Ukrainian dish

Royal icing for sugar cookies

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The best part: They look totally professional. It’s also the most finicky to make. Follow our easy royal icing guide where we break down the process step-by-step using our Test Kitchen’s go-to royal icing recipe. Like most icings, you can alter the consistency with how much water or confectioners’ sugar you add. Depending on the decoration style you’re going for, you’ll want different consistencies.

For a base coat or flooding, you’ll want your icing to be a bit thinner. Whatever consistency you aim for, just be sure to avoid these common royal icing mistakes. Before you start decorating, you’ll want to stock up on a few basic supplies. For royal icing, you’ll want to opt for gel dye as it creates great, saturated color without diluting your icing.