Decorator Icing

This versatile icing is ideal for piping, but it can also be thinned with water and painted over cookies; it dries to a beautiful matte finish. To avoid health concerns about uncooked eggs, use pasteurized egg whites. You can find both refrigerated cartons of pasteurized egg whites and convenient pasteurized dried egg whites in most supermarkets.

INGREDIENTS:

• 4   cups 

  confectioners' sugar
• 1/2  teaspoon 

  cream of tartar
• 6   tablespoons 

  pasteurized liquid egg whites, or equivalent reconstituted dried egg whites
• 1   teaspoon 

  vanilla extract
• Food coloring, (optional)
• Water for thinning, if needed
• 
  

DIRECTIONS:

1. Sift sugar and cream of tartar into a large mixing bowl. Add egg whites and vanilla; beat with an electric mixer at low speed until mixed. Increase speed to high and beat until icing has thickened and holds peaks, 8 to 10 minutes.

2. Decorate cookies (see Cookie-Decorating Tips, with Holiday Cookie Cutouts recipe). While working, keep the icing covered with a damp towel to prevent it from drying out. Let cookies stand until icing has set, about 30 minutes.

Tip:

1. Ingredient Note: To avoid health concerns about uncooked eggs, use pasteurized egg whites. You can find both refrigerated cartons of pasteurized egg whites and convenient pasteurized dried egg whites in most supermarkets.

nutrition information

Per Serving: cal. (kcal) 20, carb. (g) 5, sodium (mg) 2, Potassium (mg) 4, Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet