't made royal icing with fresh egg white in several years, so I don't have a reliable recipe for that, but you can use dried egg white in place of the meringue powder 🙂
Hello,
I'm really interested in your icing sugar. i live very far from you, do you have any online classes that i can learn?
Thank you
Hello! Yes, I do have online classes: https://craftsy.me/2mYE4t5
Thanks for your interest!
2 Questions:
I notice in your video that you use glass air tight containers, is glass better than plastic? Second, I notice you color the icing in the stiff consistency. I have not been through all 20 videos yet, but it is always better to color in the stiff consistency?
Thank you for your inspiration and quality videos. Off to make a batch of your cookies. 🙂
Hi Gina! I'm so glad you're enjoying the videos. Thank you! I haven't noticed a difference in the icing when it's stored in plastic versus glass (the glass just looked nicer in the video :)). However, if you use your plastic containers for things other than royal icing, such as buttercream or other foods containing fat, it will break down the royal icing and could cause problems with drying properly later on.
You can color the icing whenever it's convenient for you whether it's stiff, medium, or flood consistency 🙂
Thanks. I went with glass. I thought about all of the things I use the plastic ones for, and decided, I will dedicate glass ones for my icing. I did make your cookies and they were a HUGE hit. Iced them tonight. Not to bad for my first attempt. I wish I could upload some of my pics... But maybe I will head over to your FaceBook page and share. I have attempted decorating before, but never with this much success. Thanks again for you classes and recipes. You have inspired my inner baker. If my Finance Director job ever goes away... I will become a baker... LOL
Thanks again.
Hi I'm gonna be making sugar cookies for my sons party on the 9th..... I am allergic to egg whites and dairy.... and I have a niece that is allergic to corn syrup..... is there any thing I can use to make my royal icing nice and pretty with out those ingredients?
chickpea water can be substituted for egg whites, non-dairy milks are available. Not sure how to replace corn syrup though.
Good morning!
I hope you can help me! I used royal icing on some cookies last night and covered them loosely with cling wrap-I have a cat that wonders at night! Unfortunately, the icing was not set enough and the cling wrap settled on some of them and of course some of the icing has pulled off. How can I fix this and still have a clean look?
Thank you for any suggestions!
Lisa
I use 10 tablespoons of meringue powder per 2 pounds of confectioners sugar in my royal icing .
Good day. Two questions. Is there a book in Russian? Or in the format of the World? That I could translate through Google. The second question. As I understand you use meringue powder, and not albumin. It must be pre-soaked with water? And how much water? In advance thanks for the answer.
Hi, when you make your icing, after dry, how is the result, is it still shiny just like the first time you apply them, or it is become a matte result than shine?
An are you putting them back to oven after you decorate?
Because my royal icing after they dry, a lil bit matte and looks rough....
Pls answer it, thank youuu
Hi, could you tell me where should I store the iced cookies until the icing dried and still keep their crispness.
Thanks!!!
Hi Fion! This post has information on storing cookies: https://www.sweetambs.com/uncategorized/cookies-some-general-information/
I'm in the uk are your recipes converted and do you know if I can purchase the ingredients you use here. Thank you
Hi Karen! Yes, the recipes are shown in both U.S. and metric measurements. The icing is made with Wilton meringue powder, which you can purchase online if you can't find it in a store near you. The cookies contain agave syrup, but if you can't find that locally, you can replace it with honey. All of the other ingredients are common and should be able to find (sugar, flour, butter, etc) 🙂
So I seemed to have over mixed my royal icing when adding the color. It's like a turquoise mousse right now. Can this be fixed or should I just start over?
Hi Tasha! It would be best to start over. If you use fluffy icing on your cookies, it will end up causing problems later (air bubbles, sandy texture, color bleed, fragility, etc!).
Do you sift your powdered sugar for the royal icing?
Hi Crystal! I don't sift the powdered sugar 🙂
Hello!
I am vegan and therefore do not use dairy products in my baking or cooking.
What would you recommend as an alternative to egg whites for the royal icing?
Thank you! Gorgeous cookies
Caitlin
Thank you, Caitlin! I haven't tried it in royal icing yet, but aquafaba (the liquid from canned chickpeas) is a great alternative to egg whites. I used it to make meringue cookies and it worked great!
Can you use corn syrup to make frosting shine?
Hi! Could you please tell me if the sugar powder should be completely dissolved? I've tried two times, and though it looks good on cookies, it still feels as if there's some powder left undissolved and when dark coloured it looks a bit spotty, with really tiny spots in it. How could I avoid this? Thank you in advance for your help!
Hi Tanya! You shouldn't be able to see the sugar in the icing when the icing dries. When you get a chance, send a photo to info@sweetambs.com and I'll see if I can help you figure out what is going on.
How do you keep your icing from drying out? When I have it in a bowl and I am using colors, the edges and top start to crack and dry. This leaves me with a not so smooth icing when I mix it.
Royal Icing must be covered at all times. So while it's not in use or resting, you should have the bowl covered with plastic wrap --laying right on top/touching the royal icing--or have a damped towel over the bowl. I hope that helped.
-Hers.Heavenly.Sweets
won't royal icing dry really hard? look great but be too hard for kids?
Where is the recipe for the royal icing?
Recipe?
I think you have to buy it or buy her book or something to get it.
10 Tablespoons meringue powder
2 pounds powdered sugar
Then you just keep adding water until you get the consistency?
There are links to click on in this article
Can you just buy the wet icing, or do I have to home make it?
You can buy it
What is the tool that they are using called
What is wet on wet? Do you decorate the cookie before you bake it? I'm sure you wouldn't but I can't think of any other reason to call it wet on wet. Thank you
Wet on Wet - Icing on Icing. If you are doing 2 colors and want to swirl, blend, design, don't let 1 color dry until you have added 2nd color
Its wet icing on wet icing if you watch the video like a solid color filled cookie then add a second wet color to it and make a design
What is wet on wet? Do you decorate the cookie before you bake it?
is there any pre-mix royal icing that I can purchase from stores?
For those of us without a scale. How many cups of icing sugar in two pounds
Each small box or bag of powdered sugar comes in 1 pound so...buy 2
I think 4 cups per pound.
!please please !!! How many water I have to mix with meringue power for stiff icing? Please I need your help, thanks 🙂
Hi Amber,
I love all your cookie tutorials and information! You rock cookies ! I have had trouble with butter bleed and pitting of icing when applying luster dust. I read over your info above and while I don't over mix my royal icing I do tend to mix the meringue powder until it is a bit frothy. Could this cause a problem? What advice do you have about how much the meringue powder / water should me mixed ? Thanks !
I love watching your videos and trying to replicate but I have a hard time with the icing. I am allergic to eggs and have yet to find a suitable replacement. Do you have any ideas?
Check out aquafaba royal icing recipes. I have a son who is allergic to eggs and aquafaba happens to be a fantastic egg white replacement. It is also inexpensive to obtain or super easy to make your own. It sounds weird because it is literally the liquid that chickpeas are cooked in. But it is the perfect viscous consistency for egg white substitutions.
I've used aquafaba to make meringue cookies and it worked perfectly. I'm looking forward to trying it in royal icing!
Amei o post me ajudou MT. ..obrigada
what is the difference between Color flow and Meringue?
It's almost the same except Color flow has a preservative in it.
"Color Flow Mix consists of dried egg whites and sodium lauryl sulfate, which is a preservative. Color Flow Mix can be substituted in some recipes for egg white. The substitution is one egg white equals two (2) teaspoons dry egg white (Color Flow Mix) plus two (2) Tablespoons water."
How long do you wait for the icing to dry after flooding it before you can decorate with an extra layer or design/icing on top? thanks!
Hi. I hope you could make The Cars cookie tutorial. Thanks and best regards.
Me gustaría saber si los tutoría les también están es español para que así pueda aprender hacer las preciosidades que haces agradeceré contestes o me fugues para traducirlo bendiciones
Hi i purchased your lesson 1 and your cookie recipe with royal icing recipe and it did not download....it said your server timed out.
Hi Iris, I'm sorry for the trouble! Contact support@sweetambs.com and we'll send you the tutorial. Thank you!
Hey I paid for the download for both the cookie recipe and the icing download, BUT I have received nothing so far, please advise me when you are going to send me the email that you promised . I have sent you emails but you don't reply.
Hi Colin, I'm sorry for the trouble! I'll make sure the downloads are sent right away. Thank you for your purchase!
Hi There,
I purchased your royal icing tutorial and recipe however I wanted to ask - if you have and upcoming project and are making royal icing ahead of time, do you colour it before or after storing it?
I appreciate your help on this!
