By using pasteurized eggs, you can safely make egg white royal icing for your cookies without using hard-to-find meringue powder. Sponsored by Davidson’s Safest Choice Eggs™.
It seems that every holiday has me making and decorating a batch (or two, or three…) of sugar cookies. And I hate decorating cookies. I think it’s my complete inability to work slowly and patiently with a pastry bag that I end up with lackluster frosted sugar cookies. But, since the kids don’t mind what they look like and they only care what they taste like, it’s all good.
So it’s rather odd for me to be writing a post about royal icing when I am clearly not worthy of it. But this post is not about how to come up with those fine, perfectly decorated sugar cookies. This post is about royal icing and the number of ways you can make it. And please don’t judge me on my mediocre decorating skills and lopsided circles. Okay?
What is royal icing?
If you google this question, what is royal icing, you get the following definition: hard white icing made from confectioners’ sugar and egg whites, typically used to decorate fruitcakes. Fruitcakes? Royal icing has come a long way!
Royal icing is the basic icing you see on many confectionaries from cookies to simple cakes. In it’s simplest form, it is a whole lot of powdered sugar with a little bit of water.
What is the difference between buttercream icing and royal icing?
So if you bake desserts, then you need to decorate them, too, am I right?! I’m the master of minimal effort on the decorating front and keeping it simple. Knowing the best topping for your dessert is the key to success.
As I mentioned earlier, royal icing in it’s most simplest is powdered sugar and a little water. Buttercream icing is more commonly known as buttercream frosting. It is thicker and perfect for cakes or a filling inside a cookie.
Buttercream frosting is basically powdered sugar whipped to a frenzy with, you guessed it, softened butter. You can add some vanilla extra or other flavoring as well as some milk or whipping cream.
If you want to decorate a layer cake, buttercream icing (or frosting) is the perfect choice. If you want to decorate cookies, than royal icing the best choice.
How do you make royal icing hard?
When I first began decorating cookies, I just used powdered sugar and enough water to get the consistency I needed. Then I realized it took over 24 hours to dry and harden. Not cool, especially when you have impatient kids.
Enter in meringue powder. This is basically egg white powder and you can find it at Michael’s or buy it online. The meringue powder helps thicken and harden the royal icing more quickly then just time and dry air temperature.
You can also use egg white powder – yes, I’ve tried it! And of course, the whole point of this post, you can also use real egg whites to harden royal icing.
Can I make royal icing using egg whites?
Being the haphazard baker that I am, I rarely have meringue powder in my cupboard. And when I do remember to go hit Michael’s to purchase some, they are always out because it is peak Christmas season and I’m not the only one who is decorating sugar cookies.
For several years I have had the honor of being one of Davidson’s Safest Choice Eggs Darling Dozen. I love their pasteurized eggs because I know they are safe to eat raw, mildly cooked, you name it – with no worry of salmonella poisoning.
And since I always have their eggs in fridge, I no longer need to keep meringue powder in the pantry. Not to mention that it is more economical than that expensive can of powder.
How to make egg white royal icing
There are two ways you can make the egg white royal icing. An acid is needed to stabilize the egg whites. This can be done with lemon juice, vinegar or cream of tartar. Ok, there are three ways you can make the egg white royal icing!
Since I always have cream of tartar in my pantry, it’s also much easier to find than meringue powder, and you only need a smidgen of it, I used the cream of tartar. Also, since the cookies I was decorating for this post was my Rosewater and Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies, I didn’t want a hint of lemon flavor in the icing. Or vinegar, for that matter.
Easy Peasy. And safe to eat because the eggs are pasteurized.
How do I make flavored royal icing?
When it comes to adding the flavor to royal icing, the options are endless! You can easily replace the water in royal icing with juices like lemon, orange, apple, cranberry – any of these add color and flavor to your icing. Remember a little liquid goes a long way in making royal icing.
But, juices only go so far in flavor. Other flavor options are oils and extracts, and the choices here are endless too. I have used rosewater in my royal icing for a floral component.
You can also use crushed dried rose petals (yes you can eat rose petals) or use grated zest from lemons, limes, oranges or grapefruit for extra flavor.
Can I add food coloring to egg white royal icing?
