How to Make Royal Icing (Plus, Coloring and Consistency Adjustments)

Ready to express your inner cookie artist? Well then, you're in the right place! Welcome to Lesson 5 of Julia M. Usher's Ultimate Cookie Decorating Series!

NOTE: This video is one of 16 videos originally filmed for my DVD series, which was discontinued in November 2014. Select videos from the series will be released to YouTube over time, but my app will remain the only place where you can find all of the original DVD videos. To learn more about my app, click here: papertrell.com/apps/Julia_Ushers_Ultimate_Cooki…

Royal icing is, hands down, my preferred cookie decorating medium. In this video, I explain its merits vis a vis confectioners' icing (aka glaze) and rolled fondant. I also share my recipe, tips for coloring, and the key consistency adjustments required for various cookie decorating tasks. As they say, "consistency is king in cookie decorating!"

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RELATED LINKS:
Royal Icing recipe: juliausher.com/blog/more/royal_icing
Gingerbread recipe: juliausher.com/blog/more/cutout_cookie_gingerbr…
Food Coloring source: tinyurl.com/oo6uepv (Julia's preferred coloring is Chefmaster liqua-gel, unless she's working with natural food coloring, in which case she prefers TruColor)

NOTES ON CREAM OF TARTAR:
Cream of tartar (aka potassium bitartrate) is a fine white acidic powder that can be found in the spice aisle of grocery stores throughout the United States. Cream of tartar acts as a stabilizer of egg foams and keeps white royal icing whiter longer. I also find that colors tend to set more consistently and stably when cream of tartar is used. However, if you can't find it, you can omit it from my recipe without any very serious complications :), or use double the amount of strained lemon juice or distilled white vinegar instead.

NOTES ON STORING LEFTOVER ICING:
First, I prefer to use icing on the day the color is mixed, as, for whatever reason, the color seems to set more stably (without spotting or mottling) if it hasn't sat too long or been stored overnight in the refrigerator. That said, I typically only make as much icing as I plan to use, so there is little waste. HOWEVER, if you end up with lots left over or feel compelled to make your icing in advance, and so must store it, then cover the surface flush with plastic wrap (to keep the icing from crusting) and then foil and store in the fridge. It should be fine there for a few days, though some separation may occur. Simply bring the icing to room temperature and re-beat it before use to restore its original consistency. You may find that the icing has dehydrated a bit, so you may also need to add a touch of water. Some people freeze their icing with success, but for all of the reasons noted above, I do not freeze mine.

CREDITS:
Video by: Joe Baran, workingmansfilm.com/

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