Food & Cooking Recipes Dessert & Treats Recipes Martha's Favorite Royal Icing 3.6 (35) 1 Review By Martha Stewart Test Kitchen Martha Stewart Test Kitchen The recipes developed by our test kitchen team have undergone a rigorous process of development and testing, ensuring that every element is optimal, from ingredient amounts to method and cooking time. This process includes triple-testing recipes to ensure they meet our high standards. The many stellar cooks and food editors who have been part of our team include Sarah Carey, Lucinda Scala Quinn, Jennifer Aaronson, Shira Bocar, Anna Kovel, Greg Lofts, Riley Wofford, Lauren Tyrell, and Lindsay Leopold. Editorial Guidelines Updated on February 9, 2021 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Sang An Prep Time: 12 mins Total Time: 12 mins Yield: 2 cups Royal icing is best for decorating cookies, since it dries to a plaster-hard finish. This recipe yields enough to cover about 100 three- to four-inch cookies. To ice all those in this story, you will need to make two batches of icing; increasing the recipe by half won't work well. Ingredients 1 pound confectioners' sugar, sifted, plus more if needed 5 tablespoons meringue powder Scant 1/2 cup water, plus more if needed Directions Combine all ingredients in a bowl, and beat with a mixer on low speed until smooth and opaque white, about 7 minutes. If icing is too thick, add more water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until icing has the consistency of glue; if too thin, beat icing 2 to 3 minutes more, or add more sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Rate it Print