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Decorating Icing

By Katie Leaird

Published on October 18, 2016

Time

10 minutes

Yield

Makes 1 1/3 cups

Decorating Icing

Ingredients

2 large egg whites 2 ⅔ cups (10 ⅔ ounces/302 grams) confectioners' sugar

Before You Begin

This recipe makes bright white icing. For colored icing, stir 1 to 2 drops of food coloring into the icing to achieve the desired color before transferring it to a pastry bag.

Instructions

  1. Using stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip egg whites and sugar on medium-low speed until combined, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium-high and whip until glossy, soft peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed.
  2. Transfer icing to pastry bag fitted with small round pastry tip. Decorate cookies and let icing harden before serving.
Decorating Icing

Decorating Icing

Headshot of Katie Leaird
By Katie Leaird
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Time

10 minutes

Yield

Makes 1 1/3 cups

Ingredients

2 large egg whites
2 ⅔ cups (10 ⅔ ounces/302 grams) confectioners' sugar

Ingredients

2 large egg whites
2 ⅔ cups (10 ⅔ ounces/302 grams) confectioners' sugar

Ingredients

2 large egg whites
2 ⅔ cups (10 ⅔ ounces/302 grams) confectioners' sugar

Why This Recipe Works

Basic icing recipes call for sugar mixed with milk or water, but this leads to thin icing best applied as a glaze. We wanted to draw sharp, distinct features and embellishments on our gingerbread cookies. To create an icing with more structure and ensure more successful detailed decorating, we whipped egg whites with confectioners’ sugar in a stand mixer. The resulting icing was thick and a bright, glossy white in color. It can be easily tinted by just adding a drop or two of food coloring.

Before You Begin

This recipe makes bright white icing. For colored icing, stir 1 to 2 drops of food coloring into the icing to achieve the desired color before transferring it to a pastry bag.

Instructions

  1. Using stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip egg whites and sugar on medium-low speed until combined, about 1 minute. Increase speed to medium-high and whip until glossy, soft peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down bowl as needed.
  2. Transfer icing to pastry bag fitted with small round pastry tip. Decorate cookies and let icing harden before serving.

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