Royal Icing

Confession time - I am not a great baker. I'm not even a particularly good baker. I have learned the hard way that the skills which make a good cook are not the same as those that make a good baker. I'm simply too impatient to follow recipes to a "T" and I have a tendency to improvise and let me tell you; improvised baking is really never a good idea...

Both of my sisters are exceptional bakers, and my youngest sister recently came to stay overnight to bake gingerbread cookies! I  persuaded her to use a mix (Better Crocker's Gingerbread Cookie Mix - available seasonally) rather than bake them from scratch - because I'll take any excuse to cut corners when I bake. The cookies turned out to be surprisingly tasty - even without being homemade. She shared her favorite royal icing recipe with me (below) and we spent the most of the night decorating! That, after all, is the fun part!

Royal Icing (adapted from this recipe)

Ingredients

2 large egg whites

4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar, or more to thicken icing
Juice of 1 lemon -or- 1/4 cup of water

Directions

1. Beat the whites until stiff but not dry. 
2. Add sugar, lemon juice and glycerin (if using); beat for 1 minute more. 
3. If icing is too thick, add more egg whites; if it is too thin, add more sugar. 
4. Color as desired (if desired) according to food coloring directions.

Notes: The icing may be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.