Royal Icing For Holiday Sugar Cookies Recipes

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:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• On a clean work surface, dust with flour and roll the sugar cookie dough to a thickness of 1/4-to-1/2-inch. Using a 3 1/2-inch round cookie cutter or a drinking glass, cut out cookies and place 1 1/2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Re-roll the excess dough to repeat this process until you have used all the dough.
• Bake until the edges are golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack.
• While cooling, put 1 ounce of the royal icing into a small bowl and dye it orange. Put it into a pastry bag with a coupler and a plain #6 tip. Put another 1 ounce of the royal icing into a small bowl and dye it black. Put it into a pastry bag with a coupler and a plain #4 tip. Put another 1 ounce of the white royal icing in a piping bag with a small star tip.
• For Santa cookies: Dust your work surface with cornstarch. Roll out the peach fondant to 1/8-inch thick. Using a 3 1/2-inch round cookie cutter or drinking glass, cut a circle. Spread a thin coat of royal icing onto the cookie. Lay the peach circle on top of the cookie.
• Roll out the red fondant to 1/8-inch thick. Using a 3 1/2-inch round cookie cutter or drinking glass, cut a circle. Cut this circle in half and, using a little water as glue, put this half circle at the top half of your cookie.
• Using the white royal icing, pipe Santa's beard and mustache on the bottom third of the cookie. Use the same icing to add the fur and pom-pom to Santa's hat. Use the candy-coated chocolates for the eyes and nose.
• For reindeer cookies: Dust your work surface with cornstarch. Roll out the light brown fondant to 1/8-inch thick. Using a 3 1/2-inch round cookie cutter or drinking glass, cut a circle. Spread a thin coat of royal icing onto the cookie. Lay the brown circle on top of the cookie.
• Roll a small ball of red fondant the size of a grape in your hand. Using a little water as glue, attach the ball to the bottom half of the cookie. Using the black royal icing, pipe the antlers at the top half of the cookie. Pipe 2 black circles for eyes right above the nose.
• For snowman cookies: Dust your work surface with cornstarch. Roll out half of the white fondant to 1/8-inch thick. Using a 3 1/2-inch round cookie cutter or drinking glass, cut a circle. Spread a thin coat of royal icing onto the cookie. Lay the white circle on top of the cookie. In the center of the cookie, pipe a sideways triangle with the orange royal icing. Pipe 2 small dots as eyes above the orange triangle. Below the orange triangle, pipe 5 small black dots for the mouth.
• For snowflake cookies: Dust your work surface with cornstarch. Roll out the light blue fondant to 1/8-inch thick. Using a 3 1/2-inch round cookie cutter or drinking glass, cut a circle. Spread a thin coat of royal icing onto the cookie. Lay the light blue circle on top of the cookie.
• Using the white royal icing with a plain #6 tip, pipe a snowflake design onto the top of the cookie. Once completed, take the whole cookie and flip it upside down into a bowl of crystal sugar.
• For holiday lights cookies: Dust your work surface with cornstarch. Roll out the remaining white fondant to 1/8-inch thick. Using a 3 1/2-inch round cookie cutter or drinking glass, cut a circle. Spread a thin coat of royal icing onto the cookie. Lay the white circle on top of the cookie.
• Using the black royal icing, pipe a wavy line going around the outside edge of the cookie. Add multi-colored candy-coated chocolates to represent lights.

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:

• 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.