Thanks so much for your purchase! You can color the icing at any point. When you're ready to use the icing, you'll just have to stir it well by hand.
Thanks so much Amber!
Can you posting your icing recipe?
Have been using my own recipe for royal icing with egg whites. Do you have any replacement for the whites??
Hi Tanvi! I use meringue powder in my royal icing. What kind of replacement are you looking for?
Hi Amber,
I bought your royal icing recipe and I have used it a few times for customers. However, I have recieved feedback that my icing is too hard. Any tips to adjust it?
Sorry give icing ideas without egg.I am pure veg.
Hello Amber!
I would just like to ask....how do you charge your decorated cookies? A friend ordered to me for her simple party. She'd tasted my plain sugar cookies and asked me if i could make some decorated ones. I just kinda not sure of my charges i taked down. I hope you can help me enlighten with this.
Thank you and God bless always,
Irish-philippines
Hello! I am very new to this website and super young to understand if their is a difference between "Flooding Royal Icing" and just straight on "Royal Icing"??? Also I am trying to purchase the recipe but my parents will not allow me to have a PayPal account either. I just need help all over the place *headache emoji*
Hi Amber,
I'm wondering how long you can keep a decorated cookie with royal icing (made with meringue powder)?
I know that it will be longer than white egg, but i can't find an answer to my question.
Thank for your help!
Hi Virginie! Once the cookies are wrapped and sealed in cello bags, you can keep them up to 4 weeks. This post has more information about packaging and storage: https://www.sweetambs.com/uncategorized/cookies-some-general-information/
Hi Amber,
Thank you so much for your answer and the link, i've learned a lot of tricks and will try them!
😉
Hi, enjoy your cookie tutorials . I have been a baker and continue to bake these special treats from cookies to specialty cakes for over 40 years. I was trained to use egg whites as you, have used meringue powder but for the last few years have been adding light corn syrup to my royal icing for an amazing shiny result.
Hi! I have learned the wet on wet technique using a 10 seconds time, but it's necessary to make a border. Do you make that technique using a 14-16 seconds without the edge? It looks like well finished than mine....
Thank you so much dear for your kindness teaching people like me who only have the passion for baking. Thanks alot. I have a question ; you said earlier that we are supposed to mix icing for only 5minutes but i don't have a mixer how long am i supposed to mix when using manual method? Thank you so much.
HI DO YOU HAVE A RECIPE FOR THE ICING?
Hi! My icing recipe is available in the tutorial shop: https://www.sweetambs.com/products-page/videos/sweetambs-sugar-cookie-recipe/
Hi! Do you have a recipe for the flood royal icing?
Hi! My icing recipe (stiff consistency) is available in the tutorial shop (https://www.sweetambs.com/products-page/videos/sweetambs-sugar-cookie-recipe/). There is no exact measurement for the extra water when making flood or medium consistency icing, you'll just need to follow the tips laid out in this post for that process. I do have a video tutorial available that contains more detailed information on making medium and flood consistency icing. It's lesson 3 on my Vimeo channel 🙂 https://vimeo.com/ondemand/sweetambs
Hi, what brand of meringue powder do you prefer?
Hi Felina! I use Wilton meringue powder.
Hello!!
I just bought your royal icing recepie, but where I live we can't find meringue powder nor egg white powder so I have to use fresh egg whites, how can I convert the amount of meringue powder to fresh egg whites?
Hi. I was wondering if thr is any health risks inusing the meringue power. I know it is powered egg whites and that could be dangerous to injest.
Hi Alysen! Meringue powder and powdered egg white contain pasteurized eggs, so there's very little risk of food-borne illness with these products. However, you should be careful when using fresh egg whites in royal icing.
If the icing is over mixed is it beyond trying to fix?
Hi! If I want to make-ahead cookies for an event, do decorated cookies (with flood consistency icing) freeze/thaw well or can you only make them a day or two in advance? Thanks so much!
Hi Megs! Check out this post for information on making cookies ahead of time for events:https://www.sweetambs.com/uncategorized/cookies-some-general-information/
Hi Amber, I have had great success with the royal icing but the only thing I don't like about it is that it's not shiny...looks very dull. Is there a way to fix this ?
Thanks,
Patricia
Hi Patricia! Scroll up a bit to find the section entitled Dull Or Bumpy Icing.
Hi Amber! I've tried making royal icing a few times now and every time it has a grainy texture. It's not smooth. What am I doing wrong? I sift my powdered sugar. I usually mix it for 7-8 mins after every addition of powdered sugar. Should I mix it more? Any kind of help will be appreciated. 🙂
Confectioners sugar? I use domino brand and never have trouble. Mix on low speed. I put sugar and meringue powder in and mix slightly then add water. Mix a little then scrape the sides then continue mixing! Good luck!
Hi! Could you please tell me, what brnd of confectioners sugar do you use? Thank you!
Hi Tanya! I use Domino confectioners sugar. This is a brand that we have here in New York, but it's known as C&H (pink and blue box) in other parts of the country.
I made Royal Icing for the first time and when I tried to make rose buds it blobbed out and look oily. Not sure if this can be fixed I still have on the counter from last week. Any advise is helpful.
Sonia
Hi Sonia! It sounds like your icing was not stiff enough. Stiff consistency icing should be very thick when it comes off of the mixer. To fix the icing that you've already made, you can add more of the dry mixture to the icing (meringue powder + powdered sugar). Add a little bit at a time until the icing looks dull and holds a stiff peak.
Thank you
Thank you Amber. This is a very comprehensive explanation and guide. Xx
I'm glad it was helpful!
Hello Amber, this post is more of a personal thank you then a question . Several months ago after a doctors visit I received information that I had colon cancer. At the time my family was out of town and I wouldn't be seeing them for at least 2 weeks. Needless to say my mind went to all the bad places when you hear cancer. I had stumbled on your valentine video and decided to try making the royal icing cookies. At 52 I've never done something like that nor have the artistic talent but the beauty of youtube made me give it a shot. I bought stuff at Michaels and gave it a try. The kitchen was a mess, there was coloring and icing all over but in the end I had cookies that looked something like yours, not even close but a good effort. I boxed them up and sent them to my girls and wife and waited for them to open them. In the meantime I kept experimenting just to keep my mind busy. Everyone loved them and couldn't believe I made them. Since then I have made or basically copied all different cookies and have come to thoroughly enjoy it. In fact while visiting my daughters in NY several weeks ago we made some together. The best news out of it all was the diagnosis was incorrect and the cancer was more of a precancerous which requires observation over the next year but nothing like what we thought was going to happen. I had to tell you because during that time making the cookies kept my mind off of it and allowed me to learn something completely new, and have a new appreciation for life. So thank you for making a video that most will only see as a cookie demonstration but for me was a way to escape even for a little while.
What a fantastic story, John! I'm so glad to hear that you are doing okay now and that my videos helped you through this difficult period in your life. Thank you so much for sharing that with me. Stay well!
I just ordered the Royal icing video and wanted to know how much water to add for outlining and flooding or if you count to know the desired consistency?
Hi Denise! Thanks for your purchase! My flood consistency icing is about 15 second count. You can read more about icing consistencies here: https://www.sweetambs.com/tutorial/royal-icing-consistencies/
First of all, I want to say how talented you are. I love watching your videos. I want to make some cookies for my mother in law but she's diabetic. Is there an alternative to royal icing without sugar, like with stevia or something like that?
Thank you very much!
Thank you, Paola! I haven't tried a sugar substitute for royal icing. It would be interesting to try stevia! I will experiment with that soon, but let me know the results if you decide to try it before I get to it 🙂
I let my cookies dry overnight; used edible market on them and bagged using a sealer after another hour to dry. 24 hrs later and some of the cookies are "wet" and sticking to the bag. Should I take them out or let it be? 🙁
Kim, it sounds like your cookies were not dry before you stacked them and bagel them. Next time, allow time for them to dry completely while placing them flat. Perhaps you should dry a different formula for your icing (check out Sweet Amb's icing tutorial) maybe yours was too wet.
Hi Amber!! I just wanted to let you know how much of inspiration you are! I'm a newbie to all of this but i have such a huge passion for baking and once i found your page on facebook i was blown away! i love your work and hope to hear back from you!(:
Hi Torri! Thank you so much! It makes me so happy to hear that!
I like your channel and I always visit this website every time I use my tablet!
Hi Amber, I was told to store my royal icing in the fridge, now it is definitely not going to 'flood'. How can I get it back to room temp safely? Plus it is in squeeze bottles.
Also, if I ice cookies on Tuesday will they store well for Sat? And will they stick together in cellophane bags. Its early Autumn here in Sydney.
