I decided to take the cookie plunge this week. I baked my cookies and mixed up the icing for them. I used Antonia's recipe. So I put the icing in a tupperware container and was going to let it sit for 24 hours like she suggested to let the air bubbles work their way out. Hubby and I went out for dinner and when I came back, I noticed I was able to get more air out of the container. I thought it was from the bubbles rising and popping. Then I noticed I could see through the container and it looked like the icing was separating.

Is it because I put it in a tupperware container instead of a metal bowl with a damp paper towel on top?

Was it a new tupperware container....or dedicated to royal icing?

Separating is normal for Antonia's icing. Just re whip it again before you use it, it will be fine. I use it all the time, I love it.

It was not a new tupperware container. Clean from the dishwasher, but not new. But I'm glad to hear the separating is normal.

Mattie1: do you ever flavor yours? I tasted a bit before I stored it and I wasn't too wild about the flavor.

Separating is normal, and the flavor of the wet icing always seems a little off to me... but once dry, you're golden! Have fun!!!

Yes, you need to flavor the icing. I have seen Antonia74 say that her meringue powder comes vanilla-flavored, so the icing recipe doesn't call for flavoring. It's pretty bland if you don't add any. (Don't ask me how I know that!)

I use Antonia74's RI and mine does separate, especially if you are heavy handed on the color. As mentioned, just remix and you are good to go.

I flavor mine with all-natural flavorings and extracts from Spices Etc. after trying to find a great all-natural coconut flavoring and saw that Cook's Illustrated rated theirs the best one. I tried it and was thrilled. I have also used and liked Lime, Orange, Cherry, Lemon, Pumpkin Pie Spice, Two Fold Vanilla, Raspberry and I love, love, love their Clear Vanilla. It is perfect for when I need a flavoring in my RI that will not compete with the cookie flavor or when I am doing white or a light colored RI (no color tint as with normal vanilla).

If you need it, here is a link to the page on their all-natural flavorings and extracts:

www.spicesetc.com/category/Natural-Flavorings/a

As well, here are the codes for a first time order:
CC9 flat rate shipping of $4.95 for orders within the US only
AKT9 15% for US or international orders (discount taken before shipping costs)

Choose the one code that applies to you or what you want and enter it at the beginning of checkout and then continue on.

The Flat Rate shipping will be the first option for shipping under the billing information and the 15% off will show up when looking at the summary.

This is my trick for great tasting RI and I get a lot of compliments on it. I also use it in the dough (I do a modified NFSC) and it is fun to play with combining the flavors, one in the dough and a different one in the RI. It has added a whole new dimension to my flavor options. I am trying to develop a great chocolate cookie dough recipe and once I do, I will pair that with Raspberry in the RI. They do have a chocolate extract, so I will be ordering that next to try in the dough and likely add some Coffee to enhance the chocolate flavor. I am a big fan of their products.

TracyLH, thanks for the info on the flavorings.

Ditto to everything Tracy said.

I use a modified version of Antonia74's RI (I'll be forever grateful to her for sharign that recipe!) - I add natural flavoring from Spices, Etc. and some corn syrup. Mine doesn't separate either (not more than a brief stir to eliminate air bubble will take care of, that is), unless it's been a few days that it's been sitting there.

And the tupperware shouldn't be a problem - I store mine in glad plastic containers that seal closed, like tupperware (but less expensive). I never store in a bowl with a wet towel over it.

Don't give up! once you get the right recipes and a feel for the consistency, you'll be cookie obsessed!

Happy to have helped! I get rave reviews and it has really made a increased substantially my flavor choices.

Oh, for bubbles, I mix and do a tappity-tappity tap on the counter. Cover it with saran, walk away for a bit and tappity-tap again. I do this until I feel that I am bubble free. For the very last step, I run my spatula across the surface to break up any bubbles right on the verge of breaking and am good to go.

Tracy how generous of you! Thank you so much! I think I have that spices website bookmarked. I seem to remember browsing for a long time through a website that had all sorts of spices and extracts. I could spend all day in a store like that. When I mentioned flavoring I was just thinking of vanilla, but now that you mentioned lemon. . . that sounds yummy.

Glad to hear that the frosting isn't completely ruined. Though I think from now on I might stick with a metal bowl just to be safe.

The meringue powder I used was Wilton's. Does anyone know if that's already vanilla flavored?


And I just have to say it again, I love CC! So many wonderful, generous, smart, great people here. I'm always leery of just doing a google search for something. Nice to know I can come here and ask people that share a passion with me.

Update: I just made another batch with a tsp of vanilla and a tsp of lemon and YUMMY!!!! I like mixing lemon and vanilla because it's not too tart then. I can't wait to try this on cookies now! I'l post pics wether they turn out pretty or not.

ok guys where do I get Antonia74's recipe??

it's in the recipe section, but here's a link

Antonia74 http://cakecentral.com/recipes/1983/antonia74-royal-icing

I flavor mine with Cotton Candy flavoring...Yummy!!!

Rose- Sorry to hijack, I can't remember if I've read somewhere on here that you shouldn't use royal on BC? I was going to use a crusting BC and then let the royal dry on wax paper and attach to BC (using Antonia74's recipe) will this be ok? Post pictures of your cookies! :]

I think _ but I am not positive - that it's OK to pipe royal on top of butter cream. The issue, I think, is that when making the RI, any fat/grease will effect it's ability to properly come together.

But, again, I'm not sure - hopefully someone else can chime in that has more experience and knowledge than me!

Cupcakes are not my realm, but I can pass on that my friend, Jen Whitlock, told me that when she makes RI transfers to go atop cupcakes, that she makes certain to apply them at the last minute as otherwise the RI transfers can 'melt' into the buttercream. I am not sure what type of bc (crusting, non-crusting) as that is not my forté. It is just something I tucked in the back of my mind for when I plan to try RI on cupcakes in the future. Hope that helps a bit.

Thanks bonnie and Tracy, I'm actually going to attempt it on cupcakes I will make sure that if no one else chimes in I will wait til the last minute to put the royal on!

here are some threads that talk about it... the "cake" people know much more than I do!

http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-683661-buttercream.html+royal+icing

http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-678070-buttercream.html+royal+icing

http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=648450&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=buttercream&&start=30

Bonnie - You are just too, too cool! These all have great information and I did not even know that there was a royal icing transfer tutorial. I just winged it. Thanks for posting these! I will have to remember the sugar cube/marshmallow idea for the future. Thanks again!

TY TY TY bonnie!!

No, no, Bonnie! Take that 'cool' title and run with it!

Here are some pics as promised!

I'm just gonna post links because I'm too tired to go through and resize each of them.

http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1735205

I'm not entirely pleased with their outcome, but I did have a lot of fun doing them. I realized after I got about half done that I forgot to thin down the frosting to flood the cookies, so that's why the frosting seems a little thick and goopey. But I'll know next time! I still have some cookies left so maybe I'll try again tomorrow. And I was attempting a paisley design on those round cookies if anyone was wondering!

http://cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1735212

And this last one is a fail. It's explained in the note. poo.

I think I'm gonna have lots of fun with this cookie thing!

Rose - Oh, you should be SO very proud! Those are monumentally better than my first attempts! Love your designs and wow, you are off to a great start!

I wrote notes on them, but again, so sorry about your broken cookie. Lovely design though! All of them are just really great!

Well, I think that you are now officially hooked on cookie-ing! Welcome to our little wonderful world!

Rose--What fun designs! If this is what you can do on your first attempt.....the sky is the limit!

Great cookies! Wish my first ones had looked that good!