Print

Easy Sugar Cookie Icing That Dries Smooth and Hard

Stack of sugar cookies decorated with bright, piped cookie icing recipe in blue, purple, yellow, and pink.
Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

A simple recipe for cookie icing that pipes well, dries to a smooth, glossy finish, and hardens perfectly for decorating cut-out cookies.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1/2 cup light corn syrup
  • 1/4 cup milk or water
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
  • Food coloring (gel preferred)

Instructions

  1. Sift the powdered sugar into a large bowl.
  2. In a separate bowl, whisk together the corn syrup, milk or water, vanilla extract, and almond extract if you are using it.
  3. Gradually add the wet ingredients to the sifted powdered sugar, mixing on low speed with an electric mixer until just combined.
  4. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and beat for 3 to 5 minutes until the icing is smooth and glossy.
  5. Check the consistency. If the icing is too thick for outlining, add water or milk, one teaspoon at a time. If it is too thin for piping, add more sifted powdered sugar, one tablespoon at a time.
  6. Separate the icing into smaller bowls for coloring, if desired. Add gel food coloring drop by drop until you reach your desired shade.
  7. Use immediately for outlining and flooding cookies. For best results, let the first layer dry slightly before flooding or adding detail layers.

Notes

  • For a royal icing texture that dries very hard, substitute the corn syrup with 2 tablespoons of meringue powder mixed with 6 tablespoons of water.
  • If the icing crusts over while you are working, stir in a few drops of water to restore the smooth consistency.
  • This icing sets firm enough to stack cookies within a few hours, depending on humidity.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://tasteportfolio.com/cookie-icing-recipe-dries-hard/