Hi Amber,
I was wondering if I could send a picture and get your thoughts, re: dull or bumpy icing? I just made some cookies for a friends sister's wedding shower. I'm puzzled as to why some looked good and some were too bumpy/uneven to send (from the same thinned down batch of RI). Thanks for considering! Love your site.
Ashli
What is the pointy tool called
Are you talking about a scribe? The one you can drag through icing for spider web effect.
I just purchased your basic cookie package consisting of several .mov files and some documents. My MacBook Pro is not able to open any of them, even though I have QuickTime Player. Could you tell me what version of QuickTime I should have, and also what app opens the .mov.part files and recipe files? Or did I just waste my money and my time. Buyer beware!
Love all your info and thanks so much for sharing! How much water are you adding with the powdered sugar and meringue powder? Also, can you store the decorated cookies in freezer? Have any suggestions for shipping the cookies?! THANK YOU!!!
I love your cookies and the techniques. Thanks for being an inspiration and teaching so clearly.
Hi,
I made some cookies using the royal icing. It has dried dull. Is there something I can do to make it shiny now?
Would like to learn decorating cookies
I would like to learn
Wonderful inspiration! I will try and make some cookies with this icing soon, perhaps for valentines day. I need to get some meringue powder first. How long can cookies last with the icing? x
-LS
Thank you so much! Once the cookies are wrapped and sealed in cello bags, they'll stay fresh for 3-4 weeks. You can find information about packaging and storing the cookies here: https://www.sweetambs.com/uncategorized/cookies-some-general-information/
After adding the water to thin out the royal icing for flooding, what if I have extra icing that I need to use for my other cookies that I will be decorating. Can I leave it out, or do I need to put it back in the frig for later use.
I use this flooding technique all the time. I DO NOT put the icing back in the fridge as I am working on the cookies. I take a couple sheets of paper towel (enough to cover the top and sides of bowl) and wet with cold water. Wring out if you have excess water. Drape over top of bowl. If this dries out before you have used all the icing just repeat the steps to the towel. Keeping this on top allows the icing to not dry out. If you have leftovers for the next day, you can put in airtight container. Let it come to room temp. the next day if you need to finish cookies. Also if you have different colors of icing in piping bags use a small wet paper towel to cover the bottom of a glass. You can stand your piping bags up in this and the tip does not dry out. Hope this helps.
Hi Aiki! If you're going to be using the icing later in the day, you can just leave it out. If you won't be using it until the next day, put it into an airtight container and store it in the fridge. You can keep it this way for about 10 to 14 days.
Hi, Your Valentine cookies are adorable and I want to try some. However, I am allergic to corn starch which is the first ingredient in the meringue powder I have found. But you say the icing is not good made with the other ingredients. What can I do to get such beautiful cookies as you do!
Make your own merengue. That's how I've ever known it to be made. (Powdrered egg-anything-really?) You don't need cornstarch when you use fresh egg whites (It's probably healthier than a powder which has to go through processing to make into a dry product. No disrespect to the writer. I love your decorating 🙂
Hi there! So I followed all of your recipes exactly and I found that it took 12 hours for my royal icing to set, is that normal?
I'm also wondering, because I know royal icing normally dries very quickly, how much of a window I would have to add more frosting detail with another color after the initial flooding/covering.
Thanks!
Hi! Yes, it can take up to 12 hours for the icing to dry completely. If it takes longer than that, take a look at the troubleshooting tips laid out in this post.
Depending on the weather where you live and which recipe you're using, you'll have anywhere from about 5-10 minutes before the icing starts to crust over 🙂
Hi,
I would love to receive your blog, I am a friend of Diane Fintan.
Thanks
Hi Amber, I've just baked and decorated with royal icing lots of cookies and noticed that once dried, the icing is not shinny. Is it possible to shine it up a little bit? Thanks!!!
I am interested in an answer on this also. 🙂
I do see that keeping the cookies in a drier environment may help keep the shine. And to not make the icing too thin. But are there other reasons for the icing to become dull?
I've heard that if the cookies dry in a dehydrator the Royal icing will have a shine. - I've never tried it because I don't own a dehydrator.
Hi. You can add some glycerin or clear corn syrup.
Hi Amber! I was wondering if you had any tips for royal icing that does not dry hard. I use Meringue Powder as well and after two days of drying they were dry to the touch, but once I stored them and stacked in Tupperware (in between parchment paper), and then went to remove one - the cookies were stuck together and my frosting designs ruined. Can this happen from the flooded icing being too thin? Recipe : 2 cups of powdered sugar (sifted), 4 tbsp meringue powder and 1/2 cup of water. Help? Your designs are so inspiring! I hate to decorate for hours and not be able to package them up to gift to people. I'll end up eating them all myself! 🙂
Hi Amber,
Love your classes and tips! I have a question. What Royal Icing tips do you have for making large batches of cookies approx 100 0r more?
Thanks, Cindy! This post has information about handling large orders. I used these tips when I made cookies for my wedding a few months ago 🙂 https://www.sweetambs.com/uncategorized/cookies-some-general-information/
My question is. If you're using 10 tablespoons of meringue powder to 2 pounds of powered sugar; How much milk and flavor do you use? Also, when the icing is almost hard; Can you cut a design in the icing (on a plain cookie), that the cookie cutter has the design in it?
Tudo muito lindo,gostaria de saber a receita da bolacha, e cobertura. obrigada! beijos.
These are so beautiful! Thanks for sharing your talent!
I've always wanted to know how to decorate these kind of cookies! Now i can make the icing. Thanks (:
Luv it
Love to learn all about making cookie icing
<3 the decorations and cookie ideas! <3
I am so looking forward to trying these icings. Sure hope they turn out.Want to make these for Valintine
day.
Loved the valentines cookies! Looking forward to using your techniques. I'm assuming the icing will harden enough to be able to stack cookies without ruining them correct?
Would like to be on your email, Facebook, etc. have always wanted to make delicious sugar cookies with pretty icing like the ones you made with the Royal Icing. Thank you! Can't wait to make my first ones for Valentine's Day!!
Tried without success to find meringue powder before Christmas. I have never used it, but really wanted to decorate a Santa came. Where can you get meringue powder. I tried local markets and Michaels.
Walmart or Wilton.com
I just ordered an 8 oz can of Wilton meringue powder from Amazon for $8.84.
I really enjoyed you're video and really want to try to be create something myself! The only issue is finding all the utensils that I will need, could you please list them? Thank you for some beautiful inspiration!
I really enjoyed the video with the heart cookies, they were beautiful. I'm going to 13th that will my Valentine's Day cookies. I've never used royal icing before, I'll be using the medicine powder - Wish me luck.
Does Royal Icing taste good? Does it make the cookies taste good as well or is it just for looks?
Thank you 🙂
Enjoyed reading about these tips. I've made royal icing for years, over 25. I didn't know it was called royal icing. I always used raw egg whites. Recently I tried the corn syrup version and was just not happy with it. I am looking forward to trying the meringue powder and working your 3 types to match what I am doing. Thank you so much for the great tips.
Excited to try this. Thankyou for the information
I am very interested in the technique you use for decorating th cookies in your blog. Do you have a website where I can get more info?
Any suggestions for royal icing for those allergic to eggs?
Milk, almond extract, light corn syrup and powdered sugar.
I loved reading your royal icing tips today! I too wish I had known some of them at Christmastime!! I discovered royal icing last year (2014), but I was a little disappointed in my batches this year -- it came out stiffer than I remembered. I used meringue powder this year, but maybe too much confectioners' sugar. Thanks for your tips!!
Please add me to your Friends list. Wish I had had this info before Christmas.
Have you tried aquafaba metingue
(meant meringue) - aquafaba (from chickpeas)
Please add me to your email list, thank you
Okay #1 I love your videos,love them,love them.#2 Made a batch of royal icing yesterday,must try again today,too runny too drippy,spread out all over the cookie.Practice makes perfect.
really cool tips! thank you!
thsmks
I'm going to try this, thank you for sharing.
Wow! I bet I could do this!
would love to try this.
very exciting to watch
So many great ideas
Woul love to know how to get products and their cost. Same with the teaching video and can you watch it at anytime.
I know royal icing is supposed to dry stiff, but does your recipe dry hard? The hardness is the main reason I dislike using it. I like to be able to bite through it without feeling like I'm biting into hard candy (which, sadly, a lot of recipes end up being like). I usually just use buttercream, which when I'm not worried about stacking is fine.
Beautiful cookies!!! Hope I can do it!!
What does the royal icing taste like?
I add almond flavoring to mine so it taste exceptional but it tests hours without too. I used vanilla too.
Love your decorating & design. they look very good.
I've done the Royal Icing decorated cookies several times. I wish I'd have had your info on making the different levels of the frosting. My flood ones done with several shades of purple and gray won a prize at the Nevada County Fair. They're always a big hit with women. I'm thinking of doing some heart shaped ones for our Women's Bible study next month. Now if I can only get the cookies to come out as nice as yours!
I have done the Royal Icing decorated cookies severeal times. I wish I'd have had your info on making the different levels of the frosting. My flood ones done with several shades of purple and gray won a prize at the Nevada County Fair. They're always a big hit with women. I'm thinking of doing some heart shaped ones for our Women's Bible study next month. Now if I can only get the cookies to come out as nice as yours!
These tips and posts are the best! Very talented.
Thank you.
Loved this! Ive always wanted to know how to make the "flood icing! Cant wait to make some Valentine cookies!
I purchased my meringue powder at Walmart. It is near the wilton baking supplies.
Where can I find the tools you use to make the patterns?
Google scribe tool for Royal Icing cookies ..
Hi,
I cant seem to find egg white powder nor meringue powder in any of my baking stores they claim not to carry it is their another substitute for that??
Please Help!
Thank you
Look at hobby lobby and you can also use the 40% off coupon!
I found meringue powder at Walmart n I believe Michaels also carries it.
Yes Micheals has meringue powder and also usually has a 40% coupon online.
I asked Safeway Bakery if they had it and they sold it to me for $7.00 for a 4 pound bag. This was way cheaper then other places.
Look at Michael's
Hello a couple days ago I bought an online video ( how to make roya icing) but I never get an email or link of where I can download it or watch it. Could you please help me? Thank you in advance.
Sorry about that, Susana! Sending you an email now.
You have taught me so much! Question, what do you think of using a dehydrator to 'dry' cookies and achieve that shiny finish I love?
I ask you have book for catalog resquest..
I love it. Oh wow oh my gosh. I am deaf
Hi, I just bought the sugar cookie royal icing recipe about an hour ago and still have not received an email with the recipes, but I did receive the paypal confirmation. Thank you.
Hi Katie! I sent you an email this morning. You can write to support@sweetambs.com if there's anything else we can do. Thank you!
What icing pen are you using on your biscuits when decorating looks great and in control
Your tips on royal icing were incredible...
where can I get editable markers????
Hi,
Don't know if you can help, when my cookies dry after being flooded they are dull not shiney it really effects the overall look. What am I doing wrong?
Thanks, Tracey
Hi Tracey! You'll find tips on how to prevent dull icing under the "Royal Icing Troubleshooting Tips" section of this post.
Love the Spirograph cookies! I pulled out my old set which is about 50 years old!
Which of the Royal icing options do you recommend with the Spirograph cookies?
I've seen a glaze with corn syrup that is a bit harder.
Thank you,
Poppy
Hi,
Why "no heat gun"? I've seen some people say use it and others say not to, but noone ever says why. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and expertise... and your beautiful work of course 🙂
Hello, which kitcheaid mixer model do you recommend for cookie and royal icing making?
Hi Miryam! I use the KitchenAid Professional 5 Plus: https://www.target.com/p/kitchenaid-professional-5-qt-mixer-kv25g0x/-/A-15840495
When i ice cookies i always get a bleed in between colours like if i do black eyes on top of brown icing even though the bottom layer is dry the colour still bleeds into it! Any tips on preventing this?
Hi Shelley, from experience it almost sounds like there is too much moisture. I know that sounds crazy but it is like when you put something in the fridge then pull it out and it forms condensation.
Where do you find meringue powder?
Thank you
Hi Sherry! I purchase Wilton meringue powder at Michaels craft store. It's also available online.
´podria en
viarme la explicacion en español
Hi,
Could I use cream of tartar instead of meringue power? Thank you for your time?
No, you can't. Cream of tartar is simply powdered tartaric acid (from grapes) which makes it no different in behavior from say citric acid (from lemon or lime juice) or acetic acid (from vinegar). The action of cream of tartar in royal icing is to help stabilize the egg whites. Meringue powder typically already contains cream of tartar along with the egg white powder, which is why it is so effective!
Hope this helps!
hi there ive been using the merignue powder for maign my royal icing at the beginign while beating it looks lovely fluffy like meringue ut i i beat it just little bit longer it actually deflates... iv ehad trouble wjen i tok it out of the fridge and mixed in a color and it became a very wet flood consistenyc even though before it was perfect for piping and it was drying very fast what am i doing worong? :/
xo
Hi Marta! It sounds like you're over-mixing the icing. It should be thick like a paste rather than fluffy like a meringue 🙂
I've just found you recently on You Tube and am so impressed with your talent! Like Beckie that posted yesterday, I'm OBSESSED as well! I haven't done a lot of cookie decorating in the past, but Christmas always makes me want to make some cookies. We have a small group of ladies (and a couple of guys) at work that like to get together once a quarter and do a fun "team-building" exercise... and they want me to show them how to decorate cookies for this quarter's meeting. So, in googling cookie decorating to brush up on my skills, I found you! 🙂 I have a couple of questions, if you don't mind... about how many of your cookies can you decorate with 1 batch of Royal Icing? And, I've noticed some decorators online using what looks like Wilton's disposable plastic bottles to flood the cookies instead of icing bags w/tips... I was just wondering if you had tried that and if you had any luck. Thanks so much!
Thank you so much, Becky! That sounds like a fun activity for your team building exercise! One batch of icing decorates about 4 dozen 3" cookies. I prefer to use icing bags instead of bottles, but that's a matter of personal preference.
I've just discovered you, and I'm OBSESSED...with your talent, patience, and sweet tutorials. I will learn so much from you! Thank you for sharing your amazing talent!
Thank you so much, Beckie!
So it's just confectioners sugar and Meringue powder for the recipe?
Just wondering if you can recommend a vegan alternative to the meringue powder that will hold up.
Hi I just wanted to say that I love your instagram account and your blog account
Hi Amber,
It's Emma and I was wondering, I downloaded the "How to make royal icing video" and I was wondering if that is flood, medium, or stiff consistency icing. Sorry to bother you over a silly issue. Thanks!!
Love, Emma Kalb
Hi Emma! I'm happy to help. The video shows how to make stiff consistency icing. This post has information about the other consistencies: https://www.sweetambs.com/tutorial/royal-icing-consistencies/
Hello,
I just watched and followed your tutorial on the make-up cookies. However, when I went to finish them off with the pearl and bronze dust it started taking my icing off. Almost like it was melting it away. I mixed it at first with alcohol and when I noticed what it was doing, I changed over to vanilla. However, the same results happened again. What did I do wrong?
Hi Deanna! It's most likely because your icing was porous. This post has information on how to prevent that! Scroll down a bit to find the section on royal icing troubleshooting tips: https://www.sweetambs.com/tutorial/royal-icing-consistencies/
What confectioners sugar do you recommend? We have C&H here in California, as well as grocery store house brands. Or do you prefer a specialty brand?
Hi Allison! I use Domino brand confectioners sugar.
Allison, Domino sugar and C&H are owned by the same company, it's kind of like how Best Foods mayo on the West coast is Hellman's mayo on the east coast.
Hi, I just recently made royal icing and I tried to make the cookie bouquet that you have on your youtube channel. I used a different royal icing recipe than yours and it came out too runny. I tried to fix it by adding more powdered sugar but it still was not at the right consistency. I just purchased your royal icing recipe in hopes of creating successful cookies for the bouquet. I have everything but the paddle attachment. Would it make a huge difference if i just used the regular whisk attachment? If it would make a difference in consistency what could I be able to do to make it right because I don't have the time to go out and buy the paddle attachment. Thank you in advance
I would probably use a spatula and hand mix it rather than use a whisk attachment? Cause the whisk might incorporate too much air and you'll end up with air bubbles? I'm not too sure lol That, or turn your mixer on the lowest setting and hand mix the last bit?
I also have a problem with runny icing sometimes, since i like in a very humid area. I add about 50% of the liquid dictated in the recipe first, then slowly add more until i get the consistency i want.
Hi Amber, I have successfully used your cookie recipe (a HUGE hit with my entire family!) and your icing recipe. My question is about the icing. Once it set up and the cookies were 1-2 days out, the icing was very hard and crunchy. The cookies were still deliciously soft and I'm wondering if this is the combination you also achieve or did I mess up with the icing along the way?
Hi Cheryl! I'm so glad you are enjoying the cookie recipe. Royal icing does dry hard and crunchy, so you didn't make a mistake. Some decorators (Sugarbelle is one, if I'm not mistaken) add a little corn syrup in their icing to help keep it soft and shiny.
