Posted on: Wednesday, December 17, 2008
TASTE
Cookie icings range from relaxed to rock hard
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Holiday cookies offer fun for all ages, and you can decorate yours like no one else does.
JEFF WIDENER | The Honolulu Advertiser
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In decorating plain sugar cookies for the holidays, you have several options:
A relaxed sweet glaze which can be flavored with various extracts and colored as desired. Takes well to colored sugar sprinkles. May be used as a base before applying either of the other two.
Sugar icing, which hardens rapidly and may be piped on with a pastry tube or spread with a warm pastry spreader/spatula (dip in boiling water, wipe dry, scoop up icing and spread).
Royal icing, which dries rock hard, generally used on top of a glaze or icing, to form decorative elements. Apply with warm knife or pastry tube. Best colored with a professional-style food coloring paste. For this, you need glycerin, found in baking supply and kitchen shops.
Here's how to make them:
Simple sugar glaze: Combine 1/3 cup sifted confectioners' sugar and 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch and whisk together. Gradually drizzle in hot water — 1/2 to 1 1/4 tablespoons to make a smooth, thick paste. May be colored with a few drops of food coloring or food coloring paste. May be flavored with 1/2 teaspoon extract — vanilla, rum, lemon or almond extract.
Sugar icing: In the bowl of a standing mixer, beat together 3 egg whites, a pinch of salt, 3 1/2 to 4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon lemon juice until mixture has stiff, shiny peaks. Divide and color as desired.
Royal icing: In the bowl of a standing mixer, beat together 3 egg whites, a pinch of salt, 3 1/2 to 4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar, 1 teaspoon glycerin and 1 teaspoon lemon juice until mixture has stiff, shiny peaks. Divide and color as desired.
