Food & Cooking Recipes Dessert & Treats Recipes Martha's Favorite Royal Icing Recipe for Decorating Sugar Cookies 3.3 (2,038) 7 Reviews It's the best glaze for all your holiday cookies. By Martha Stewart Martha Stewart Martha Stewart is a bestselling author, entrepreneur, and lifestyle expert who has taught millions of people through generations the joy of entertaining, cooking, gardening, collecting, crafting, and home renovating via her eponymous magazine, Martha Stewart Living, Emmy-winning television shows, and 99 books (and counting). Based in Katonah, N.Y., where she helms her 156-acre Bedford Farm, Martha is America's first self-made female billionaire. Editorial Guidelines Updated on November 4, 2024 Rate PRINT Share Servings: 20 Yield: Makes 2 1/3 cups Jump to recipe This royal icing recipe is our favorite for decorating sugar cookies and taking them to the next level. It's stiffer and glossier than other frostings and glazes, and will hold the shape of fine piped details. Our easy recipe lets you use either raw egg whites or meringue powder along with confectioners' sugar and a little water to create a smooth, stable white icing that dries hard and shiny. 12 Classic Christmas Sugar Cookie Recipes to Help You Get in the Holiday Spirit What Is Royal Icing? Royal icing is a sweet, thick, and white icing that hardens as it dries. It is made from just three ingredients: egg whites or meringue powder, confectioners’ or powdered sugar, and water or another liquid. It's stiffer and glossier than a frosting or glaze, which means that you can create finer details because it holds its shape. It was originally used only by professional bakers, but is now beloved by home bakers, too. Using Egg Whites Versus Using Meringue Powder for Royal Icing Meringue powder is found in the baking aisle of most markets. For the finish: For royal icing with a glossy finish, use egg whites; for a more matte finish, use meringue powder. Food safety: If you're decorating cookies with royal icing and will be sharing the treats with someone with a compromised immune system, use meringue powder instead of raw egg whites. What You Need to Make and Decorate With Royal Icing We use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment to make royal icing, but you can use a hand mixer or whisk and a mixing bowl. For Piping Royal Icing: Use either a small pastry bag and icing tip or a plastic squeeze bottle.A long toothpick or metal cake tester is another useful tool to get the royal icing in every nook and cranny of a cookie. Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 1 box confectioners' sugar (1 pound) 5 tablespoons meringue powder, or 2 large egg whites Directions Combine ingredients in mixer bowl: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine sugar and meringue powder. Mix and add water: Mixing on low speed, add a scant 1/2 cup water. For a thinner consistency, usually used for flooding, add more water. A thicker consistency is generally used for outlining and adding details. Continue mixing: Mix until icing holds a ribbonlike trail on the surface of the mixture for 5 seconds when you raise the paddle. How to Decorate Cookies With Royal Icing In addition to sugar cookies, royal icing is often used to decorate cakes, cupcakes, and gingerbread houses. Pipe a border around your cookie shape with the icing; this technique is known as a "dam." Fill in the border (a method known as "flooding") and use a toothpick to blend in any spaces and smooth out the icing.Embellish the cookies using sanding sugar, candied citrus, pearls, and other sugary decorations. In addition to covering the surface of a cookie with royal icing, you can use it sparingly to add details and embellishments. Johnny Miller Frequently Asked Questions Can you overmix royal icing? Yes, you can overmix royal icing. Mixing royal icing is not the same as whipping egg whites, you are not trying to incorporate air into the royal icing so use low speed to combine the egg whites or meringue powder with the confectioners’ sugar. Is confectioners' sugar different to powdered sugar? Yes, though confectioners' sugar and powdered sugar look very similar, they are actually different. Powdered sugar is granulated sugar that has been ground to a very fine powder. In contrast, confectioners' sugar is powdered sugar with starch added (usually cornstarch), to prevent it from caking as it sits. Both types of sugar are finely milled and are most often used for glazes and frostings. Why is corn syrup added to royal icing? Corn syrup is added to royal icing to make the icing more shiny. This is not something we do. We prefer not to use corn syrup and enjoy the look of the icing as is. (As noted earlier, a different way to make royal icing more shiny is to use raw egg whites, not meringue powder to make it.) Other Icing and Glaze Recipes to Try: Royal Icing With Egg Whites Easy White Icing Lemon Glaze Chocolate Glaze Originally appeared: The Martha Stewart Show, Episode 1128 Rate It PRINT Updated by Victoria Spencer Victoria Spencer Victoria Spencer is an experienced food editor, writer, and recipe developer. She manages the Martha Stewart recipe archive and is always curious about new ingredients and the best techniques. She has been working in food media for over 20 years.