Easy, Professional Looking Icing Recipes

Icing can be formed into shapes such as flowers and leaves using a pastry bag. Such decorations commonly grace birthday and wedding cakes. Chef's color dye (food coloring) is commonly added to icing mixtures to achieve the desired color.

The simplest icing is called a "glacé icing"; it is made of simply adding water to confectioners' sugar (also called "powdered sugar"). Mix 1 c powdered sugar; 1 - 2 Tbsp milk, or water, or cream; ½ tsp of vanilla. This can be flavored and colored as desired, but using flavoring oils and food coloring. Icing can be applied with a spatula, or by drizzling.

There are literally hundreds of icing recipes. For more information of different kinds of icings visit http://www.baking911.com/decorating/icing_glaze_choices.htm.

Tips:

Tint icing with a few drops of food coloring.

Place 1 tsp icing on center of each cookie; with small spatula, spread icing with circular motion.

Try lemon, almond, or peppermint flavoring for a variety of flavors.

Here are a few simple, easy to make icing recipes.

*Easy Creamy Icing

1 c sifted confectioners' sugar

½ tsp vanilla or other flavoring

¼ tsp salt

1 ½ Tbsp cream or 1 Tbsp water

Blend sugar, salt, and flavoring. Add cream to make easy to spread.

*Chocolate Icing

1 Tbsp butter

1 ½ Tbsp warm water

1 sq. unsweetened chocolate

1 c powdered sugar

Melt butter and chocolate over hot water. Blend in warm water. Beat in sugar intil icing spreads easliy.

*Butter Icing

2 ½ Tbsp soft butter

1 ½ Tbsp cream

1 ½ c powdered sugar

¾ tsp vanilla

Blend butter and sugar together. Stir in cream and vanilla until smooth.

*Orange Butter Icing

Make Butter Icing - except use 1 ½ Tbsp orange juice and 2 tsp grated orange rind in place of cream and vanilla.

*Lemon Butter Icing

Make Butter Icing - except use 1 ½ Tsp lemon juice and 2tsp grated lemon rind in place of cream and vanilla.

*Mocha Butter Icing

Make Butter Icing - except omit cream and vanilla and blend in 1 tsp powdered instant coffee dissolved in 1 Tbsp hot water. If icing is too thick to spread, add a few drops of water.

*Cement for Cookie Houses

2 egg whites

2 c powdered sugar

½ tsp cream of tartar

food coloring

Using electric mixer beat egg whites with cream of tartar until stiff. Gradually beat in 1 cup of sugar. Beat 10 min. Beat in second cop of sugar; beat 10 min. During last few minutes of beating, add food coloring.