You can easily keep your egg white royal icing white, by not adding anything else to the mix. But the real fun to cookie decorating comes with the colors!
Whether you use food dyes or paste, remember they add liquid to your royal icing. So you will need to add a little bit less water or add more powdered sugar to get your desired consistency.
Can I pipe egg white royal icing into intricate designs?
Oh yes, yes, YES! Please do! I am not very talented with the piping bag, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be! The key to piping success is controlling the icing. Thicker icing is needed for the outline, which means you add less liquid to the mix. To fill up the cookie and flood it with icing, you want a more fluid icing.
Here’s a great tutorial from a real from Sweet Ambs, a super talented baker, that tells you the differences in royal icing consistencies. She has beautiful tutorials and videos of her icing creations.
And some of the products I’ve mentioned above on coloring and flavoring your royal icing are right here:
Is royal icing only for classic sugar cookies?
Heck no! Although vanilla sugar cookies are always a crowd favorite and the first cookie you think about when it comes to decorating cookies, I use royal icing for lots of different cookies.
I’ve mentioned my cream cheese based sugar cookie recipe. I also have a chocolate roll out cookie recipe that I ice with this egg white royal icing. And of course, my olive oil gingerbread cookies are always screaming to be decorated, too! You can also make decorated shortbread cookies!
You can use royal to decorate any cookie you want, whether it’s homemade or store bought. It’s perfect for the holidays and any other celebrations you can dream of. It’s even perfect to decorate simple Oreos, like my Raisin Spider Oreos!
By using pasteurized eggs, you can safely make egg white royal icing for your cookies without using hard-to-find meringue powder. Cooking Tips: Royal icing may be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. This recipe works best when used right away. As it sits in the refrigerator the water and icing sugar separate and needs to be remixed before use. You can substitute cream of tartar with 2 teaspoons of lemon juice. Omit water and add more powdered sugar until desired consistency. As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.Egg White Royal Icing
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
Recommended Products
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
32 Serving Size:
icing for 1 cookie
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 30 Total Fat: 0g Saturated Fat: 0g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 2mg Carbohydrates: 7.5g Fiber: 0g Sugar: 7.4g Protein: 0.2g
Annette says
Iced sugar cookies have been my favorite cookie since I was a child, but nowadays it’s harder to find that same icing flavor. I made royal icing when I used to decorate cakes for my now grown children, but I remember it being super sweet and stiff (for making flowers), not this runny icing used on cookies. When I read your recipe it reminded me of the mixture I made to seal cakes (confectioners sugar + water + extract) which tasted a lot like the cookie icing I was after. So, the egg whites + tartar makes it harden, while keeping that same flavor. I’d forgotten all about meringue powder (haven’t used it in ages), but it’s nice to know I can get the same effect with eggs and vinegar/lemon/tarter which I always have on hand.
These cookies look so delicious and beautiful.
Kathleen says
I am SO thrilled to find this information … and see these beautiful cookies! I have been wondering about meringue powder for awhile, not knowing where to find it, and certainly not knowing about this substitute!
Thank you so much … because this Christmas Season, our “Grands” will have the fun of helping with some of the fanciest, most decorated, shortbread cutout cookies around! Just think of all this pent-up creativity, waiting to explode!!!
Now I want to host a cookie exchange this year, though it’s only May, to show off! It’s as if I just invented decorated cookies … !!!
Ale says
It gets hard itself? Or do I have to refrigerate it in order for it to get hard?
Family Spice says
After you ice the cookies, just let them dry as you would normally and they will dry and harden on their own. No need to refrigerate.
Beth says
Love those Hanukkah cookies and especially the rosewater version. So pretty to look at and I’m sure even better to eat!
John / Kitchen Riffs says
I don’t have the decorating gene, so I’m with your kids — I’m happy if it tastes good, and ignore how it looks. 🙂 Fun post — thanks.
Linda Flaherty says
Can you freeze cookies after they are iced?
Family Spice says
Great question! I have not done it but I have been told that you can. Just be sure the icing is completely dry before freezing. But the problem comes with thawing. The icing might melt or bleed. I recommend to be safe to freeze the sugar cookies without icing.