Royal Icing learning experiences

annie1992

17 years ago

OK, I was reading one of those cake decorating sites and it talked about piping an edge around cookies with Royal Icing and then "flooding" the rest of the cookie with the same icing that had been thinned down. It sounded easy enough. Deceptively easy, as a matter of fact.

Since Elery's Granddaughter, Jamieson, is having a birthday this weekend and her parents have already ordered a cake, I offered to make cookies, thinking this would be the perfect time to experiment. Yeah, I know, something like this isn't normally a time to experiment, but you know how I am....

So, I drag out all the cake decorating stuff. I have two pastry bags. That's all, just two. Cake colors? Let's see, I have black, burgundy, "Winnie The Pooh gold", pink, yellow and green. I really have to buy some more, LOL. I pick out the pink, yellow and green as the most "little girlish" and make a batch of Royal Icing.

I'd already made the cookies last night, so I pipe the outlines, some in each of the three colors but because I only have one tip and two bags and THREE colors, I revert to my old standby, ziplock bags with the corners cut out.

OK, let the outlines stand while I bake focaccia. Fill in the outlines with that thinned icing in more ziplock bags and spread it around with a paintbrush and some toothpicks.

Voila! Here's what I got, not so bad for my first time with that technique, using nothing but ziplock bags and a paintbrush, LOLOLOL.

They aren't perfect, but I think Jamieson will like them because they contain inordinate amounts of sugar. (grin) I kept half a dozen out for the Monkey Princess, she's going to be so impressed. For a minute, then she'll eat 'em.

Annie

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Comments (29)

maureen_me
17 years ago
They're very pretty. They look marbleized, like book endpapers. I think the sheer amount of pink will be enough to make little girls happy.

I'd eat one right now.
jessyf
17 years ago
Perfect.
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Wow, thank you all so much for sharing your suggestions and considerable knowledge, it is so helpful to me! I use meringue powder instead of egg whites because one of my kiddos had a salmonella infection a few years ago and it was quite an awful experience. We never determined exactly where he came in contact with it; it could have been from handling the reptiles/turtles at school, or from a local restaurant where he was the only one to eat spinach with his dinner salad. Regardless, since that experience, I have become extremely cautious - no bagged lettuce/spinach, no reptilian pets, and no eating anything with uncooked/undercooked eggs, including spoonfuls of raw cookie dough (which I had done my entire life without incident!). Poured fondant sounds like an interesting solution! But could that be piped, or would royal icing need to be used for detail work? Not sure I could handle two different icings..my kitchen was a disaster just using one icing, with the piping bags and bowls for coloring, etc. I am not a neat cook. I'll try adding lemon juice and using Ateco meringue powder next time! I also found another recipe online for a crusting buttercream (with meringue powder) so I may try that as well some other time. So many great ideas here....thank you all so much!
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starlightfarm
17 years ago
Agree with jessy... perfection. I don't know any little girl that wouldn't die to have those served at their birthday party. You are the best grandmother!
scott55405
17 years ago
Very nice work Annie!
sooz
17 years ago
You're an artist and didn't know it!! They look delicious and beautiful! Gosh, the things you can do with a ziploc baggie and some icing!

Sooz
canarybird01
17 years ago
Annie those are perfect!

Clever you to do that with minimum equipment!

SharonCb
caliloo
17 years ago
They look great! And you're right - the little girls will admire them for about 14 seconds before chowing down :-)

Alexa
JoanM
17 years ago
I'm so glad you posted how you did that. I saw the pictures in the other thread and I was awed. I must just be a big kid because I would love them. Beautiful!
pat_t
17 years ago
Love 'em! You did really GREAT!
jojoco
17 years ago
So beautiful! And inspiring. I want to try this.

Jo
lisbet
17 years ago
I have used the "Color Flow" technique for cake decorating. Was taught this method in a cake decorating class. It's fun to do.

Here is a link that might be useful: Decorating with Color Flow
brenda55
17 years ago
Annie, those are really great. Very nice artwork. I am sure you've made more than a few gkids very happy!

