Glossy Sugar Cookie Icing (Printable version)
Smooth, quick-drying glaze for beautifully decorated treats
# Ingredient List:
→ Icing Base
01 - 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
02 - 2-3 tablespoons milk (dairy or non-dairy)
03 - 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
04 - 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
→ Optional Color and Decoration
05 - Food coloring (gel or liquid, as desired)
06 - Sprinkles or colored sugars (optional)
# How to Make It:
01 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of milk, corn syrup, and vanilla extract until smooth and glossy.
02 - If the icing is too thick, add additional milk, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, until it reaches a thick but pourable consistency.
03 - Divide the icing into separate bowls if using multiple colors. Stir in food coloring, a few drops at a time, until the desired color is achieved.
04 - Use immediately to decorate cooled sugar cookies. Dip cookies, spread with a knife, or pipe designs using a piping bag or squeeze bottle.
05 - Allow decorated cookies to dry at room temperature for at least 4 hours or until the icing is completely set.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The texture transforms from thick and glossy to a perfectly smooth, firm finish that lets you stack your decorated cookies without worry
- You probably have everything in your pantry right now, making it the perfect last-minute solution for unexpected cookie decorating sessions
02 -
- Room temperature cookies are crucial because warm cookies will melt the icing right off and create a sticky mess
- The consistency test: draw a line through your icing with a knife, and it should smooth back over in about 15 seconds
03 -
- Gel food coloring gives you more intense colors without thinning your icing like liquid colors do
- Invest in squeeze bottles for flooding cookies, they give you so much more control than spoons