Hello!

I have been decorating cookies for about 6 months and I really really enjoy it..I usually just do it for family and friends and they love my cookies..I have been decorating them with fondant and royal icing accents.
But last weekend, after seeing how beautiful ppl's cookies look when they use Antonia 74, I decided I give it a try...well..it was a disaster..
the icing had a lot of bubbles, even though I let it rest overnight.
The consistency I used was the same as Elmer's glue.

I don't know what I did wrong. But I know I did, because they looked really ugly and messy.

I would like to give this icing another try, but if anyone has any helpful hints or ideas they would like to share, it will be greatly appreciated.

I use to get some bubbles too and all i can say is make sure that you are mixing the RI on the lowest speed for about 10 mins and don't use a whisk attachment unless u have nothing else cose that will also airate your RI to give you more bubbles.

When the bubbles come to the suface pop them and then slowly stir it again and this will help get rid of most of them.

I don't know what elmer's glue is lol but if u mean it's runny then by all means either just add more icing sugar till u reach the consistency u want. If u mean too thick just add water

Just in my experience, HTH

Elise87

thank you for your response..but what is the right consistency?

Well i like to start off with a firmer royal icing for my outlining and then i will add a little water to the colours for flooding. With flooding i just do it to the consistency where i think they say run a knife through it and it should dissapear within 10 secs? but you don't want it overly runny.

Correct consistency is when you lift some up on a spoon and let it run back into the bowl, the ribbon should blend back in in 10 seconds. If you're not sure, you can ice large areas in one section and spread it to the edges with a butter knife. If it gets too thin, add a little more. The knife also will help release any extra bubbles. Note that you should only do this in large areas of flooding.

I use the back of a spoon for spreading the icing, then outline. Tried various different ways for over a year. HATED the spoon method the first time I did it. But with practice, I find I have better control of the icing. Down to outlining with a #1 tip. Might have a #0 tip in my future.

I love that icing! Not sure what the difference is but weather has never prevented it from doing right. Humid weather messed up many a batch of royal icing for me before I tried Antonio's recipe. I love it!!

Would agree that beating it at low speed is very important.

Catherine

thank you everyone, I really appreciate all the tips!!

I will give this another try...I was very dissappointed with the results from the first time I tried it.

Pink, The first time I made antonia's it freaked me out, it looked almost like the consistency of stiff whipped cream or marshmellow fluff, I still used it, but it was kinda 'puffy' or 'airy'. The next time it was fine, mine is always a bit thick, and I like that consistency for outlining with a bag (sometimes hard to do that thickness with a squeeze bottle). Then I thin it down for flooding.

I use nothing else since I tried Antonia 74 royal icing. I don't make cookies but I use it on cakes all the time.

Can you tell me if this icing stays softer or gets hard? I have a bunch of cookies to do this week and I have to put edible images on them. I want an icing that will absorb the ei so it is not a sheet sitting on the top of the icing. I do not want it to get rock hard. Also, if I use this icing do I let it crust over or add the ei immediately after putting the icing on the cookie?

I don't know about the ei, but RI goes hard. Don't know if TG would be easier, but it also goes hard.

Antonia's gets hard enough to write on with food marker. I love that icing for the occasional cookies I do. I used it for some recent horse cookies. I just threw in extra powdered sugar to make it thick enough to pipe the hair.

You can put the ei on top of the wet RI. The problem with doing it this way is that you'll get a lot of bumps and dips around while the RI is drying. And, it still looks like an ei after all that.
The ei is supposed to meld into the icing and become one but this has never happened in my experience. The ei still looks like an ei except that it's stuck onto the RI because they dried together.
That's why i just stick the ei on top of already dried icing, because it's easier and more reliable. Good luck on your cookies!

Don't give up on this icing...if it makes you feel better, the first time I made it, it was an air bubble mess. (I MEAN MESS). I was about to give up when the forums encouraged me to go on - so another batch later and I hit the nail on the head. If you look at my profile, the "D" cookies are with this recipe, and it turned out perfectly. I use a toothpick to spread. Consistency depends on what you're doing. If you're flooding then you obviously don't want it as stiff - just add a bit more warm water to the batch and remix.

Two things that messed up my first batch: A) using the wrong attachment on my beater, B) beating too quickly. The 10 minutes at low speed is key.

HTH - feel free to PM if you need anything!

Don't give up. This icing is worth working it out. Here is what I do - first of all, as everyone said, lowest speed for the 10 minutes. The key is that you need to watch it. I do not let mine get thick and fluffy. When I did that, it did not want to play well later. I mix mine to thick and creamy by adding water when it looks like it might be going towards fluffy. Once done, I adjust by adding water or powdered sugar to get the consistency I need. I run a bit across the top looking for when the icing disappears back in - 7 seconds for outlining, 10 for flooding. Also, Antonia74 uses a meringue powder that we cannot get in the U.S. that has vanilla built in already, so I add flavorings. I use a variety of all-natural flavorings and the most used flavoring I use is Clear Vanilla. I get mine from Spices, Etc. It takes that 'taste' out of Antonia74's RI that many don't care for and I get a lot of compliments on it. If you want a first time order coupon code, I have given the info on the 5th comment under my pumpkin pie cookie. They have ots of fantastic all-natural flavorings. They have really enhanced my cookies as it gives me a variety to offer.

It will dry hard enough to stack, write upon and ship. Hope that helps a bit.

(edited for spelling as I can't seem to get in the habit of pushing "Preview".