I've only used Antonia's RI recipe so far. I've been reading a lot of the past posts and also see info about Toba's glace'.
What's the difference? Why would you choose one over the other? What are the pro's and con's of the two?
I use a slight modification of Toba's Glace. It's a good icing for those who don't like meringue powder and it sets up firm to the touch, but not hard. I love this icing because I can make as little, or as much, as I need. I just keep the proportions of liquids to the powdered sugar the same. This is where the modification comes into play, as well as adding brite white food color to the icing. I usually end up adding more powdered sugar than the recipe calls for, so it is more of an icing than a glace. If I keep adding powdered sugar, I can get a good consistency for detail work. (This is what I used to do the easter egg cookies I most recently posted).
Oh my gosh Gemini!!! Those eggs are gorgeous!! That leads me to a question though. I use glace as well and I found that using a stiffer icing and smaller tip was PAINFUL!! Do you find that it's really hard to pipe when it's thick like that, or am I missing something??
As to the original post, I use glace as well. I don't like the meringue taste so I skip royal. However, royal will hold shapes where a glace won't. If you're wanting to pipe leaves and the like, royal is the way to go. However, Gemini and kneadacookie prove that you don't need to. Glace works great for them.
I agree with everything that's been said. For me, glace' gives more "playing" time, whereas RI crusts and dries very quickly. The big difference, aside from taste, is in doing dimensional work.
Also, I just have to mention that when I saw the subject heading, I heard a boxing bell -- DING! DING!. Glace' vs. RI championship bout. Twelve rounds for the title!
I use glace as well and I found that using a stiffer icing and smaller tip was PAINFUL!! Do you find that it's really hard to pipe when it's thick like that, or am I missing something??
Usually, I try not to do a tremendous amount of detail work, because it is hard on the hand. However, for some reason, the eggs didn't cause much problem for me. I took my time...I finished decorating 32 eggs in about 3 hours. I know that if I had piped that much in black icing, it would've been a different story! But don't ask me why a thick pastel icing was easier to pipe than a thick black icing.
Thanks for the nice comments on the eggs!
So do you have to do pipe an outline or not? I am trying to grasp this and it does not compute with me. I guess the best thing to do is to just make some glace and try. On a different thread, someone mentioned NOT piping the outline. I have read that more experienced cookie people can flood a cookie without a piped line. I am amazed by this! I thought cookies without piping were fondant covered. I am so intrigued!
So do you have to do pipe an outline or not? I am trying to grasp this and it does not compute with me. I guess the best thing to do is to just make some glace and try. On a different thread, someone mentioned NOT piping the outline. I have read that more experienced cookie people can flood a cookie without a piped line. I am amazed by this! I thought cookies without piping were fondant covered. I am so intrigued!
I usually use a #4 tip to pipe a line of icing around the border of the cookie. I then immediately pipe more icing in the area using a zip zag pattern. I use a tapered off-set spatula to smooth out the icing over the entire area. I'll try to attach a photo....a picture's worth a thousand words!
Edited to add: the line of icing around the border makes it easier to get a nice edge when smoothing out the icing. It's something to push up against. Hope that makes sense!
I'm really enjoying all the threads about cookie masking lately! Everyone's hints and pictures are so inspiring!!
Isn't it funny how people decorate so differently? I use a modified version of Antonia74's RI and I outline and fill in one step. I fill in concentric circles.
I've tried using an offset spatula, but I can't seem to make it work. I've never tried Toba's glace - maybe I should give it a go? Do I make it the same consistency as I would for RI? How long does it take to harden enough to stack/wrap?
Bonnie
I'm really enjoying all the threads about cookie masking lately! Everyone's hints and pictures are so inspiring!!
Isn't it funny how people decorate so differently? I use a modified version of Antonia74's RI and I outline and fill in one step. I fill in concentric circles.
I've tried using an offset spatula, but I can't seem to make it work. I've never tried Toba's glace - maybe I should give it a go? Do I make it the same consistency as I would for RI? How long does it take to harden enough to stack/wrap?
