Hi all, I was hoping for some help with my royal icing. I've noticed that on other RI cutout cookies, the icing almost seems to sparkle when you get right up close to it, but my icing looks very flat and dull. Someone told me that it's the way the icing crystallizes (or doesn't) when it's being mixed, but I'm not sure what this means.

My recipe is 3 Tbsp meringue powder, 1 lb confec. sugar (Dominos), 5 - 6 Tbsp warm water (depending on how stiff I want it), 1 tsp extract. Blend meringe powder and sugar, add water & extract, stir, then mix on high for approx. 10 minutes until it's stiff and glossy.

Any tips/advice? Is it the recipe, the ingredients, or just me?

I believe that you need 2 lbs of sugar instead of 1 lbs for that amount of meringue powder

Actually that's exactly the Wilton recipe, so I think the ratio of powder to sugar is fine, unfortunately I'm not sure about the rest though, sorry!

I took the Wilton Master Course at the main school. First you should not beat the RI on high, you will cause too many air bubbles and it will become foamy. At the school we used Wilton Color Flow, it is very similar to meringue powder. Also, they put the cookies under a heat lamp. I was told that would give the cookies a glossier finish. Since many of use do not have heat lamps in our kitchens we were told to put the cookies in a cold oven with just the light on for about 30 minutes. I have noticed the Color Flow does give my cookies a more even finish but I can't say putting them in the oven with just the light on does much.

Another thing you can try is brushing the cookies with some pearl dust to make them sparkle. You can use it dry or mix it with some lemon extract.

Was the color flow used instead of the meringue powder, or added to the meringue powder? Also, how much color flow did you use?

Thanks for the help!

you use color flow instead of meringue powder. You can buy color flow at Michaels, or Hobby Lobby. the recipe on the can is:
4 C powder sugar
2 T color flow
1/4 C + 1t water
flavor it with vanilla extract or lemon juice
however, I always add more water, just enough to get the right consistancy. I think the recipe on the can is to outline. Do NOT beat it on high, instead beat it on low for about 5 to 8 minutes. When not using it keep it covered with a damp towel.

When I've made royal icing for cookies I add extra powdered sugar( confectionary sugar) after mixing to thicken it. I cover with wet towel and plastic wrap and stick in fridge to chill it. I find with a star tip I keep my icing shapes. If too thick just thin with a few drops of milk. I have always chilled my RI first to decorate. Either kitchen or my hands are just too warm.

This is all very helpful. Thanks! I'm going to try it out this weekend and post the results!