Rolled Royal Icing Recipe for Cookie Decorating

Rolled royal icing makes a perfect replacement for decorating cookies when you don't want to use the traditional method of outline and fill cookies with royal icing. It can be rolled and draped over a cookie like a fondant, but dries hard like royal icing. Works great for cookie decorating in hot and humid conditions.

Table of Content

• Why rolled royal icing?
• How to make rolled royal icing
• How to use this rolled royal icing
• A few tips for  you
• You may also like
• Printable Recipe

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Rolled Royal Icing! Ever since I mentioned it in one of my previous posts, I've had tons of emails asking me for the recipe and how to use it. I hope I did not give you the wrong message. This is not going to replace the royal icing. It's similar to fondant, but fondant is easier to work with than this.

My sister loves decorated cookies, but hates working with royal icing. If you are a person like my sister, who hates working with piping bags and nozzles and still love to decorate cookies, you will love this recipe. Let me give you a little background of how I came to using this recipe. Necessity! You know what they say, necessity is the mother of all invention. Well, this was my little solution to small necessity here in my kitchen.

Why rolled royal icing?

The First reason - During most of the year, the weather here in Israel is really hot and humid. And, as we all know, royal icing and humidity really hate each other. This causes a lot of problems like color bleeding, blotchy spots and takes FOREVER to dry. Fondant is good, but again, stays really soft in summer.

Another reason - Space! For me, a three bedroom apartment with two kids and a cake business is tiny. I do not have the place to dry a large batch of cookies with royal icing. Especially, because my two little ones are 2 ½ and 4 ½ years old.

At such times, I have to use rolled royal icing. It's just like fondant but dries harder. So, it's still royal icing, but an easier option for me. Plus, I can stack them when done, unlike fondant that stays soft in summer. This dries rock hard just like royal icing.

A long time ago, when I was a teenager and helped my mom make sugar paste, we use to make sugar paste with egg whites. One of the problems with that sugar paste, was that it had the tendency to become hard. The getting hard part was an issue for her back then. So, I decided to experiment with my mom's old recipes and this is what I came up with. It worked great for me, still does and often makes my life a lot simpler.

I'm happy to share this recipe with you. This does not mean that I do not decorate my cookies the traditional way with royal icing anymore. I do like some royal icing fun of outline and filling the cookies. Good old royal icing has a place in cookie decorating that will stay green forever as the favorite method of cookie decorating.

How to make rolled royal icing

Dissolved gelatin

• Add 1 tbsp or more of warm water to gelatin. Set aside for 2 mins to bloom.
• Heat in the microwave at 30 sec until completely dissolved. Let cool slightly.

Combine liquid ingredients

• Combine the gelatin with corn syrup and vanilla/rose extract.
• Keep warm so the gelatin won't solidify.

Rolled royal icing

• Place two cups powdered sugar in a bowl or electric mixer.
• Add meringue powder, salt and cream of tartar.
• Stir to combine.
• Add gelatin mixture in the center of the bowl.
• Combine using a wooden spoon or spatula.
• Stir until well combined.
• Continue to mix well for about 2 to 3 minutes until you have a thick, sticky and almost double in volume mixture. (This is double strength royal icing)
• Next, add in another cup of powdered sugar. Mix it in thoroughly.
• Followed by adding another cup of powdered sugar (using all 4 cups).
• Lastly, knead with veg shortening on a lightly dusted surface (use powdered sugar for dusting) until smooth and pliable.
• If necessary add a tbsp or more of powdered sugar. Too much powdered sugar will make it dry and crumbly which is difficult to work with.
• Divide the dough into two and store them wrapped in cling wrap first, then in a zip lock bag, then in a box with a tight fitting lid.
• This does dry out easily so keep it wrapped at all times.
• Let rest for 8 to 10 hours before you use it this will help the gelatin set.

Storage

This can stay for a month in the fridge if sealed properly. Bring to room temperature before using. I have never left it for more than a month but I presume it can stay longer.  If you do keep it longer please write a comment and let the others know how it worked.

I usually prefer to use veg shortening to roll and cut these out so as to avoid drying and cracking. But you may use powder sugar and cornstarch mixture too.

How to use this rolled royal icing

Now I won't' promise this is easy to work with but once you get the hang of it, you will begin to like it. We all work differently so find a method that works best for you.

• Take a small amount as needed for one or two cookies.
• Lightly dust your work surface with powder sugar and roll out very lightly.
• Turning as you go to ensure it does not stick to the work surface.
• Use a spatula to slide under the paste.
• I like to roll it thin but still manageable.
• Brush some sugar syrup or diluted jam on your cookie to help stick.
• Use your cookie cutter and cut out your shape.
• Lift the cut out with a spatula to prevent distorting the shape
• Place on the cookie.
• Gently rub the surface with the palm of your hands.
• The warmth of your palm with melt the sugar on the surface giving you a smooth cookie.

A few tips for  you

• It is important that you use it in a small amount of no more than one or two cookies at a time. It does dry out fast.
• Knead well with veg shortening to avoid crack marks on your cookies. But too much veg shortening breaks the egg protein making it crumbly.
• It does dry hard fast so any progress work needs to be planned ahead of time.
• I  love using it in my molds and making patterns for the cookies.
• You could use embossers or imprint mats just like fondant.
• A plain rolled royal icing surface makes a perfect canvas for hand painted cookies.

You may also like

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Printable Recipe