Austin, TX

Obviously, you don’t have to ice your sugar cookies but they sure are pretty when you do and if you’re going to make them for gifts then I’d highly recommend you take the time to ice them.

Penny’s Royal Icing

6 Tablespoons water
3 Tablespoons meringue powder (half this in very hot weather)
3.5 Cups powdered sugar, sifted.

1. Put water in mixing bowl. Add all other ingredients.
2. Put the mixing speed on low. Mix ingredients untill they form a thick frosting. Depending on the freshness of the sugar, you may need to add additional water. The frosting at this point should resembel thick cookie glaze.
3. When the icing is smooth, put the mixer on it’s highest setting an process until the icing goes from shiny to dull and will stand in stiff peaks.

Note: After you make the icing, keep it covered with a damp cloth at all times (including when you have tinted it and put it into the pastry bags) or it will crust over. This icing is not a “keeper”. It does not have a long shelf-life so make just as much as you need for the day of decorating.

There are many techniques for icing your cookies. Here are a few common ones:

• Flood filling, where you outline your cookie and then fill in the outlined areas.
• Dipping, where you dip cookies in thinned royal icing
• Painting, where you paint on your royal icing, or paint over dried royal icing.

Whichever method you use just remember to have fun and not put too much pressure on yourself. As I told my niece, no matter how messy your cookies come out they are still cookies and they will get eaten!

>>>>>Page 1 - The last sugar cookie recipe you’ll ever need
>>>>>Page 3 - Tips & Techniques for Icing your Cookies (Flood Filling)
>>>>>Page 4 - More Tips & Techniques (Dipping method)