Question About Royal Frosting

Baking By mgowan Updated 13 Jan 2006 , 1:14am by Cake_Princess

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mgowan Posted 12 Jan 2006 , 11:54pm
post #1 of 3

I have made royal frosting for years to assemble gingerbread houses. I always used egg whites. This recipe for cookie frosting found here is essentially the same except it calls for meringue powder rather than egg whites. Is there a reason why I could not use egg whites? (it is SO much cheaper!) Does anyone know?

2 replies
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chaptlps Posted 13 Jan 2006 , 12:00am
post #2 of 3

Just because of the health hazard of using "raw" eggwhites is all. The merengue powder has been homogenized and pastuerized to eliminate that partiicular health hazard. What with salmonella being the biggest offender of the lot. Just a precaution.
Lot's of ppl still use the raw eggwhites in their royal. But just explaining why some recipes call for merengue powder (yes I know it's more expensive) instead of the raw eggs. I found a product in the health food section of the grocer that is called "simply whites" and that's all it is is powdered egg whites with no cream of tartar added to it (which by the way is what gives merengue powder it's nasty taste) and of course they are pastuerized.

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Cake_Princess Posted 13 Jan 2006 , 1:14am
post #3 of 3
Quote:
Originally Posted by mgowan

I have made royal frosting for years to assemble gingerbread houses. I always used egg whites. This recipe for cookie frosting found here is essentially the same except it calls for meringue powder rather than egg whites. Is there a reason why I could not use egg whites? (it is SO much cheaper!) Does anyone know?






You can still use egg whites try to get the ones that have been pasteurized. When I make royal icing with egg whites I buy the ones in the box that have been pasteurized. I also like to add a touch of lemon juice to my egg whites and beat them a bit before adding to the icing sugar. I prefer using lemon juice in my royal icing rather than cream of tartar. It's also much cheaper and just as effective and has a much more pleasant taste.

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