Bonnie
Your cookies are so beautiful, it's hard to believe you'd want to mess with success! (I especially love your fish cookies). I outline and fill in one step too, so I only use one consistency. and when I'm doing round cookies, I do the concentric circles, too! My RI experience is so limited, I can't say if they should be of the same consistency, but I would guess yes. Toba's dries pretty firm overnight. I would wrap, but not stack. I would wait a full 24 hours before stacking.
Wow! Seeing that picture definitely makes me doubt myself. Maybe I'm using too much icing? That looks like hardly any icing to me. My fill is almost touching itself, so I don't have to smooth anything afterwards, it just bleeds into itself.
I guess I'm not sure there is a right way and a wrong way really, although I'm so new at this I do sort of wonder.
I just love Antonia's recipe! It's so smooth and tastes good. And the end product comes out so shiny and beautiful!
I rarely do cookies but you are all inspiring me to do it more often.
GeminiRJ
I just want to clarify, you use the same consistancy for the outline as you do to flood? Is it thin?
thanks
I rarely do cookies but you are all inspiring me to do it more often.
GeminiRJ
I just want to clarify, you use the same consistancy for the outline as you do to flood? Is it thin?
thanks
Yes, I only use the one consistency. I add more powdered sugar than what the recipe calls for. The closest I can describe it as a thick Elmer's glue. You want it thick enough so it doesn't drip off the edges of the cookie when you pipe the line around the border. When I go to do the final details and outlines, I thicken the remaining icing even more. For black, I usually combine all the leftover bits of color and then add black until I get it to the darkness I want.
I have recently switched to this style of decorating........outlining and filling all at once with the same "glue" consistency and then thickening slightly for added details. My question is this.........if you want 2 colors in the base of the cookie.......like in a couple of GeminiRJ's Easter eggs that had striped base layers.......can you still do it this way? Don't the colors bleed into each other with no hard outline? Do you have to do the two colors at 2 different times with a drying cycle in between?
Oh.....and as to the op's question......I have been using Antonia's RI exclusively, since my first bought with the glace. Although, now that I see more tips from Gemini, I may try it one more time. I just have a hard time with bubbles in the glace and not with the Antonina's. And yes, I do let it sit......but it just seems to keep a grainy texture on the finished product for me. I'll have to experiment some more.
Heather
I have recently switched to this style of decorating........outlining and filling all at once with the same "glue" consistency and then thickening slightly for added details. My question is this.........if you want 2 colors in the base of the cookie.......like in a couple of GeminiRJ's Easter eggs that had striped base layers.......can you still do it this way? Don't the colors bleed into each other with no hard outline? Do you have to do the two colors at 2 different times with a drying cycle in between?
Oh.....and as to the op's question......I have been using Antonia's RI exclusively, since my first bought with the glace. Although, now that I see more tips from Gemini, I may try it one more time. I just have a hard time with bubbles in the glace and not with the Antonina's. And yes, I do let it sit......but it just seems to keep a grainy texture on the finished product for me. I'll have to experiment some more.
Heather
When two colors meet, I will do the lighter color first. Usually by the time I've finished all the cookies with that color, the icing has set enough to go back and add the color meeting it. If there is a really light color meeting a dark color, I will allow more drying time.
As for bubbles...I never have had a bubble in the icing that has been smoothed out with the off-set spatula. The only time I get a bubble is when there is a puddle of icing, so I try to make it as thin as possible. This isn't always possible, and the bubble results. I save a bit of icing to fill the hole and then smooth it over with my finger. It isn't perfect, but it works pretty good.
Thanks so much Gemini for the tips. I am going to make Easter cookies soon. So, I'll give it a try then.
Heather
Do you use any flavorings in your RI? I can't get my RI to taste right. I added vanilla and wasn't thrilled with it.
Any help from anyone would be greatly appreciated.
I just love Antonia's recipe! It's so smooth and tastes good. And the end product comes out so shiny and beautiful!
