Royal Icing For Noahs Ark Sugar Cookies Recipes

Steps:

• Sift flour, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt into a bowl. Beat butter and granulated sugar with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture, and beat until combined. Divide dough in half. Shape each piece into a disk, and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Let dough stand at room temperature until soft enough to roll out, about 10 minutes. Roll out dough to a 1/4-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Add more flour if needed to prevent dough from sticking. Cut out animal shapes using cookie cutters, and transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets. Freeze until very firm, about 15 minutes.
• Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges just begin to brown, 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer to wire racks, and let cool completely.
• Transfer royal icing to a pastry bag fitted with a small plain round tip. Pipe desired designs onto cookies, and immediately sprinkle with sanding sugars. Shake off excess, and let stand until set, about 3 hours.

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 sugar, water, and meringue powder with a mixer on low speed until smooth, about 7 minutes. Icing should be the consistency of glue. (If icing is too thick, mix in a little more water. If icing is too thin, add more sugar.)
• Beat in food coloring, 1 drop at a time, until desired color is achieved. If making more than 1 color, divide icing and work in batches.

Steps:

• Sift the confectioners' sugar and meringue powder into a large bowl. Add the water and beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until soft glossy peaks form. Divide among bowls and tint with food coloring, if desired.
• Transfer the icing to resealable plastic bags; snip off the corners. Pipe on the cookies.