Peace, Love & Happiness

Lately I've been having fun working with royal icing...not only on cookies but making cupcake toppers and cake decorations with it.   I made all the "Hippie Chick" pieces with royal icing and set them atop chocolate cupcakes frosted with chocolate buttercream.    I learned the hard way when a few pieces broke last time, so now I make 3 or 4 extras in case something breaks.

my plan

Drawing out a plan helps me stay on track.  After mixing my royal icing, I thinned it to "20 second consistancy".  20 second consistancy was perfect for piping & filling. First off, I piped the owl & bird eyes so they would dry and I could drop them in the wet icing.   Each piece was a 3 part process.. pipe the shape, set for 15 minutes, flood each shape, wait 3 hours, then finally add details..wings, dots, etc.

owl & bird eyes

Royal Icing: (I double this recipe)
1 lb confectioners sugar
3 tbsp meringue powder
5-6 tbsp warm water (ok to sub 1 tbsp water with non-oil flavoring of your choice)

Beat all ingredients until icing forms peaks (7-10 minutes at low speed with a heavy-duty mixer, 10-12 minutes at high speed with a hand-held mixer).
NOTE: Keep all utensils completely grease-free for proper icing consistency.
* For stiffer icing, use 1 tablespoon less water.
**When using large countertop mixer or for stiffer icing, use 1 tablespoon less water.
Thinned Royal Icing: To thin for pouring, add 1 teaspoon water per cup of royal icing. Use grease-free spoon or spatula to stir slowly. Add 1/2 teaspoon water at a time until you reach proper consistency