Over the past couple of months I have LOVED making royal icing cookies for events and for other people! It brings me so much joy knowing that they are just a small part of someone's day. Sugar cookies are so fun to make from scratch (I love my mom's recipe the most ;) ) but if you're ever in need of something more quick for a party, let me make it easier for you! My fast go-to...store bought. *gasp* I know, crazy right? But when you're in a hurry and want to bring something fun and different like decorated cookies, make it easier on yourself! Not harder. Here's how...
For these Olympic cookies, I bought the Pillsbury tear apart sugar cookies and popped them in the oven according to their package instructions. They come out round in the shape of a circle! While the cookies are baking, make your royal icing. Recipe is below.
I N G R E D I E N T S:
4 cups of powdered sugar
3 tablespoons of meringue powder
5 - 6 tablespoons of warm water (start with 5 - add more water to get a more liquid flow of icing - more on that in the directions)
D I R E C T I O N S:
Beat all of the ingredients together until icing forms peaks. Beat for about 4-5 minutes at a low-medium speed with a heavy duty mixer.
Check the consistency of your icing with a 10 second test: Take some icing on a spatula or spoon and drop it back into the bowl. If it sinks after a full count of 10 seconds and the icing has a smooth layer, then the consistency is thin enough for flooding. If the consistency is still too thick, add a teaspoon of water at a time until your desired flooding consistency. If icing becomes too thin, add more powdered sugar a little at a time.
Let the icing sit for 10 minutes to let the air bubbles rise naturally. Gently stir the top surface to release the air.
Now you're ready to flood your cookies with icing! Fill a piping bag or ziplock gallon bag with your icing. Cut the very tip of the bag (cut very little off for your outline). Outline every cookie first with the icing. Let each cookie sit for 5 - 10 minutes before you start to flood them. Cut your bag tip a little bit more for your flooding. Flood the cookie with a thin layer of icing - use a toothpick (or fork) to help guide the icing to the edges of your cookie.
Let those sit for 3 - 4 hours to dry before you start painting.
After the icing has dried and they're okay to touch (be gentle - they probably still haven't dried completely!), grab your gel food colors, a thin brush, and some water. Now you get to paint your designs! Treat the gel food colors as watercolor paints - dip your brush in water, mix a tiny bit of food coloring, and start painting! Allow cookies to dry and then serve. Enjoy!!
AMAZON FAVS USED FOR THIS DISH:
click on the picture for the link!!
For more kitchen favorites, check out my Amazon page here!!
For more baking favorites, check out my Amazon page here!!