God, I love your work. You are so inspiring. I really wanna give it a try. Can you please tell me royal icing recipe in grams? Greetings from Argentina!
And aprox. how many cookies can you flood with 2 pounds? I need to make a calculation to know the cost of each cookie 🙂
Is there any alternative to eggs in the icing? My granddaughter is allergic to eggs and I want to make her some decorated cookies for her birthday oarty.
Hi Fran! I believe that Sweetopia has a blog post on egg replacers for royal icing.
What recipe do you use for biscuits? Please ?
Hello
Loved your video decorating cookies with royal icing. I'm trying to prepare in advance for teacher appreciation week next year. My theme I'm doing is Superhero. So, I'd like to make Superman shaped royal icing cookies. Suggestions??
Thanks you!
Hello, hoffe es klappt auch in Deutsch?
Ich möchte gerne Kekse mit so toller Glasur verzieren. Wie kann ich diese herstellen, oder kann ich sie in Österreich kaufen? U unter welchem Namen?
Liebe Grüße, Angie
Hi, your work is beautiful! I have a question: I bought piping bottles and the problem is they are filling with air. No matter how hard I try the icing wont come out. I have to open the bottle get rid of the air over and over and create a mess. It also happened with the icing bag but a lot less. Do you have any idea why is this happening and how to solve it? Thanks
Thank you! If it's happening with a piping bag, it could be that you've over-filled it. I fill mine only about one quarter to halfway. I've never used bottles for decorating cookies, but hopefully someone else who has experience with bottles can jump in with an answer!
Hye Amber, I'm so inspired with your art work. I've tried myself making these sugar icing just to get the chance to decorate with royal icing. However, I found out that drying up the royal icing takes 2 days and the icing almost separates leaving sandy surface. I know in Malaysia it's hot and humid, but i've tried leaving the cookies in front of a fan but didn't do any better. Once, I tried drying it up in air-conditioned room and it sets nicely. Is that really the case? Do you have any other method? I've tried also drying it up in slowest oven too but turned out even worse.
Thank you, Eusoff! I'm glad you like my work. The air conditioner does help dry the icing. During the summer months here in New York when it gets hot and humid, I always work in a cool and dry environment. However, if your icing has a sandy texture, it most likely means that you've over-mixed the icing. Make sure to mix the icing for no longer than 5 minutes on medium-low speed. It should not be fluffy, it should be thick and dense, like paste.
Hi Eusoff, I dry all my icing in the oven, set to its lowest possible temperature and with the fan on. The biscuits go in for 4 hours. The icing sets nicely and stays shiny.
Hi Amber i want to ask a similar question with sonia i dont have do your recipe yet and i want to ask how long time do to hard the icing becouse i want a recipe to hard the icing as quickly can be
Hi Ionna, I normally allow my icing to dry at least 8 hours.
Hi, you work is amazing ! I have a question: lately i have a problem with my icing- it does not want to dry out:) After 2 days is's still sticky. It never happend before.There is no humidity(and is not to hot), I use a fan, icing is flood consistency like in your videos (it doesn 't run of cookies). I use dried eggs power. What is wrong?
I would like to know how can I get my icing to dry over night, lime if in going to need my cookies the next day? And can you be kind enough to share your royal icing, please! Thank you!
Émaravilhoso o seu trabalho
Me encanta con decora las gatellas, quedan hermosas, wuiero aprender hacerlas
Olá!
ADORO VER O SEU TRABALHO E TINHA A MAIOR CURIOSIDADE DE COMO ERA FEITO,MAS NÃO TINHA JEITO.EU OLHAVA ,OBSERVAVA,MAS NÃO CHEGAVA HÁ LUGAR ALGUM.
NEM MESMO A RECEITAS DOS BISCOITOS EU TENHO.
COMECEI A FAZER COM BISCOITOS INDUSTRIALIZADOS QUE SÃO UMAS PORCARIAS E NÃO DAVA CERTO.
FOI AI QUE RESOLVI OLHAR DE MAIS PERTO AINDA E ADMIRA-LOS E FAÇO CADA VEZ UM AMIGO OU AMIGA DIZIA ESTA PASSANDO EU CORRIA E OLHAVA VÍDEO NOVO POIS EU NÃO TENHO VIDEO NEM NOTBOCK .EU VEJO NO DO VIZINHO CORRO E OLHO COMO SE FOSSE MINHA PRIMEIRA BONECA.
OBRIGADA POR ME DEIXAR VER TÃO DE PERTO O SEU TRABALHO.
QUE DEU MA ARTISTA.
GRANDE BEIJO.
DE UMA ADMIRADORA BRASILEIRA
ANA MARIA DOS SANTOS DELICIO
Gostaria de fazer o curso e aprender fazer as decoração que. Estão lindas
Is there any way to make a true black royal icing without the bad taste; like a choc. royal icing?
I have plastic sports textures (example basketball dimples) that I use on my cookies, but the last few times I have had the hardest time finding the exact right time to "impress" them onto the cookie. If it is too soon, the plastic sticks. If I wait too long, then the icing crackles under the pressure of the impression. I have tried several icing recipes - with and without meringue powder to see if one worked better than the other but found no difference. Let me know if you have any tips. thank you! LOVE your work
Simplesmente maravilhoso seu trabalho.
Quero aprender fazer ...onde encontro cursos?
I bought your Royal Icing Recipe and we love it...but the icing and the cookies get so hard they can hardly be eaten...we use Wilton meringue powder...do you have any input as to why this happens?
Hi Cathy! Royal icing does dry hard, but the cookies should be somewhat soft. Are you using the Orange Vanilla Spice cookie recipe?
Good morning, I am Brazilian and I would get the video material , recipes and also specified the product used in the decorations . Loved your work is wonderful , beautiful I really like the artistic confectionery . I wonder if is to get the videos online in Portuguese , values, prices for courses and especially the material that is used in .Because cookies to make here have to find a place that sells well.
Since already grateful for your attention , regards Tania Wolff
Hello how are you? Your work is beautiful, I wonder how is this coverage that you use to make this beautiful art on the wafers.
I love making candy, but what you do is wonderful.
Congratulations On.
ronilda
Hi Amber - could you tell me why sometimes my royal icing outlines and decorations fall off my cookies after they are dry. It's very annoying.
Thank you
I just purchased your cookie and royal icing recipes and am anxious to try my hand at some Easter cookies. Question: do you use regular vanilla in the icing, or clear vanilla? Your work is absolutely stunning.....
Thanks!
Sherri
Hi. Is it possible to use royal icing to get a rustic finish on a cake? Would i need to adjust the recipe?
I can't seem to get the consistency right. Is there any recipe, say, for every 1 cup of stiff frosting, use 1 tbsp. of water to get medium consistency? Or 2tbsps for flooding? Just when I think I've got it right, it all slides off of the darn cookie.,
I don't use an exact measurement for the water when making flood or medium consistency royal icing. It's just one of those things that takes practice! Add a couple of tablespoons of water at a time and keep checking the consistency in between additions.
If you use a (clean) spray bottle you can do small spritz at a time to get the right consistency. Just remember to use clean water each time, don't let it sit in the bottle and use again.
When I finished flooding cookies they looked lovely. Next morning the beautiful finish was spotted. Any suggestions?
When I finished flooding cookies they looked lovely. Next morning the beautiful matteam finish was spotted. Any suggestions?
Butter spots perhaps, take into consideration how you stored the Cookies overnight. Was it too warm? Were the cookies covered causing humidity?
Cookies were not covered. They were left uncovered on dining room table. my royal icing had real lemon juice in it but was mixed well. Could this be the problem?
Hey, ur amazing! I love all ur cookie decoz....
Could u pls give d recipe with fresh eggs pls
Hi Amber, I purchased your recipe for the royal icing. when it dries it seems not to dry smoothly.. Its almost porous.. what did I do wrong? I love your site and tutorials. Thank you for sharing with us all.
Thanks, Angie! You'll find tips on how to prevent porous under the Royal Icing Troubleshooting section of this post.
Hi Amber!
I use your recipe for royal icing and it never gets hard. The icing sticks to wax paper and other cookies when I package them and I'm afraid if I package them in cellophane baggies, that will peel the icing off too. What am I doing wrong? I just want to cry!
Hi Maggie! I'm sorry you're having trouble! Icing that doesn't dry is usually caused by over-mixing or adding too much color. Make sure you're mixing your icing on medium-low speed (I don't go higher than speed 2 or 3) for no more than 5 minutes. If you're making dark colors such as black, brown or red, use Americolor brand food coloring and don't add too much at once. Allow the color some time to darken on it's own first, then add more only if you need it.