That's actually the reason I don't like royal, I think it tastes funny. My understanding is, though, that you should add some vanilla. I thought I read somewhere that there is actually vanilla added to one of the ingredients that Antonia uses.
I agree with you DsLady614 it does taste funny to me too. So I started adding a little vanilla extract or any other flavor & it tastes a little better.
hi I am trying out Antonias recipe for icing cookies. in her recipe it say it covers a dozen..well it might if all you where doing was just glazing ..I have thicked it to do borders on the cookies and filled some in. I only covered 3 cookies..
Is it me ??
Also i need to know if how long this will keep fresh.I have alot of cookies i need to make.. I am trying to find some quick ways without having to use royal icing..
anyone wanna help me out .... thanks
I came across this great tutorial last year. HTH
http://www.ourbestbites.com/2008/12/tutorial-glace-icing-and-cookie.html
hi I am trying out Antonias recipe for icing cookies. in her recipe it say it covers a dozen..well it might if all you where doing was just glazing ..I have thicked it to do borders on the cookies and filled some in. I only covered 3 cookies..
Is it me ??
Also i need to know if how long this will keep fresh.I have alot of cookies i need to make.. I am trying to find some quick ways without having to use royal icing..
anyone wanna help me out .... thanks
You made Antonia74's icing and only got 3 cookies done? I'm so surprised to hear that - I use that recipe and I can cover a full batch of cookies (NFSC - 6 cups of flour - maybe 40-50 cookies depending on how many colors and the size) with that recipe!
My personal rule of thumb for decorated cookies is that I like to have them eaten within 5-7 days of baking. But, they can be frozen, either before or after decorating.
I have only really used royal (except for some "playing"), but I think maybe covering in fondant would be quicker... maybe some of the fondant users can help you with that....
I use marshmallow. RBC, which is like fondant and LOVE it. I also use Antonia's w/ almond flavor and love it as well! I have tried Toba's but it just didn't work for me since I usually use it for outlining and filling in
I guess it's what you're use to. But don't let taste turn you off b/c you can flavor it. I usually use 2 1/2-3 tsp p imitation almond flavoring, 2 tsp of pure extract. I like the fondant method and use it all the time unless I need to do flooding. I will use fondant for the color that covers the most or the "background"
I also like antonia's b/c they dry quicker. This comes in handy when you procrastinate . I also like to stack them and not worry about smudging
Since I found the Antonio74 RI recipe here - I've quit using any other RI recipe. Looks great and seems to stay soft long enough to use but not too long - dries fast but not too fast. Does need to be a little stiffer to pipe details than buttercream IMHO.
I flavor mine with the same mix I use in my buttercream - I mix up a batch of 2 parts butter flavor, 2 parts almond extract, and 3 parts clear vanilla. I use about 2 tsp of the mix for each full batch of RI - ends up smelling just like buttercream and tastes good too.
bonniebakes - how do you modify antonia's RI? how much corn syrup and how does it change it? does it go on more smoothly, less air bubbles, and what about drying time????? your cookies are breathtaking, and real inspiration
bonniebakes - how do you modify antonia's RI? how much corn syrup and how does it change it? does it go on more smoothly, less air bubbles, and what about drying time????? your cookies are breathtaking, and real inspiration
ruthi - thank you!!
I add anywhere from a few teaspoons to 1/3 cup, depending on the effect I'm looking for and what I'm doing (less for cookies that I'm mailing or want a more matte finish, more for cookies that I want shiny or don't have to be mailed somewhere).
I've added up to around 1/3 cup (in place of water in the recipe) without any noticeable effect on the consistency or drying time of the icing.
If I'm using more than a few teaspoons, I mix the water, meringue powder and cream of tartar as in Antonia74's recipe, but with less water (that I'll replace with corn syrup). Then, after I start the mixer with the powdered sugar added, I add the corn syrup to the mix. If I'm only adding a little bit for some shine, I just do the regular recipe, and then squeeze in a little corn syrup about 5 minutes into the mixing.
I also add flavoring to that recipe... usually one of the natural flavors that I have from Spices etc.
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