Royal icing decorating

Royal icing is an egg-white icing with a stiff consistency, and a University of Wyoming extension manual lists a recipe of meringue powder, sifted confectioners' sugar and lukewarm water, mixed for 7 to 10 minutes until the icing loses its shine and holds peaks. Meringue powder stands in for fresh egg whites in many home recipes.

The manual stresses that any trace of shortening will break the icing down into a thin, soupy mixture, so bowls and utensils must be completely greaseless. Glass and metal containers are better than plastic, and parchment or disposable decorating bags are better than reusable plastic ones.

Because royal icing dries very hard, decorators use it for decorations made in advance, such as piped flowers, and for details on gingerbread. Thinned with a little water it can flood a cookie's surface, while a stiffer mix holds sharp lines and borders. Keep the bowl covered so a crust does not form.