Easy Royal Icing Cookie Decoration: Pro Tips for Small Business Baking

In a large bowl, combine sifted powdered sugar and meringue powder. Whisk briefly to mix.

Gradually add 4 tablespoons of warm water. Mix on low speed with an electric mixer until a thick paste forms.

Increase mixer speed to medium-high and beat for 5-7 minutes until stiff, glossy peaks form. For outlining icing, it should be thick enough to hold its shape. For flooding icing, thin with a few drops of water until it flows smoothly but not too fast (about 10-15 second count).

Divide the prepared royal icing into separate bowls for different colors. Add a few drops of gel food coloring to each bowl and mix gently until uniformly colored.

Transfer the thicker (outlining) icing into piping bags fitted with small round tips (e.g., PME #1.5 or Wilton #2). Carefully outline the edges of your cooled, baked cookies.

Using the thinner (flooding) icing, fill in the outlined areas of the cookies. You can use a squeeze bottle or a piping bag without a tip for faster flooding. Use a scribe tool or toothpick to gently spread the icing to the edges and pop any air bubbles.

While the flood icing is still wet (wet-on-wet technique), add dots, lines, or other simple designs with contrasting colors. For raised details, wait until the flood layer is completely dry. Allow all decorated cookies to dry completely on a flat surface for at least 6-8 hours, preferably overnight, before stacking or packaging.