Royal Icing Christina's Way

How to make Royal Icing Christina's way:

Put a 2 pound bag Imperial Confectioners Sugar into the bowl of your mixer.

Make a well (hole in the middle of the sugar) and measure in 6 1/2 Tablespoons Wilton's Meringue Powder.
Measure 1 Tablespoon Clear Vanilla into a measuring cup, Fill to 7 ounces cool water.
Carefully pour on top of Meringue Powder, trying not to cause "dust".
Cover mixer with a damp towel and mix slowly for 1 minute.
Scrape down mixer, cover again and beat on high for 4 minutes.

This icing will store in the refrigerator one to two weeks, however if you need it stiff for edging or accents, beat it again before use. The icing softens over time. It also warms in the tube because of heat from the user's hand.

To thin the icing for filling in, add small amounts of water at a time, mixing slowly enough not to put bubbles into the icing. My best description of the consistency is to compare it to egg whites - the icing will flow off the stirring spatula, but not run off. Too thick will not flatten out on the cookie and too thin will flow very quickly and will cause the finished product to have "sunken" effects when finally dry. The thin will take much longer to dry also. The thin icing will separate. Always check the tube for separation by looking for a darker color on the underside. If separated, either massage in the tube or stir in the container. The water will fall to the bottom. Stir slowly to avoid bubbles.

If you finished cookies have small cracks, there was probably too much meringue powder, so don't "guesstimate"

ALWAYS use a clean toothpick in the Gel color. Gel will last for years if uncontaminated. The gel will mold If any sugar is introduced into the tub. To get the last bit of color out of the container, I will add frosting and stir it into the color, then get all of that out. This is only when I'm throwing away the container.

Decorated cookies must lie flat and dry for at least 24 hours before wrapping.