Description
This recipe creates a smooth, shiny sugar cookie icing that hardens perfectly for decorating. It sets firm, allowing cookies to be stacked, packaged, or shipped without smudging. Learn how to achieve the ideal consistency, color it vibrantly, and ensure a professional finish for your holiday cookies.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 tablespoons milk, plus more as needed
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (or clear vanilla for a pure white icing)
- Gel food coloring, optional
Instructions
- Sift the powdered sugar into a large mixing bowl to remove lumps for a smooth icing base.
- Add the milk and corn syrup to the sifted sugar. Stir slowly with a spoon or rubber spatula until the mixture begins to combine.
- Stir in the vanilla extract until fully incorporated. Use clear vanilla if you want the icing to remain bright white.
- Check the icing’s texture. It should be thick but pourable. Add more milk, one teaspoon at a time, to thin it, or add sifted powdered sugar, one tablespoon at a time, to thicken it. This step is key for sugar cookie icing hardening properly.
- If using multiple colors, divide the icing into separate bowls. Add a small amount of gel food coloring to each bowl and stir until evenly blended. Gel coloring maintains the desired consistency for hardening sugar cookie icing.
- Transfer the icing to piping bags fitted with decorating tips for detailed work, or use a spoon or offset spatula for spreading and flooding. This icing recipe is designed for sugar cookie icing hardening.
- Let the decorated cookies air-dry uncovered at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours, or overnight. Avoid refrigeration during this time, as moisture can prevent the sugar cookie icing from hardening and drying hard.
Notes
- Store any unused icing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Stir well before reusing.
- If the icing thickens in the fridge, add a drop of milk and stir until smooth.
- For layering designs, allow each layer to dry completely before adding the next to ensure the sugar cookie icing hardens.
- This recipe focuses on sugar cookie icing that hardens well, providing a firm set for decorating.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Cookies
- Method: Mixing and Decorating
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: Approx. 1 tablespoon