Royal Icing

Royal icing dries hard, kind of like candy buttons. It can also taste like candy buttons. Royal icing is needed if you want to make cute little flowers or certain types of frosting decorations. This batch, however, will be used for gluing together the pieces of tiny sugar cookie houses.

When making and using royal icing, it is very important to make sure it doesn't come into contact with shortening or butter. This will make the icing turn runny and it won't set. So wash your mixing bowl and utensils with hot soapy water before starting!

Royal Icing (Printer-friendly PDF Version)
1 egg white
1 1/2 C powdered sugar
1 t vanilla

First, sift the powdered sugar. This will break up any clumps in the sugar and ensure the icing is nice and smooth.

Place the egg white and vanilla in the mixing bowl. Beat until it starts to get frothy.

Add the powdered sugar and mix together on a low speed until it is combined. A high speed will result in a cloud of powdered sugar emitting from the mixing bowl. Scrape the sides of the mixing bowl.

Beat on a high speed for 5 minutes.

If you are concerned about using a raw egg white, you can microwave the royal icing for 15 seconds. Be sure to move the icing to a non-metal and microwave-safe dish first!

The royal icing sets quickly. Keep it covered with a moist paper towel.

The icing takes up to 24 hours to set.