Icing for Christmas cookies

[cookingqueen]

Hi... Christmas is around the corner and would like to bake up some cookies. I do know how to make the cookies but not the icing. Any ideas or suggestions? I know it's a mixture of butter, icing sugar and some vanilla essence but don't know exactly how to do it. And any ideas to get creative would be very much appreciated! Thanks.

 

[Jeff G.]

I like a crispy butter icing.
1 cup (250 mL) butter,
5 cups (1.25 L) powdered sugar
1/3 cup (75 mL) milk
2 tsp (10 mL) vanilla

I prefer a snappy thin icing so instead of just beating all of this together. Put the butter and milk in pan and heat until the butter melts. Slowly add the powdered sugar until it is a nice consistancy--still a little runny, think gravy thickness. You won't need all the sugar. Stir in the vanilla.

When the icing cools it will thicken some and gloss over.

 

[classiccook]

If you're interested in something a little different try this icing, with or without the orange (which gives it a subtle flavor). The egg white makes it harden nicely which makes it good for cookies you plan to ship.

Orange Frosting
Grated rind 1 orange
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 Tbs orange juice
1 egg white
confectioner's sugar

Add rind to fruit juice and let stand 15 minutes. Strain. Add gradually to egg yolk while beating it. Stir in sugar until right consistency to spread. Beat until very smooth.

(Edited spelling, ugh).

 

[ELLENM]

How about sugar sprinkles? add before or after baking?

 

[Barb L.]

Ellen, if you are going to frost your cookies, sprinkle after, when the icing is still wet (before it dries). No icing, before baking.

 

[candelbc]

My beautiful wife likes to add food coloring and just a little sugar to lightly beaten egg whites. Then she actually "paints" the mixture on to the cookie before baking. They look so beautiful when they are done, and it tastes quite good.

-Brad

 

[Bilby]

It would depend on the biscuit, but normally glace or royal icing would be used here.

 

[RusticCajun]

How to get deep red icing?

A number of years ago, I tried to get a deep red (Christamas-y red) royal icing for some sugar cookies I was making for Christmas. After several attempts resulting in a light pink icing, I hung my head down and gave up. I remember trying several of Wilton's food colors, all promising deep reds, but ended without success.

I even tried using KoolAid mix once. That gave a great deep red, but it ended up like drinking a glass of KoolAid with every cookie...

My friend made then showed me up and made a butter-based icing on her first try. All good, but that icing would not hold its shape.

So what's a good solution? If I want Christmas reds and greens, what type of icing should be used?

Thanks!

 

[mozart]

I use this on all my frosted cookies:

2C sifted confectioners sugar
1T melted butter
3-4T cream
1t vanilla

Beat together until smooth and glossy. If you want thiner icing use 4T of cream.

This seems to take coloring very well, although deep red is not a color I've tried.

 

[jpmcgrew]

I use this on all my frosted cookies:

2C sifted confectioners sugar
1T melted butter
3-4T cream
1t vanilla

Beat together until smooth and glossy. If you want thiner icing use 4T of cream.

This seems to take coloring very well, although deep red is not a color I've tried.

Does this recipe dry to be hard?Thats what Im looking for.

 

[CherryRed]

I want to know too! I need an icing that pipes cleanly and dries hard within a reasonable amount of time. It's for gingerbread cookies I'll be making over the weekend.

 

[mozart]

Does this recipe dry to be hard?Thats what Im looking for.

Well if you use the 4T of cream and put in on thin it will crust. It never really gets like a real hard icing, like in store bought Christmas cookies.

So if you want it hard you might try this: Royal Icing

The downside is you are using a raw egg product which I don't like to do, although I do think it is safe...probably

 

[Loprraine]

We made about 175 3D cookies for the staff at work. I made the Royal Icing, and it was very easy to work with. We used zip lock bags and cut a very small piece of one end off. For the coloring, I used Wilton's concentrated paste, and the colors are great. While the icing was still wet, we added sprinkles to some, gold and silver balls to others etc. It hardened very well, and they are still intact! Good luck and have fun.

Here's the recipe I use for Royal Icing

1 egg white
1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp water
food colouring optional

Combine egg white and powdered sugar. Beat on low speed until well blended. Add water and blend well. If too thick add water drop by drop. If too thin, add a bit of icing sugar at a time. Add the food colouring once the icing has reached the disired consistency.

 

[Michelemarie]

I use this on all my frosted cookies:

2C sifted confectioners sugar
1T melted butter
3-4T cream
1t vanilla

Beat together until smooth and glossy. If you want thiner icing use 4T of cream.

This seems to take coloring very well, although deep red is not a color I've tried.

This stuff is the best - TNT!

 

[Loprraine]

Sheesh, where was that last weekend when I had to make all the icing??? Ill try it next time ( We miss counted and have to make about 40 more cookies)

 

[carolily531]

red coloring

You might need to invest in paste food coloring (Wilton?) to get deep colors.