Best 6 Royal Icing For Gingerbread Cookies Recipes

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**Create a Festive Treat: Mastering Royal Icing Techniques for Gingerbread Cookies**

During the holiday season, the aroma of freshly baked gingerbread cookies wafts through homes, evoking feelings of warmth and nostalgia. These iconic treats, often adorned with intricate designs, are a feast for both the eyes and the taste buds. Royal icing, a versatile and edible adhesive, plays a crucial role in transforming these cookies into edible works of art. This comprehensive guide delves into the art of creating royal icing, providing detailed instructions and tips to achieve perfect consistency, vibrant colors, and flawless application. Explore variations such as flood icing, which creates a smooth, glossy surface, and piping icing, ideal for creating delicate details and borders. With step-by-step guidance, you'll master the techniques to create stunning gingerbread cookies that will impress your family and friends.

Check out the recipes below so you can choose the best recipe for yourself!

GINGERBREAD COOKIES WITH ROYAL ICING



Gingerbread Cookies with Royal Icing image

Molasses, ginger, allspice, cinnamon and cloves bring robust flavor to a classic holiday cookie.

Provided by By Betty Crocker Kitchens

Categories     Dessert

Time 3h40m

Yield 60

Number Of Ingredients 15

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup mild-flavor or full-flavor molasses
1/3 cup cold water
3 1/2 cups Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon meringue powder
2 tablespoons cold water
1 cup powdered sugar
Granulated sugar, if desired

Steps:

  • In large bowl, beat butter, brown sugar, molasses and cold water with electric mixer on medium speed (or with wooden spoon) until well mixed. Mixture may look curdled. With wooden spoon, stir in remaining cookie ingredients until soft dough forms. Wrap with plastic wrap; refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours.
  • Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray cookie sheets with cooking spray. On floured surface, roll dough 1/8 inch thick.
  • Cut dough with floured 3 1/2- by 2 1/2-inch gingerbread boy or girl cookie cutter or other cookie cutter. Place on cookie sheets 2 inches apart. Reroll dough, and cut additional cookies.
  • Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until no indentation remains when touched. Immediately remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack. Cool cookie sheets 10 minutes between batches. Cool cookies completely, about 30 minutes.
  • In medium bowl, beat meringue powder and cold water with electric mixer on medium speed until peaks form. Gradually beat in powdered sugar until soft peaks form, about 1 minute. Spoon icing into decorating bag fitted with medium round tip, and pipe over cookies. Sprinkle with sugar. Let stand about 5 minutes or until icing is set.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 60, Carbohydrate 12 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Fiber 0 g, Protein 0 g, SaturatedFat 1 g, ServingSize 1 Cookie, Sodium 65 mg, Sugar 5 g, TransFat 0 g

ROYAL ICING RECIPE FOR A GINGERBREAD HOUSE



Royal Icing Recipe for a Gingerbread House image

Royal icing is the mortar or glue that holds a gingerbread house together. Here are the tips to making this easy three-ingredient recipe.

Provided by Barbara Rolek

Categories     Dessert     Ingredient

Time 10m

Number Of Ingredients 3

1 pound confectioners' sugar (sifted, more as needed)
1/2 cup/3 large pasteurized egg whites (room temperature)
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Steps:

  • Gather the ingredients.
  • In a large bowl , combine the confectioners' sugar, cream of tartar, and pasteurized egg whites. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
  • Turn the mixer to high and beat until the mixture is thick, bright white, and will hold a stiff peak. This should take at least 7 to 10 minutes. If the icing is still too soupy, add more confectioners' sugar a little at a time. Don't add too much, or the icing will be dry and hard to work with.
  • When finished, cover with plastic wrap, making sure it touches the royal icing so a crust doesn't form. Royal icing dries out quickly, so make sure it is covered all the time. Otherwise, lumps will form in the icing and they will never pass through an icing tip.
  • When ready to use, transfer to a piping bag and decorate . Enjoy.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 122 kcal, Carbohydrate 30 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Fiber 0 g, Protein 1 g, SaturatedFat 0 g, Sodium 14 mg, Sugar 30 g, Fat 0 g, ServingSize 1 house (12 to 15 servings), UnsaturatedFat 0 g

ROYAL ICING FOR GINGERBREAD COOKIES



Royal Icing for Gingerbread Cookies image

Use this royal icing to decorate our Molasses-Gingerbread and Honey-Gingerbread cookies.

Provided by Martha Stewart

Categories     Food & Cooking     Dessert & Treats Recipes

Yield Makes about 2 1/2 cups

Number Of Ingredients 2

1 pound confectioners' sugar, plus more if needed
5 tablespoons meringue powder

Steps:

  • Beat sugar, meringue powder, and a scant 1/4 cup water in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on low speed until smooth, about 7 minutes. If icing is too thick, add more water, 1 teaspoon at a time; if too thin, beat icing for 2 to 3 minutes more, or add more sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time. Use immediately or store in an airtight container at room temperature overnight; stir before using.

ROYAL ICING I



Royal Icing I image

Perfect icing for your gingerbread houses!

