What am I doing wrong???? I just made butterfly cookies for my daughter's party on friday and once again there are tons of bubbles in the royal icing which is now all over the cookies I am using antonia's RI and mixing exactly as they say, why does this keep happening?

Also can I freeze them fully decorated? We don't need them until Friday?

Thanks so much!
Sue

Let the icing sit overnight and most of the bubbles will settle. For the rest of the bubbles, just grab a toothpick while icing and pop them.
I've frozen decorated cookies successfully.

Are you by any chance using a whip instead of paddle?

Let the royal icing sit for atleast 2 hours before use. Spread it on a clean counter, or against the side of a bowl to eliminate anymore air bubbles.

No, I am using the paddle but I am not waiting long after making it to use it. Is that the key, wait a while? Its so frustrating to try to pop the bubbles on the iced cookie

Yea you really should wait before you use it, 2 hours minimum, longer if possible. Just make sure you cover the RI properly so it doesn't set. If only for a short time, use a damp towel. For longer, two pieces of saran wrap, one piece touching the RI (stops the air between the RI and the top of the bowl getting to the RI and making it crust and set) and the other covering the whole bowl.

I always let my icing sit a minimum of 12 hours to eliminate air bubbles- The difference is night and day!

i understand the whole waiting for the bubbles to set, but do you guys not mix it before using it? it's such a habit for me to give any icing a good mix before i use it..

i'm using a pin and that doesnt seem to work all that well

Most of the time I use RI soon after mixing it. After I separate and mix colors in smaller containers, I use a thin rubber spatula and stir it around slowly before putting in pastry bag. I don't generally have air bubble problems. Sometimes when you have air bubbles you have to drag pin or toothpick a little to break bubble. I did have a major air bubble problem once with edible image on cookies, it was because cookies weren't all the way cool and I coverd them in airtight container.

It can all be so frustrating at times..Good Luck