Hi I'm really hoping you could find it in your heart to help me in such a stressful situation.
I cannot for the life of me do intricate work. I keep scrapping cool kids so now I do it on parchment paper.
I was doing dragonflies which had different parts to its wings but they were separated by I think the outline. I have no clue how to make my icing work around the tiniest places. I have changed consistency to everyway,. I'm so stressed I have watched tutorials but I cannot do such small details.
I just two days ago purchased a kopykate 300 projector which I can't use either. I know it's practice, how is it even possible to do outlines with the projector,
please help me on all topics before I throw in the towel
at Christmas I made 320 cookies but the flooding was all basic.
Thank you extremely
Jennifer
Hi Jennifer! If cookie decorating is stressing you out, just take a break for a while and come back when you are ready to tackle it again. It takes lots of practice, but it should also be a fun and enjoyable activity. You can read this post to see where I started and how practicing has helped me improve over the last several years: https://www.sweetambs.com/uncategorized/i-was-a-beginner-once-and-im-still-learning/
I had the same problem,and then one day I found out that my stiff consistency icing was not enough stiff. When i made it very, very stiff it became simple to use it in most intricate designs.
I want to learn any how can u teach me royal icing dough full course I am India .
I am from india
I need your recipe for flood consistency icing 🙂
Hi!
I need to make royal icing that is nut free and Wilton's meringue powder is not nut free/safe. If I used real egg whites what would be the ratio that I would use? Or if I used dried egg whites what brand would you use?
Thanks so much!!!
I also forgot to mention that I looked on,one and people said americolors meringue powder was good to use but I cannot find it anywhere to purchase!! Help!
I didn't know Americolor made meringue powder! CK products makes one. Have you checked that one out?
You can find that brand at Hobby Lobby 🙂
I haven't made royal icing with fresh egg whites in several years, so I don't have a reliable recipe. I have used Deb El brand egg white powder in this recipe and it's worked well for me. You can replace the meringue powder with the same amount of egg white powder.
I frosted my cookies with a base color (light blue) and let them sit in the fridge overnight to firm up. I just took them out to add the royal icing snowflakes on the top and when I piped the white icing it just turned watery. Any suggestions?
Hi Emily! Royal icing should not go into the fridge to dry after the cookies are iced. After icing the cookies, leave them out on a tray to dry.
Hi Dear Amber, I want to start to cookies decoration like you 😀 For my Dear family and friends in my home.
I know it will be toooo hard for me 🙂 first of all, if can I learn, which kind tips you are using (numbers, quantity, marks, and other needed items), and merengue powder? And quantity , Poly bag......
I Will ordered them from my couisen When She came to my country. Please urgently help me 🙂
Thank you,
Best regards
Hello! Here is a link to my blog post that lists my favorite supplies with links to purchase them online: https://www.sweetambs.com/uncategorized/my-most-commonly-used-cookie-decorating-supplies/
thank you veryyyy muccch :))
I have always struggled with royal icing. I followed your recipe and it said mix at medium-low speed. Medium low is a speed of 3 on kitchen aid. The icing has a spongy quality. Is speed 3 ok or too high??
Hi Katherine! If it's spongy, then it could have been over-mixed. Lower the speed to 2 and don't mix for longer than 5 minutes!
Thanks for sharing lovey i will be using this recipe this morning to prep for decorating tonight!! Ive watched several of your videos i love them and hope to make some amazing cookie! This recipe for your royal icing helped me alot thanks for all the little notes too tips are always a help!!
What food colour can I used to get bright strong colours At Christmas I used red colour and it come out nothing like Bright red on my cookies I got them from Sainsburys all colours come out different please advice love to bake thank you
Try Americolor tulip red + a touch of burgundy or black.
Hi Amber,
I have been following your page regularly and I wanted to appreciate your art of work in cookie making! Your designs and techniques are way too gorgeous!
Like wise, the above detailed step by step explanation of decoration on cookie with royal icing is amazing!
Thank you so much for sharing. I'm a cake artist and I do cookies with fondant and ready made royal icing at times. This time I will try decorating cookies completely with royal icing!
It was kind of u to share! Thank u again!
BTW Amber was an great post thanks for all the information. You do amazing work!
Thank you!
I used a packaged mix and overall mixing was ok but it never fully dried and stayed tacky to the touch any idea where I could of gone wrong I'm thinking over mixing? I had to keep thinning it to get to a flood consistency thanks for any feedback
Yes, it could have been the overmixing! I recently experienced this problem. The icing had a foamy consistency and then it stayed tacky for about 48 hours (usually should be totally dry within 8). Once it was dry, however, the texture was sandy under the surface. Make sure to keep that mixer on low speed! 😀
Your work is so beautiful. I would love to be added to your email list. Thank you.
Hello,
I just had a quick question. After cookies are decorated with the royal icing, are they able to be frozen? and how long would you recommend is the longest that they would be frozen and still remain good 🙂
These cookies look amazing, your work is just stunning. Can these recipes be changed to gluten free without any problems, if so is there a flour substitute that works best?
Thank you! I have tried using Bob's Red Mill gluten free flour as a replacement, and the cookies didn't hold their shape very well. I'm still working on it!
I use a brand call "cup for cup". Its coconut flour and it is one of the best gluten free flour i have used.
Thank you for the suggestion!
We are all celiac and use Cup4Cup too. It is the best flour for baking and can be directly substituted in recipes.
Hi Amber,
How can I make the icing taste better, add vanilla or almond & butter flavoring? Mine is just too sweet, I love the taste of buttercream but can't decorate with it.
Your work is incredible and I appreciate any pointers!
Thanks, Emily! I like to add a little bit of vanilla and a pinch of salt to my icing. You can add any flavor you'd like!
Love your decorated cookies! Please add me to your email. Thanks:)
hi! your cookies are stunning 🙂 Im super interested in the wet on wet beach cookies for an event this summer by the beach. Ive seen many cookies need several hours to a day for the different icings to dry. what do you suggest to do to keep the cookies from getting stale while I make and then transport them as I will be making them a few days a head of when we go.
thank you for your beautiful ideas !
candy
Thank you, Candy! Here's a post on storage and packaging that I hope you will find to be helpful: https://www.sweetambs.com/uncategorized/cookies-some-general-information/
please add me to your email list. Thanks
Will do, Shannon! Thank you!
I want to make this royal ising for my sugar cookies. You do such a pretty job of decorating your cookies. It looks like a lot of work.
Thanks,
Tonie
Love all the tips thank you
Me encantaria estar en la lista de su correo electrónico
Me encanta este programa !!! tomarme en cuenta para la liste de su correo electrónico
Inspiring stuff, love it!
Have wanted to make these , love your work
wouldwould love to be on your email list
Thanks, Bonnie! I'll add you to the email list.
OMGOODNESS! I love your owl cookies! You do amazzzzzing work! I have always had a passion for baking, cooking, crafting, etc. I was one of those weirdo's in school that loved Home Ec class.
I bake for my family and grandsons all the time and will definitely try your ideas out. Baking is my 'go-to' when I am stressed out and/or worried. (that has been a lot lately with my mom's poor health, my dads sudden passing and my recent diagnosis of cancer.)
I will def be following you on your blog and channels.
Thank you so much for sharing with us!
xoxox
אך קוראים לקרם
But calling for cream
Do you have a mailing list for email? I love watching your work. I am an LVN, 60 years old. Had to file for disability due to a stroke in 2009 and my spine degenerating.
I have always admired those who could decorate with food the way you do. I am mesmerized watching your video's and would love to learn.
If you have an email list would you put me on it?
Thank you so much,
Yvonne
Hi Yvonne! I'm so glad you are enjoying my tutorials! I will be happy to add you to my email list. Thank you!
Hi there!
I had two questions for you about royal icing. .. how do I prevent the icing from cracking while it's drying? Also, does your recipe for royal icing get rock hard or stay somewhat soft underneath the top layer? I'm very new at making this and just need some help. Thank you!
What kind of gold did you use for your royal icing?
Crystal Colors Antique Gold is my favorite kind. You can learn more about how to make gold royal icing in this post: https://www.sweetambs.com/tutorial/gold-royal-icing/
Hi Amber!
I have a question for you and would appreciate any help! I bought your Videos 1-3 bundle! been having fun watching and made a batch of your Royal Icing recipe yesterday, but I think I messed it up. lol
what happened is after I had it all wrapped up and in the fridge, I found that I had left out probably at LEAST 2? tablespoons of water. (I THOUGHT it felt kind of "gritty"?)
so my question is, when I get it back out to use, should I put the whole batch into a bowl and try to fix it? or should I just "fix" it when I am making the consistencies that I need for each of my colors?
dumb question? well, thanks for any help! 🙂
love your site and all your videos and recipes!!