Provided by Diane

Categories     Desserts     Frostings and Icings     Cookie Frosting

Yield 32

Number Of Ingredients 3

4 egg whites
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon lemon extract

Steps:

  • Beat egg whites in a clean, large bowl with mixer at high speed until foamy (use only grade A clean, uncracked eggs). Gradually add sugar and lemon extract. Beat at high speed until thickened.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 63.3 calories, Carbohydrate 15.6 g, Protein 0.5 g, Sodium 7.1 mg, Sugar 15.4 g

GINGERBREAD COOKIES WITH ROYAL ICING



Gingerbread Cookies with Royal Icing image

Provided by Sandra Lee

Categories     dessert

Time 1h28m

Yield 3 dozen (2-inch) cookies

Number Of Ingredients 13

1 package sugar cookie mix
1 egg
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup melted butter
2 tablespoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 cup dark molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Royal Icing
2 large egg whites or 5 tablespoons meringue powder
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
Food coloring, if desired

Steps:

  • For Gingerbread Cookies:
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • In a large mixing bowl, blend all ingredients together and chill for up to 1 hour. Roll dough out on floured board about 1/8-inch thick. Cut desired shapes with cookie cutters and place onto sheet pan. Bake for 8 minutes in preheated oven.
  • For Royal Icing:
  • With a hand mixer, beat the egg whites with the lemon juice or extract until frothy. Add the sifted powdered sugar and beat on low speed until combined, smooth, and shiny. Turn to high and beat approximately 5 minutes till stiff and glossy. Add food coloring, if desired, and transfer to a pasty bag to pipe onto cookies.

GINGERBREAD COOKIES WITH ROYAL ICING



Gingerbread Cookies With Royal Icing image

This gingerbread was created to be rolled, cut & painted. Found in The Washington Post. We're a household who love to decorate Christmas cookies so the Royal Icing recipe is appreciated. Tint the Royal Icing with gel or paste food coloring (available at craft stores or baking supply stores). Cookies can be stored at room temperature for 4 weeks. ***note - the dough needs an overnight chill in the fridge****

Provided by Busters friend

Categories     Dessert

Time 40m

Yield 20-60 cookies

Number Of Ingredients 15

5 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cloves
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 cup butter flavor shortening
1 cup sugar
1 cup dark molasses
2 large eggs
1 lb confectioners' sugar, sifted (about 4 cups)
1/4 cup meringue powder
1/2 cup warm water
1 teaspoon orange extract

Steps:

  • For the cookies: In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, ginger, cloves and cinnamon until well mixed. Set aside.
  • Using a stand mixer on low speed, blend the shortening and sugar. Add the molasses and eggs, then gradually stir in the flour mixture until combined. The dough will be sticky. Divide into quarters, shape into flattened disks, wrap in plastic and refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days.
  • Position an oven rack in the middle and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat liner.
  • Lightly dust each disk with flour and place it between sheets of wax paper. Roll it 1/4-inch thick for chewy cookies or 1/8-inch thick for crisp cookies. Lift off and reserve the top layer of wax paper. Dip cookie cutters in flour and cut designs in the dough, leaving excess dough in place. Put wax paper back on top, slide a baking sheet under the lower sheet of wax paper and transfer the dough and baking sheet to the freezer for about 15 minutes, or until the dough is firm but not frozen.
  • Transfer 1 sheet of dough, with the cold baking sheet still under it, to a work surface. Remove the top sheet of wax paper, lift up the dough and push the cutout cookies from behind to free them. Quickly place them on the prepared baking sheet.
  • Bake small cookies for about 6 minutes, medium for 8 and large for 10 to 12, or until edges are light brown (baking time will vary, depending on thickness of dough). Let sit for about 2 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. If not iced immediately, they may be stored for 4 weeks in airtight containers at room temperature or wrapped in plastic and frozen.
  • For the royal icing: Using a stand mixer on high speed, beat the confectioners' sugar, meringue powder, water and orange extract for about 5 minutes, or until stiff peaks form. Unless using immediately, place plastic wrap directly on the icing. To create different colors, transfer some icing to small bowls and add gel or paste food coloring.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 389.9, Fat 11.1, SaturatedFat 2.8, Cholesterol 18.6, Sodium 235.1, Carbohydrate 69.6, Fiber 1.1, Sugar 41.7, Protein 3.9

Tips:

  • Use fresh egg whites: Older egg whites may not whip up as well and can result in a runny icing.
  • Whip the egg whites gradually: Start on low speed and gradually increase the speed as the egg whites begin to foam.
  • Add the sugar in small increments: This will help prevent the icing from becoming grainy.
  • Beat the icing until stiff peaks form: The icing should be thick and glossy, and it should hold its shape when you lift the beaters out of the bowl.
  • Use the icing immediately: Royal icing dries quickly, so it's best to use it as soon as it's made.
  • If the icing is too thick, add a little water, one drop at a time, until it reaches the desired consistency.
  • If the icing is too thin, add a little more confectioners' sugar, one tablespoon at a time, until it reaches the desired consistency.
  • Store the icing in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Conclusion:

Royal icing is a versatile and easy-to-make icing that can be used to decorate gingerbread cookies, cakes, and other desserts. With a little practice, you can create beautiful and intricate designs that will impress your friends and family. So next time you're looking for a way to add a little extra flair to your baked goods, give royal icing a try.

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