Royal Icing

Once you have made your sugar cookies, you need to prepare an icing to decorate them with. Royal icing is great because it dries quickly and hardens, and you can therefore wrap the cookie in a nice plastic wrap for display. It is also easier to decorate in layers and put sprinkles on top. I wouldn't recommend regular cake frosting or buttercream frosting because it is more difficult to spread and doesn't dry quickly.

Ingredients: 

3 egg whites
5 cups powder sugar (confectioner's sugar or cane sugar)
flavored extract (optional)
water
parchment paper



1. Combine the powdered sugar with the egg whites a little at a time, and mix with a hand mixer for about 5 minutes.

2. You may add a teaspoon of flavored extract if you have it. I added almond extract.

(Royal icing is white; in this picture the yellow food coloring was already added)

3. The consistency of the icing should be like that of Elmer's glue. If it is too thick, add a little bit of water at time (about a tablespoon) until you reach the right consistency. If it is too thin, add more powdered sugar.

4. Separate the icing into smaller bowls and add food coloring.

5. The sugar cookie must be completely cool before you ice it. Spread icing onto sugar cookie using a butter knife with whatever color you want your base icing to be. Allow 30 minutes for drying. I used yellow for the ring and blue for the diamond. The darker you want the icing to be, the more food coloring you should add. You may need to mix the icing frequently as you ice the cookies, to prevent it from thickening. If it thickens too much, add a few drops of water.

6. Cut parchment paper into a perfect square, then cut into two equal triangles. Wrap parchment paper into a cone and fold inwards from the top of the cone to seal into place.

7. Fill parchment cone with icing, leaving about 3 inches room to fold and close off the cone from the top. If you overfill the cone, the icing will ooze out from the top when you squeeze it.

8. Pipe on outlines or designs onto your sugar cookie.

9. If you want to add sprinkles to your sugar cookie, pipe the design on your cookie, then add sprinkles.

10. Allow to dry completely. Wrap in clear plastic bags for party favors.