Sugar Cookie Icing Recipe: Flawless, Hard-Setting Royal Finish

Instructions:

1. Sift the confectioners’ sugar and meringue powder thoroughly together into a large mixing bowl to eliminate any lumps.
2. Add 6 tablespoons (90 ml) of warm water, vanilla extract, and almond extract (if using) to the dry ingredients in the mixer bowl.
3. Start the mixer on the lowest speed (Stir) for 30 seconds to incorporate the ingredients without creating a dust cloud.
4. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and beat for 5 to 7 minutes until the icing becomes glossy, significantly increases in volume, and forms stiff, sharp peaks. This is the piping/outline consistency.
5. Divide the stiff icing into separate bowls for different colours. Add gel food colouring to each portion and mix gently until the colour is uniform.
6. For outline consistency, use the icing as is, transferring directly into piping bags fitted with small tips.
7. To create the flooding consistency, take the remaining coloured icing and add water very slowly, a few drops at a time, stirring vigorously after each addition.
8. Test the flow: Pull a line through the surface of the icing with a knife. The icing must smoothly reincorporate itself and become completely smooth again within 10 seconds for perfect flooding.
9. Transfer the thin flooding consistency icing into squeeze bottles or piping bags with a slightly larger opening for filling in the cookie centres.
10. Decorate your cookies, allowing the outline to dry slightly before flooding. Let the finished cookies dry completely in a low-humidity environment, typically 6 to 8 hours or overnight, for a rock-hard finish.