My Favorite Cookie Icing – Christmas Cookies!

This cookie icing is my favorite tried and true recipe for decorating all holiday cookies. This is the best recipe I have discovered for decorative icing. I have made thousands of cookies over the years and have tried many a cookie decorating recipe and this icing recipe is a game changer.

This is a wonderful alternative to the classic Royal Icing without the use of egg whites or  meringue powder.

It can be easily tweaked for your preference regarding taste, consistency and use.

Whatever your decorating style, this recipe can fill the role and you will love the results!

Whether you flood the cookies with icing or paint the cookies this icing sets beautifully with a glossy finish. After the icing has set you can store your decorated Christmas cookies without worries of the icing not holding up or the decorations being altered when the cookies are stacked for storage or transport.

How To Make Favorite Cookie Icing

One of the best features of this recipe is that only a few ingredients (which are more than likely already on your shelves) produce fabulous results.  The secret ingredient is taadaaaa – light corn syrup.

This is a new ingredient to me for use in your classic sugar cookie icing and I found the results amazing.

For years I would make my cookie icing with a simple mix of confectioners sugar, water and vanilla extract.

The flavor of the recipe can be tweaked with your favorite extract.

I have used vanilla, almond and lemon extract with consistent yummy results. If the color of the icing is to be a clear white then clear vanilla extract can be used. However I have found using regular vanilla extract made a white icing which was to me eye – white! 

Do I Need To Use Extract?

I found omitting the vanilla extract did not alter the taste significantly and it was not worth remembering (always too late!) that my pantry has regular vanilla extract and not the clear version. This is a very sweet recipe with or without the vanilla extract.

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Best Sugar Cookie Icing Recipe

Love this recipe to decorate sugar cookies all year round. Tried, true and the best!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword royal icing recipe, sugar cookie icing recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Author The Savvy Age

Ingredients

• 1 cup Confectioners Sugar aka 10x sugar
• 2 teaspoons milk
• 2 teaspoons light corn syrup

Instructions

• ** Add the milk to the sugar in the bowl and mix. Mix until a smooth consistency is achieved.

  Add the corn syrup. 

  Mix together until smooth.
• If the icing needs to be thinned, thin with milk and not corn syrup. I double the recipe so there is enough to flood sugar cookies and decorate cookies without having to stop and make a second batch of sugar cookie icing.

Notes

While I omitted vanilla extract in the original recipe this recipe does lend itself to flavoring if desired. Add 1/4 tsp of orange or lemon extract for a nice twist.

 Tips For Icing To Decorate Cookies

• • To adjust consistency, adjust the consistency with milk , not corn syrup
  • Double the recipe to save time as you will need more icing
  • Use clear vanilla extract for a true white icing IF using vanilla or any extract. The measurement is 1/4 tsp. extract for the recipe.
  • Add the milk to sugar, not the opposite when mixing the icing

Pros

• Ingredients already on your shelves
• Allows stacking of cookies once dried
• Shiny and glossy finish
• Flavor can be easily adjusted by your choice of flavored extract
• Cookies can be stacked and icing holds firm
• No egg whites
• Shelf stable
• Consistency can be easily adjusted
• Food color friendly

More Tips

• Makes a small amount, will need to at least double for a average size batch of cookies
• If you like to flood your cookie with icing and then decorate (or not!) the consistency of this recipe is well suited.
• Perfect for the holiday baking season and decorating sugar cut out cookies – I can’t wait to begin decorating!

I highly recommend this recipe, I doubt you will be disappointed.

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Nanaimo Bars – A Canadian Classic

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