Do you have a link to the website you used?
annie1992
Original Author
17 years ago
Brenda, here at work they won't let me do a link, I hit the "sonic wall". LOL

I just used the directions at Wilton.com, but I think there was a blog that someone posted that had some instructions too, maybe Bakerella? I'll go look.....

Annie
annie1992
Original Author
17 years ago
Nope, Brenda, that was wrong, it was at something called "Bake at 350 babies". If you scroll down the page, there's a list on the left. Click on basics and you'll get a lot of information that's good for nothing at all because it's a blog, but it's in there somewhere.

Wilton is easier but their pictures aren't as pretty, LOL. My cookies will never look like any of those anyway, I don't think, I'm too impatient....

Annie
claire_de_luna
17 years ago
Annie, I love them. (I want one!)
Solsthumper
17 years ago
AB, I don't think Elery's Granddaughter, Jamieson, is going to be a happy little girl, she's going to be elated.
I love flutterbys tooÃ¯Â¿Â½so much soÃ¯Â¿Â½they became my signature on cakes, back in the day.

Happy Birthday Jamieson!

Sol
annie1992
Original Author
17 years ago
Sol, my friend!!

I knew my decorating attempts would lure you out, LOL.

I still gotta get that fondant thing down, I suck at that. Expect an email, oh guru.

Annie
donna_loomis
17 years ago
First attempt? Outstanding. I'm impressed.
obxgina
17 years ago
WOW Annie they are awesome!
brenda55
17 years ago
Annie, thanks for the information. I'd love to try some for Aleksi's first day of school, when she gets home.

Drive safely, tell Elery hello from SA and Shamu is waiting! Enjoy the party.
shellm
17 years ago
Great looking cookies.They look perfect on that plate.Nice job.

Shelley
trixietx
17 years ago
Annie, your cookies are beautiful and sure don't look like a first time attempt.
They should make any little girl happy.
lakeguy35
17 years ago
First time...WOW is all I can say! I'm sure Jamieson and all will love them Annie. They are beautiful.

David
lorijean44
17 years ago
I love decorating cookies. Those came out so pretty, Annie. You've set the bar high now!!

Lori
User
17 years ago
Annie, Jamieson is a lucky little girl. The cookies look really good. I'm very impressed.

Ann
momto4kids
17 years ago
Good grief, Annie!!! They're great!! I have been meaning to find time to experiment with that technique, but have been too chicken! I never think to make cookies when they aren't for an event or something. Then, I'm too scared to ruin the whole lot that I can't bring myself to try it for an event! Happy Birthday Jamieson!! (Love that name, btw!)

I think yours turned out great!! Now I'm putting them in my line-up of upcoming things to make (right behind the chocolate cream pie [next] and my [since I'm the only one who likes it] orange meringue pie [second]!! Both the girls made the cheerleading squad this year...I was thinking I should get a megaphone cookie cutter and try my hand at this. Now seeing your work, I'm more inspired!! So, any tips for a complete newbie??!!
Marigene
17 years ago
Lucky little granddaughter. Those are the cutest butterflies, Annie.
cookie8
17 years ago
Those are cute. My hands aren't steady enough to do this technique. I end up using a paintbrush instead. I wish I could do the flooding technique:( I like the results better.
annie1992
Original Author
17 years ago
Deb, the only suggestion I have for a newbie is to get the bottles or at least pastry bags and enough tips to do one bag and tip for each color. That royal icing is a pain to clean up and it takes a lot of time to switch colors, wash the bag, put in another color.

That's why I ended up with ziplock bags, but you don't get a lot of control with them, LOL.

Also, you'd actually get a distinct design if you were more patient than I am and waited for the first layer of icing to get dry before you added details and decorations!

Oh, and I would have made the outside lines thicker, I will the next time.

Other than that, it was my first try too, so I'm still thinking about how to do it easier and better. And neater!

Oh yes, megaphones would be so cute, your girls would love them. Even if they don't turn out perfect, how can cookies be bad?

Annie

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