Michele
Hello,
I have a quick question about expiry or use by dates on prepackaged royal icing packs.
I bought a pack of prepackaged royal icing last year and was wondering if it is ok to use? I haven't opened the pack, but the icing looks lumpy. I couldn't find an expiry or use by date? Very confused, should I throw it out?
Thank you
I make cookies and let the royal icing dry 24 hrs. I wrapped them in cellophane bag with ribbon on it. In very small, random spots, the icing became glazed looking and stuck to the cellophane bag?!? Any ideas why this happened or what I can do to correct this? Thank you for your help
Hi Ginger! If you have a photo of the cookies with the spots, please send it to me at amber@sweetambs.com. I might be able to tell what happened by looking at the icing. Thanks!
I use my own recipe for icing cookies. Tastes great and buttery and hardens well. Recipe is basically powdered sugar, vanilla, butter and milk with a dash of salt. My problem is when I add food coloring I don't get an even color...its kind of dotted like it doesn't completely dissolve. In use gel coloring. Any suggestions? Thanks, Debi
Your royal icing recipe seems to have more meringue powder compared to other recipes. Why is that? And what is your take on adding lemon juice or cream of tartar?
Hello Amber. Thank You for all your beautiful help.
I have made some cookies using your recipe and the taste is great but I am having a problem getting an even cookie.
When I roll the dough. I do not want to re-roll to much to make it even as you said it is not advisable. Any tips? Also The cookies seem to be under baked using your suggested time and they are very soft to the touch. Is that the way it supposed to be? Any tips?
Thank You. Love those cookies!!You work is out of this world!
To even out your cookie you can put a ruler in the sides of the dough
This is something I would love to accomplish
Thanks for the opportunity
I will follow your instructions and hope for the best!
hola ambar!! soy Sofia de Neuquen, Argentina. Me gustaria saber como se prepara el fluido con el que decoras las cookies? Muchas Gracias!! Hermosos trabajos!
Hi Sofia! I use royal icing to decorate the cookies. You can download my cookie and icing recipe in my shop: https://www.sweetambs.com/products-page/videos/sweetambs-sugar-cookie-recipe/
Hi Amber!
I desperately need your help! could you please make a tutorial on how to achieve nice dark colors without overdoing it with the food coloring we use on the royal icing? For example now Fourth of July is ahead and I would love to get a nice deep dark red and a nice dark blue for my cookie proyect but I am afraid because I dont want to have bleed problems and also I dont want to use ALL mu food coloring red and blue in order to achieve the right shade. Could you please give us a tip on that? what about when we need to work with deep black... anyway... Love your work!!!
all my best!
Mery
Is there any particular reason why you should not add more powdered sugar to thicken the icing?
Good day, I am having my first attempt a flood icing, I am trying to make a Dora exploration for the top of a birthday cake, all is going well but how long will it take to set completely, and will it just slide off the grease proof? Help
Kind regards
Maureen
I love your cookies they are so beautiful. Can you tell me how you get that glossy effect and your royal icing recipe please.
Thank you
I'm just wondering if you've ever tried to scale your recipe? I have had great success with your original recipe... But a couple of weeks ago I tried to make a half batch so my kids could play around decorating. It was a lot more like marshmallow cream consistency and I had to add more water to the half recipe than I do the full to get to a flood consistency. Even then, it was very sticky... Still sticky three days later!! But I have a very small project coming and don't want to waste a full batch of icing as I just need a little. Hoping you have some ideas and tips, thanks and God Bless!!
Hi Tiffany! I usually don't do a half recipe because it doesn't mix up as well as a full recipe. You can always just put half of the icing in the freezer for later use.
I think that the sticky icing might be a different problem. Even with too much water added, the icing should fully dry within 12 hours. Could it have been that there was a lot of food coloring in your icing or maybe you accidentally got some butter or oil in there?
I will try freezing it, just bring it to room temp again before using? Do you have any trouble with cloudiness when it's not fresh made fresh?
It might have been the food coloring... A little seems to go a lot further with the Royal than Buttercream. Still trying to get used to that 😉
Thanks so much for your quick responses, live savers!!!
Hiiii Amber,
Well first off I absolutely love your work and I admire your skill. You've inspired me to learn so much about cookie art and cookies and royal icing and all that jazz. So thank you. However I'm still young (15) so I want to use this time to learn and practice so when I'm older I can do this as a side job or maybe even my main job. My question is, where do I start? I know there is a lot to learn but if you could just tell me how you got started that'd be great! Once again thank you so much for all the work you do and I absolutely can't wait to fully get into this and well your level of skill is my goal! - Jenan
Hello, I love your cookies, beautiful.
Inspired by them, I tried to make some but not ran very well first when the cookies were baking began to lose shape cutter, and then the first layer of icing when I implement the design with tissue paper on top to spend glace began to put holes, would you explain me why.
Continue with your beautiful work.
greetings
Hi there. I am a huge HUGE fan of yours!!! Speaking of fans, how long would you dry cookies in front of the fan to obtain a shine ( this works for me as well)? I am worried drying for so long in front of the fan will dry out the cookie part even sooner. I am making a batch of cookies like 7 days ahead of time is the reason of my concern. Thanks so much!
Lol! Thank you, Michaela! I keep the cookies in front of a fan for at least the first two hours of drying time. The cookie recipe that I use doesn't dry out very quickly, so it's okay to keep the cookies out for up to 48 hours, but having the fan on them for just those first couple of hours will help to create a shiny surface. Make sure to wrap the cookies up as soon as they're dry so that they stay fresh. Thanks for stopping by!
Hi Amber...
I want to make cookies for my daughters baptism... Can you tell me if I should use gel colouring or food colouring to change the royal icing color...
Thank you
Hi Karolyn,
I always use gel paste food coloring. Wilton, Americolor and Sugarflair are my favorites.
Hi Amber,
Love your decorating skills!!!
You're such an expert in royal icing! 🙂 I was wondering if you could let me know how long do you think it would take for a large piece of royal icing to dry? I'm planing to make a minnie mouse head, 15 cm wide. I have a cake for this Saturday and was wondering if I could pull this off in time.
Thank you so much and hope to hear from you soon
Nicole
Thank you, Nicole! It might be cutting it close, but 2 days of drying time should be enough. You can use a fan, heat gun or dehydrator to help the drying process along. Good luck!
Thank you so much Amber! I'll give it a try
Hi Amber,
I have just bought your royal icing recipe, and was wondering if I want to use fresh egg white instead of meringue powder, what are the amount of egg white and water i should use? And can i substitute other flavouring(e.g. rose flavouring, etc.) for vanilla extract?
Thx~
gracias por compartir sus conocimientos soy una aprendiz y sigo todo lo que nos comparte
I am a longtime fan of your work... Thank you for sharing all that you do. I am amazed you get such fine detailing with nothing smaller than a Wilton #1.. WOW, truly talented... I am looking forward to your presentation at Cookie Con!
Why can't you add more powdered sugar to make the icing thicker? I'm guessing this rule only applies when you're adding food coloring and not when you're initially mixing the royal icing, correct? I'm trying to figure out why my royal icing isn't forming stiff peaks. I don't have meringue powder so I use egg whites, and I thought maybe I just wasn't beating it long enough to form stiff peaks, but I sat there beating my royal icing for like 15 minutes and it just wouldn't form stiff peaks. I tried adding a little more powdered sugar but that didn't help. Maybe I just needed more powdered sugar? Or will royal icing not form stiff peaks with egg whites? I'm so confused.
If there is any trace of oil/grease in the bowl or on the beaters, the meringue will not whip up. Before you start your Royal Icing, wipe the bowl and beaters down with vinegar to remove all grease particles.
Lovely site, Amber.
What a wonderful resource. So happy to find you.
Quick question: Is there a way to make royal icing look translucent so it looks like clear glass?
Thanks,
Lisa
Thank you, Lisa! You'd probably need to use melted sugar or Isomalt to achieve the look of clear glass, but you might want to view this post about using corn syrup as a glaze. This is as close as I've gotten to a glassy look! https://www.sweetambs.com/tutorial/the-cracked-glaze-royal-icing-techniquenique/
What kind of icing is best for sugar cookies? Flavor wise?
Dear Amber,
Your cookies are amazing. You are very talented.
I just starting decorating an I have a few problems with the icing. I am using egg whites for my royal icing mix. Quite often often my outlines start to crumble/crack next day. Why? If the icing to stiff?
