Experiments in Royal Icing

[mirth]

So ... I've learned that royal icing is an icing that hardens as it dries. It is essentially powdered sugar and egg whites (either liquid or powdered -- if powdered, add some water). I have pasteurized liquid whites, and Deb El Just Whites.

 

Is this to say that if I add enough powdered egg whites to anything sort of gloopy (example: N U T E L L A), I can turn that into a hard icing if I work fast enough? Or if I add enough liquid egg whites into dry (brown sugar), I can turn that into a hard icing also?

 

If you've played with royal icing --- please, please share your knowledge.

 

P.S. I'm not trying to write fancy lines or fill in shapes using RI, just a simple continuous coating. Even a few dots or a roundish blob of icing on a cookie would be considered a success.

[mirth]

shameless bump, need help/ideas

[Susan in KY]

Well.... I use royal icing every year to decorate gingerbread houses and get them to stick together. It dries like cement.

 

I have never used powdered egg whites, though. I always whip room-temp egg whites and add sifted powdered sugar and a tsp of lemon juice. Perhaps you could fold or whip nutella into the egg whites, but I think it would be better to use a mix of powdered baking cocoa with the powdered sugar.

 

It goes on runny and can be thinly spread, so you should have no troubles with that.

 

HTH

 

ETA: I don't think dried whites would give you the same effect. I believe that whipping fresh whites with powdered sugar is the key. Regular brown sugar would be too grainy.

Edited November 23, 2011 by Susan in KY
More complete answer needed. :)

[Swirl]

Is this to say that if I add enough powdered egg whites to anything sort of gloopy (example: N U T E L L A), I can turn that into a hard icing if I work fast enough? Or if I add enough liquid egg whites into dry (brown sugar), I can turn that into a hard icing also?

 

Don't use anything with grease or oil.

[mirth]

Good info ... thank you.