Description

This Salted Vanilla Bean Royal Icing recipe by Emily Loggans is a classic and reliable icing perfect for decorating cookies with a beautiful, glossy finish. It features a balanced hint of salt and rich vanilla bean flavor, creating a thick yet smooth, piping consistency ideal for intricate cookie designs. The icing is easy to prepare, made with meringue powder and powdered sugar, and can be tinted and thinned to your needs. It stores well for weeks and can be adjusted for batch size, making it perfect for home bakers and professionals alike.

Ingredients

Scale

Base Ingredients

½ cup + 2 Tbsp water, room temperature
½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt (or ¼ tsp regular table salt)
⅓ cup meringue powder
2 lb. powdered sugar

Flavorings and Texture Enhancers

1–2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or extract)
2–4 tablespoon light corn syrup
white gel food coloring

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Instructions

Combine dry and wet ingredients: To the mixing bowl, add the salt, meringue powder, and water. Use a wire whisk to thoroughly combine, ensuring there are no lumps of meringue powder. The mixture will become frothy on top with liquid beneath, resembling beer.
Add powdered sugar and mix: Add the powdered sugar to the bowl all at once, then attach the bowl to a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed to combine into a thick, syrupy icing.
Add flavorings and color: Add the vanilla bean paste (or extract), any additional flavorings, corn syrup, and a squeeze of white gel food coloring. Mix again, increasing speed to medium (about four on a Kitchen Aid mixer) for three minutes until the icing is thick, glossy, and fluffy.
Cover and store: Immediately cover the icing with cling film directly touching the surface to prevent drying. Alternatively, cover with a moist towel if using immediately. For advance use, store in an airtight container.
Adjust consistency and color as needed: The icing should have a toothpaste-like, piping/detail consistency. Thin out or color the icing as desired for decorating.

Notes

This recipe yields roughly 6 cups of royal icing, enough to decorate about three dozen cookies.
Extra icing can be stored airtight on the counter for up to two weeks, refrigerated for a month, or frozen for several months.
The recipe can be halved or doubled easily depending on your needs.
Avoid over-mixing to prevent a spongy texture and improper drying.
If you have a dehydrator, use it for a few minutes to help icing dry with a shiny finish.
To tone warm-colored icing, add a small amount of Americolor lilac gel food coloring for a subtle effect without turning it purple.
Corn syrup used is pure glucose and not high fructose corn syrup; it can be substituted with vegetable glycerin to maintain softness (not tested by author).
Use the paddle attachment, not the whisk attachment, to prevent over-aerating and over-mixing the icing.
Use a dehumidifier if humidity exceeds 50%, as high humidity affects drying and finish quality of the icing.