Question About Coloring Royal Icing...
Decorating By TheDomesticDiva Updated 18 Sep 2007 , 9:40pm by TheDomesticDiva
Is it okay to use regular liquid food color (like what you'd use to color easter eggs) to color royal icing, or does it have to be gel color??
Thanks!
Carrie
I always use coloring made specifically for icing because it is more saturated in color and you don't have to use nearly as much as you would if you used food coloring.
Deborah
BTW I would recomend using Wilton or Americolor colorings (Wilton colorings tend to be more muted than Americolor so if you want a bright and viberant color use Americolor).
Thanks so much! I was thinking about using colored royal icing to decorate halloween cookies with, and since I've never done it, I wasn't sure. If I'm not able to get gel colors, and the liquid color does thin it out, do you know how I would stiffen it back up??
Carrie
Yuppers, done that. Well, I think it's luster dust, it's the metallic stuff, I did gold edges on black roses for my son's confirmation cake, turned out pretty well, even though I was doing it wrong and didn't know it. I used a (clean) makeup sponge and dipped it in the dust, then just brushed it over the edges while it was a little tacky... I had let them dry over night but it was pretty humid in the house that day, so the roses were a little sticky.
I have since learned that mixing a drop of vodka with a brush full of luster dust makes a pretty paint, depending on what you want to use it for. I haven't quite gotten the hang of using dry luster dust to give a nice fade, but then again, I'm just fooling around until I get things right.
Yuppers, done that. Well, I think it's , it's the metallic stuff, I did gold edges on black roses for my son's confirmation cake, turned out pretty well, even though I was doing it wrong and didn't know it. I used a (clean) makeup sponge and dipped it in the dust, then just brushed it over the edges while it was a little tacky... I had let them dry over night but it was pretty humid in the house that day, so the roses were a little sticky.
I have since learned that mixing a drop of vodka with a brush full of makes a pretty paint, depending on what you want to use it for. I haven't quite gotten the hang of using dry to give a nice fade, but then again, I'm just fooling around until I get things right.
thanks! I bet I'll have to apply it sooner or try the vodka as it's so dry here in CO.... good to know it works!
Thanks so much! I was thinking about using colored royal icing to decorate halloween cookies with, and since I've never done it, I wasn't sure. If I'm not able to get gel colors, and the liquid color does thin it out, do you know how I would stiffen it back up??
Carrie
To answer your questions you can buy icing coloring at pretty much any craft store or there are lots of online speciality cake decorating stores that you can order from. Also, if you want to stiffen up the icing just add more powdered sugar (remember a little bit goes a long way)
Deborah
Deborah--Thanks so much! It seems like powdered sugar is the cure for anything!! 
I'm glad to know it can be that simple! I'm excited to try to work with this now! I also have luster dust and am having fun with that on fondant. I bet it will just as pretty on the royal icing. Thanks so much for the help!
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