Royal Icing Recipe for Outlining                                                        *Printer Friendly Version

Ingredients:
   3 large egg whites
   1 pound powdered sugar
   1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 

Begin by separating the egg whites from the yolk. To do this, crack the egg in half.

To separate the white, hold the egg over a bowl and pass the yolk back and forth between the two shell halves until all of the white has fallen into the bowl.

Continue with the remaining two eggs until finished. Then inspect the egg whites to ensure there aren't any shell bits. If there are, use a spoon to scoop them out.

Pour egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer (or other bowl suitable for mixing if using hand mixer).

Using a paddle attachment, mix whites on medium speed until they reach the "soft peak" stage. This takes about 2 1/2 to 3 minutes. If using a hand mixer, mix on medium speed and check for "soft peaks" after 2 minutes (it may take much longer to reach this stage, but it doesn't hurt to check early and not overdo it).

Measure out one pound of powdered sugar. Use good quality powdered sugar (I use Domino), as bargain brands tend to have a higher corn starch to sugar ratio and may change the outcome of the recipe.

If you have a sifter, sift the powdered sugar into the mixing bowl with the whipped egg whites. If you do not own one, like me, use a wire mesh strainer placed over the mixing bowl and place powdered sugar in the strainer. Using the thin edge of the butt of a butter knife, gently tap the edge of the strainer until all of the powdered sugar has passed through the mesh.

Now your egg whites should be covered in a snowy white powdered sugar mountain :)

Place your mixing bowl back on your stand mixer, if using, and add the vanilla extract.

Mix on low (for hand mixer), or "stir" speed on stand mixer until ingredients are just blended. Using a rubber scraper, scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Beat royal icing mixture on medium-high for about 6 minutes until it reaches a stiff consistency and the ripples from mixing hold their shape. If using a hand mixer, check consistency after 5 minutes.

Cover immediately with plastic wrap to keep from drying out. Use immediately or refrigerate for up to two days.