Gingerbread House Icing
A thick, fluffy royal icing that works like edible glue for building gingerbread houses. It pipes beautifully, dries hard, and holds walls and candy in place.
Servings: 6 servings
Cost: $10
Equipment
- Electric Mixer with Whisk Attachment
Ingredients
- 4 large egg whites
- 1 tsp cream of tartar
- 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar start with 4 cups and see how the texture is, then add the 1/2 cup.
- 2 tbsp food coloring optional
Instructions
- In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar on high until stiff peaks form.
- Turn the mixer to low and add the powdered sugar one spoonful at a time.
- Once all the sugar is incorporated, turn the mixer back to high and beat until the icing is thick, glossy, and fluffy. This takes only a few minutes.
- Test the consistency by pulling a knife through the icing. The line should stay open and not run back together. If it closes up, add more powdered sugar a quarter cup at a time.
- Divide into bowls and tint with gel food coloring if you'd like different colors.
- Keep a damp cloth over the bowl while you work so the icing doesn't crust over.
Notes
Consistency: Add powdered sugar a quarter cup at a time if it's too loose. Add water a teaspoon at a time if it's too stiff to pipe. Humid weather means you'll need more sugar.
Yield: One batch fills about four small piping bags and is enough for two to three standard houses, six to eight mini houses, or four to five graham cracker houses. It doubles and triples easily.
Make ahead: Store sealed at room temperature overnight or refrigerate up to three days. Bring back to room temperature and re-whip before using.
Use it with: our gingerbread house recipe, mini gingerbread houses, gingerbread tree, or gingerbread cookies.
Nutrition
Calories: 363kcal | Carbohydrates: 90g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 0.04g | Sodium: 39mg | Potassium: 120mg | Fiber: 0.002g | Sugar: 88g | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 0.1mg
