Royal Icing

Reprinted with permission. From Gingerbread Wonderland by Mima Sinclair. © 2016 Kyle Books. Photography © Tara Fisher.

• Servings: Makes about 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients

• 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1 lightly beaten large egg white
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon water

Directions

1. Sift the sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the beaten egg white and lemon juice.
2. Whisk on low speed, so you do not incorporate too much air into the icing, for 2 to 3 minutes until you have a smooth, but not wet, stiff peak consistency. It should be dense and spreadable but hold a stiff peak. If it looks dry and crumbly, add a little water. If it looks slightly runny and glossy, add a little extra confectioners’ sugar.
3. You now have stiff peak icing for sticking houses together and placing decorations onto icing. Transfer to a bowl and cover with a damp cloth to prevent it from drying out. The icing can be prepared ahead and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
4. You can adjust this icing to make soft peak and flood icing: For soft peak – Add a drop of water at a time until you have icing that holds a soft peak but does not spread on its own. Use for piping lines, borders, and decorations. For flood icing – Add a teaspoon of water at a time until you have a thick but runny icing that smooths out on its own within 15 seconds but not so runny that it runs off the edge of your cookie. Use for filling in outlined areas of cookies.