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The Best Sugar Cookie Icing Recipe That Dries Hard and Smooth

Close-up of a heart-shaped sugar cookie topped with vibrant, striped rainbow cookie icing and sparkling sugar crystals.
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Make smooth, glossy cookie icing that hardens perfectly for decorating, piping, and stacking cut-out cookies. This beginner-friendly recipe is reliable and easy to color.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
  • 3 tablespoons meringue powder
  • 6 tablespoons warm water
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Optional: Food coloring gel

Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sifted confectioners’ sugar and meringue powder until fully combined.
  2. Add the warm water and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients.
  3. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until the ingredients are incorporated, then increase the speed to medium-high.
  4. Beat for 5 to 7 minutes until the icing is smooth, glossy, and holds stiff peaks. This is the piping consistency.
  5. To achieve a thinner ‘flood’ consistency for filling in areas, add water one teaspoon at a time until the icing slowly falls from the whisk in a ribbon that disappears into the surface after about 10 seconds.
  6. Divide the icing into separate bowls if you plan to use multiple colors. Add gel food coloring sparingly and mix until the color is uniform.
  7. Use the icing immediately for decorating cookies.
  8. Allow the decorated cookies to dry uncovered at room temperature for several hours, or until the icing is completely firm to the touch and stackable.

Notes

  • For a softer bite, reduce the water slightly when mixing the flood consistency.
  • If the icing becomes too thick while working, add a few drops of water and mix gently.
  • Store unused icing in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days; do not refrigerate.
  • This recipe uses meringue powder, which provides the necessary structure for hard drying without using raw eggs.

Nutrition

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