Royal Icing For Citrus Sugar Cookies Recipes

Steps:

• Sift the cake flour, baking powder and salt onto a piece of parchment paper or into a medium bowl; set aside. Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until incorporated. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the flour mixture in 2 batches until just incorporated. Divide between 2 pieces of plastic wrap; shape into disks. Wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour. (The dough can be frozen for up to 1 month; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling.)
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Working with 1 disk at a time, roll out the dough on a floured surface, dusting with flour as needed, until about 1/8 inch thick. Cut out shapes with 2-to-4-inch cookie cutters; arrange 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. (If the dough becomes too soft as you work, return to the refrigerator until firm.) Gather the scraps and refrigerate until firm; reroll once to cut out more cookies. Chill the cutouts 30 minutes.
• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until the cookies are slightly puffed and just golden, 13 to 15 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely before icing.
• Whisk one 1-pound box confectioners' sugar and 2 tablespoons meringue powder in a large bowl. Add 5 tablespoons water and beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until soft glossy peaks form, adding up to 1 more tablespoon water if necessary. Cover the bowl with a damp paper towel and plastic wrap until ready to use to prevent the icing from drying out.

Steps:

• Beat egg whites in a clean, large bowl with mixer at high speed until foamy (use only grade A clean, uncracked eggs). Gradually add sugar and lemon extract. Beat at high speed until thickened.

Steps:

• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine sugar and meringue powder. Mixing on low speed, add a scant 1/2 cup water. For a thinner consistency, usually used for flooding, add more water. A thicker consistency is generally used for outlining and adding details. Mix until icing holds a ribbonlike trail on the surface of the mixture for 5 seconds when you raise the paddle.

Steps:

• Using an electric mixer on low, combine confectioners' sugar, egg whites, and cream of tartar; beat on high until icing is whipped and opaque, about 2 minutes. Thin with water as needed to make a stiff but spreadable icing.

Steps:

• Combine the egg whites and powdered sugar in a medium-size mixing bowl and whip with an electric mixer on medium speed until opaque and shiny, about 5 minutes. Add the lemon juice and continue whipping until completely incorporated, about 3 minutes. The lemon juice whitens the royal icing. The royal icing should be light, fluffy, and slightly stiff. You may need to adjust the consistency by adding more egg whites if the icing is too dry or more powdered sugar if it is too wet.
• Make a cornet and fill it half full with royal icing. Cover the remaining icing with a damp cloth to keep it from drying out while you work. It will be much easier to decorate the cake if you place it on a turntable. Use the royal icing to make decorations as you desire. Make as many cornets as needed to complete the design. You can use a cornet filled with royal icing to fill in the seams and edges where the cakes meet. Decorate with dots, swags, or any other design. The royal icing will harden as it dries.
• Piping fine decorations with royal icing takes some practice but you will improve with time. To train your hands and practice piping, try this exercise: use a medium-point magic marker to draw the desired pattern on a sheet of parchment paper. Repeat the pattern several times to allow for practice. Place another sheet of parchment paper over the designs and tape both pieces to the work surface to keep them from moving. Use a cornet filled with royal icing to trace the pattern. When you feel you have had enough practice, place the cake in front of you and repeat the patterns on the cake, instead of on the parchment paper.
• For different widths of decoration, use several cornets and cut the ends into different-sized openings. With royal icing, if you make a mistake, you can just wipe it off! The royal icing will harden as it dries.
• Flowers are widely used to decorate cakes. Usually, when the flowers are not fresh, they are made from gum paste. You can make your own or buy them already made from a specialty baking supply store. I would suggest buying them since they are very reasonably priced compared to the time and energy it takes to make them. Gum paste flowers can be reused or stored in an airtight container for any celebration. Remember to handle them with care because they will chip or break.
• If you have your own garden, pick some lovely blooms and use them to decorate the cake. Don't forget to use the natural greens to decorate around the base of the cake. Be sure you know which varieties of flowers and greens are safe to use; there are some that are poisonous. Flowers that are safe to use include: apple blossoms, citrus blossoms, day lilies, English daisies, pansies, roses, tulips, lilacs, and violets.

Steps:

• In large bowl, beat butter and granulated sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. On low speed, beat in egg, lemon peel and 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt until well blended.
• Divide dough into 4 parts; flatten each part into 1/2-inch-thick round. Wrap each in waxed paper or plastic wrap; refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Heat oven to 350°F. Remove 1 round of dough at a time from refrigerator. Between sheets of floured waxed paper or plastic wrap, roll dough until 1/4 to 3/8 inch thick. Cut with 3-inch cookie cutters in various shapes. On ungreased cookie sheets, place cutouts 1 inch apart.
• Bake 10 to 12 minutes or just until edges are golden. Cool on cookie sheets about 1 minute before removing to cooling rack. To make cookies for hanging, using a toothpick or end of plastic straw, carefully poke a hole in the top of each cookie while cookies are still hot. Cool 10 to 15 minutes before frosting.
• In medium bowl, stir together powdered sugar and meringue powder. Stir in 5 teaspoons lemon juice and enough of the 4 to 5 tablespoons water to make a thin icing. Transfer 1/2 cup of the icing into small bowl; set aside. Using a flexible pastry brush, paint cookies to the edges with icing. Place on cooling rack to dry completely, about 30 minutes.
• Beat reserved icing with electric mixer on high speed 5 to 7 minutes or until peaks form. Place in small resealable food-storage plastic bag; cut a very small hole in the bottom of the bag with the plain white icing. Squeeze icing onto glazed cookies. Before icing dries, sprinkle with decorations, and tap off excess. Dry thoroughly on cooling rack. Thread cookies with narrow ribbon for hanging.