Thank you, Kasia! If you are using stiff icing directly on the surface of the cookie, it will crumble and flake off when it's dry. If you make your icing a little thinner, it will help. I don't normally apply stiff icing directly to the cookie surface for this reason. It's usually a layer of flood consistency icing first, or, as shown on these cookies, medium consistency icing: https://www.sweetambs.com/tutorial/fall-leaves-cookies/
Hi Amber, I just ordered your recipe for the cookies and the bead video, I'm excited to try it. I have an old family recipe that I use and have tweaked a few time and my customer love them. Now I can excite them with a new recipe and designs. Thanks so much for sharing. Cindy
Dear Amber, you are simply brilliant! the way you present to the finished product absolute divine...it's like poetry in motion....You are truly Blessed! I never knew cookies could be made so beautiful... A Big God Bless You! Lady ...you have an Angelic look & poise and a Divine Gift! Merry Christmas and a Wonderful Year ahead!
for the flood consistancy if its meant to spread on its own how can it also be used for fine detail without it spreading flat?
Here's an example of using flood consistency icing for fine details: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AnvgD158K8
Hola soy de México y me encanta todo lo que haces, tienes un don maravilloso, espero llegar a hacer galletas como las tuyas. Gracias por compartirnos tus conocimientos. Bendiciones!!
Hi Amber, I hope you can help me. I am putting white royal icing crosses onto a blue biscuit when the icing is still wet, but after drying it by the fan for a while the cross is transparent looking and not a bright white. I thought about putting it on the biscuit dry, but I think the crosses will crack during transport. Thank you so much. I love your tutorials . I watch them endlessly.
Hi Michelle! What royal icing recipe are you using? Is it just egg whites (or meringue powder) with powdered sugar or do you add anything else such as corn syrup?
Hi Amber, I use albumin powder with powdered sugar. I would like to change to meringue powder, but I bought heaps of the albumin and I don't want to waste it. I'm also finding my blue cookies are drying exceptionally hard. Not sure what I am doing wrong. My white ones stay soft for longer. Am I adding too much colour do you think ? I so appreciate your advice. Also do you have to wait for RI to reach room temperature before adding colour to it? Thank you again !
Best article ever about royal icing..thank u so much.!!!!
Thank you, Shenone!!
Do you have tutorials on eggless royal icing. I love your work n would like to buy the tutorials but I don't use egg in my work. Can you help. ..?
Hi! I'm sorry, I don't have a royal icing recipe that doesn't use eggs!
Ohhh that is sad. I really love your work. U have inspired me to bake n decorate cookies. Thanx anyways. Keep doing the great work.
At some point I will be testing out some alternatives and I will post the results on my blog. Glad you like my work!
Amber...just wanted to say I love your work and all your advice and tutorials. I have been doing decorated cookies for over ten years. I recently moved to Denver, CO and have been experiencing difficulties with my cookies and icing due to the altitude. Have you come across anyone with similar issues and know how they solved baking in high altitudes? I've also purchased your cookie and icing recipes and am going to try them. I'm hoping there's something you do differently from me that works!!! I quit doing cookies since moving to Colorado due to frustration. But following you on Facebook and seeing your work has given me new found determination to try again. Thanks!!!!
Hi Cindy! This is a great question. Unfortunately, I do not know about baking at high altitude, so I have no answers! I'm sorry! What kinds of issues are you running into?
The cookies spread way too much and sometimes the outside is done before the center. I tried your cookie recipe and did exactly as you state in your recipe regarding refrigerating the dough, then freezing the cut outs...I was amazed...when I baked them they came out perfect!!! Tried the same procedure with my recipe and it worked!!! I had never put my cut outs in the freezer before...didn't have to when I lived in Texas. But, it works so that's all that matters! Thanks Amber.
I'm glad to hear that, Cindy! Thank you!!
Thanks for your tips!
It's very hot in south of France in summer and butter bleed is just driving me crazy!
Some people on the web suggested that meringue powder was the key as I use oragnic powdered egg white, but I see that you use meringue powder and experienced butter bleed still... I even used glaze instead of RI for flooding and it solved the butter isue, but I find it hard to work with and then I have to make two kinds of icings, one for flooding and one for details.
Amber, I loved you website!! your work is amazing, beautiful, perfect 🙂
thanks for shared tips and ideas
Thank you, Paula!
Hi! Thanks so much for all your great tips and tricks!
You mentioned that the 'count' for the flood icing is about 14-16 seconds, can you give a count for the other two consistencies as well please?
Hi Naomi! I didn't give the other two consistencies a "count" because they don't completely smooth out on their own, so the count isn't really useful here. I like to compare them to other things to give an idea of what the consistency should be. For instance, the stiff icing is like toothpaste or Spackle, and the medium consistency is like sour cream or yogurt.
can i order the tutorial if I'm from other country like MALAYSIA
Yes! 🙂 The tutorials are sent by email, so you can order from anywhere in the world.
Amber,
Your work is exquisite, thank you for sharing. In regards to the royal icing recipe, are you using table salt or popcorn salt?
Thank you, Talia! I use kosher salt, but you can use table salt. I find that it dissolves pretty quickly, so I don't need to use a super fine salt.
I can't help but "hate" you in the best way possible, you are soooooooooooooo talented!! It is the envy speaking through my fingers... sorry!! I wish I had just a drop of your talent 🙂 Thanks for sharing and the patience to make such great tutorials!
No puedo evitar odiarte un poco, en el buen sentido, tienes tantísimo talento... es la envidia que me corroe 🙂 lo siento! Ojalá tuviera sólo una pizca de tu talento. Gracias por compartir, por tu paciencia y por hacer unos tutoriales tan fantásticos!!
Haha thank you!! Your jewelry and charms are so cool!! Thank you for visiting my blog!
If you want an anklet of bracelet just ask me, it would be my pleasure to send if for free 🙂 Just for all the tips I have learnt from you I feel already paid! 🙂
I love your work Amber, thank you for sharing with us. I have an issue with my colors bleeding into other areas of my cookies. I've tried using the stiffer icing and even after the cookie is dry, I can see some bleeding. HELP..lol..how can I fix this, or what I am doing wrong? Thank you again 🙂
Thank you! Have you tried using less food coloring? If you're making dark colors, try making them a day or two before you need to use them. That way, the colors will have time to darken on their own so that you don't need to add a whole bunch of color at once. Also, dry the cookies in front of a fan and use an air conditioner if possible!
I will. Thank you Amber.
Que cosas mas bonitas haces, siempre entro en tu web, para ver que galleta has hecho nueva y es alucinante, cada dia me sorprendes,muchas gracias por tus consejos, eres una artista...
Thanks for the great tips, what do you use to colour your royal icing please?
Gemma x
Very helpful tips on drying decorated cookies and systematic introduction on the three stages of royal icing!! Thank you for sharing!! 😀
Thank you, Dan!!
Amber -- I got several of your tutorials a couple of weeks ago. Used your cookie recipe, and your methods for making/using royal icing. I've been making decorated cookies on & off for years, and this effort has been the most successful (as well as tasting the best). I made five dzn cookies for a friend's office party and she was really pleased with the results. I'll post on your FB page. I'm psyched now to practice more and to try out more of your methods -- you're an excellent teacher!! Thanks so much!
(PS: I used some organic orange extract in the royal icing instead of vanilla -- I think it worked really well with the flavor of the cookie.)
Thank you so much, Barb! Orange extract sounds delicious. I'm looking forward to seeing what you made!!
Great tips! Do you reuse your left over icing? How long does icing last at room temperature beforw tossing it?
Thanks, Claudia! I actually don't store my icing at room temp. I keep the icing in the fridge for up to 10 days. It will separate after a while, so, when I want to reuse it, I just mix it by hand.
Thank you, Amber! So, does the icing go bad if stored in room temperature or after ten days?
I know that some decorators store their icing at room temperature and it seems to be okay, but I've never done it myself so I can't say for sure how long it will keep. I just like to be safe and limit it to 10 days in the fridge. If you don't use all of your icing at once, you can store it in the freezer.
Thank you! I will have to do some search on freezing royal icing. Thank you again for all your help 🙂
Hi Amber,
I'm a huge fan of your work. Can you tell me if you can store icing made with fresh egg whites, in the same way you store yours made with the meringue powder? If so, what is the maximum amount of time that it will keep? I'm new in the field and still have a lot to learn!
Thanks so much for sharing your tips on icing. When mine get too runny I have always added more powdered sugar and it never worked right - now I know to add thick icing! I love your cookie art!!!
Thanks, Sandy! I'm glad to help!