Sometimes I pipe Royal Icing onto cookies, come back a few minutes later, and the middle of the icing has sunk.

Why does this happen?? How can I avoid this?? I'm about to start a big cookie order and really don't want to have this happen... HELP!

Thank you!
Jodie

You need to make an outline, then flood within that outline so it *almost* runs over the outline - puff it up.

I like to pipe a consistency that is thick enough to hold an edge, but thin enough that I can fill with - just give it a couple taps and it smoothes out perfectly.

So this is the problem, maybe? Am I trapping in air by doing it like this?

Or do you think maybe I use the Royal Icing too soon after I make it and all the bubbles that haven't risen to the top yet get piped onto the cookie?

In addition to what kakeladi said, maybe you are thinning it too much. It should be the consistency of cool syrup...if it's too thin, it will drive concave.

Also, you really don't need to tap it. I've done a ton of color flow pieces and flooded cookies, and have never tapped them. What few bubbles do surface are easily popped with a straight pin....but it's generally very few bubbles.

You can't use RI too soon after making it.

So that's it? "If it's too thin, it will dry concave"? I wonder why this happens?

I try to pipe it as thick as possible, like any thicker and it won't smooth out... but it happens anyways! Do you have any other ideas?!

Thank you for your help!

When you thin out royal icing, you add water to it, thus increasing its volume. When that water evaporates as the icing dries, it flattens out. If you started with a flat, level layer of thinned royal icing, it will flatten out even more as it dries, thus producing the concave shape. That's why it's important to "pillow" the icing when it's wet...so that when it's dry, it is flat, not concave.

You should be able to drip a dollop of thinned RI onto itself and it should be fully absorbed between the count of 8 to 10.

Oops, I first read this title as "Why does royal icing STINK?" Now that I realize my error I have no actual input. LOL

Feel free to carry on. Ã

It's not that it settles and lowers... there'll be a hole on the surface, and then a "cavernous" space underneath. Reminiscent of paper mache covering a balloon, and then the balloon being popped when it's dried and hard, leaving a space inside.

But I tap it and pin the bubbles - it baffles me how this big gap will just appear. And it's from the water in the RI evaporating you think?

Oh wow, I have never seen that problem before!

I wonder if the water is slowly into the cookie (rather than evaporating normally) while leaving the dried top surface of the royal icing intact.

Sorry, but I am as baffled as you are!

Oi Vey! LOL!

Thanks for taking a shot at it

I hope there is a logical explanation for this...

The same thing happens to be if I put a thick bit on... like a dot on a paw, not just the main thin covering. Don't know why it happens either I will be following this thread.

yep, dots and very tiny spaces gets the worm holes. I have been in discussions about this before and never has anyone figured it out yet.

* bump *

i'm about to make this kind of cookies this comming weekend. feel lucky to see this thread... maybe i'll delay my baking...

I had the same experience when doing my RI pieces before. Then I found out that when it is not dried quick enough could cause the 'sinking' problem. If flooding big area, put them under heat lamp.

The icing consistency is also important.
Then you colour should not have any glycerine (sp?) in it.

HTH.