We mentioned royal icing when we built our gingerbread house (station) last year. We used it like a glue to hold pieces together, and also as decoration, like piping windows and doors onto the gingerbread. But, you can make ornaments with royal icing too, and it’s a great activity for kids (or adults like me) in the next few days!
All you need is egg whites and powdered sugar! The shapes and designs are endless. It’s whatever you come up with. You can color the royal icing too (if you have food coloring). Tips below…
Royal Icing Ornaments
- 2 large egg whites
- 2 2/3 cups + 2 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar, divided
Instructions –
1. Tape parchment paper down on a flat surface. Set aside.
2. Place egg white and 2 2/3 cups sugar in mixing bowl and use whisk attachment on slow to moisten. Turn to high speed and beat until glossy and stiff peaks form (peaks will curve slightly). If it’s not stiff enough, add another tablespoon or two of sugar.
3. Cover any un-used portion with a damp cloth. Pipe and design onto parchment paper to your heart’s content.
4. Set aside your ornaments to dry, could be anywhere from 1 to 5 hours depending on how thick the piping is. When it is dry, it comes of the parchment really easily. If you try to remove it too soon, it will break.
Tips:
Color
Divide the royal icing into small bowls and use food coloring to color them. Try one drop first and add more for darker.
Design
You can pipe designs free hand or use stencils/cookie cutters. There’s two ways to use them. For symmetrical designs, you can draw onto the parchment paper and then turn it over and pipe on the other side. You can print designs on a piece of paper (keeping in mind how thick your tip is) and put it under the parchment paper which is see-through. Tape it down.
Piping Bags
If you don’t have piping bags, or just not enough for all the colors you want to work with, use sandwich bags. Put royal icing in a clear plastic sandwich bag and cut the tip. Squeeze and pipe.
Hanging the Ornament
If you want to hang our ornament on the tree, it’s a good idea to pipe it with that in mind, by leaving a hole for the ribbon to go through. I like the idea of having many see-through holes but it’s up to you. You can just leave one if you want.
Filed under Desserts, Holidays, Recipes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
you’re so creative!! how long do they last…if you’re planning on eating them off the tree? 🙂
Thanks ravenous couple! They will last for a few weeks as long as it’s not humid. They will break if you’re rough with them so treat them gently. Oh, also, they won’t taste great, just sugar basically. You can flavor with extracts if you want, but still not delicious, unless you really like sugar.
Wow–what a great idea! Looks beautiful.
So neat! Happy holidays!
How gorgeous and clever! So are they very fragile, though? They look like they might be.
this is sooo pretty and creative!!! m sooo loving it!!! cheers and merry Christmas!!
That means I’ve to keep my home nice and clean (to avoid the insects from eating the beautiful ornaments, hee) Happy Holidays! Will you be laboring over Christmas dinner or planning to go out?
Carolyn, they are very fragile, like fake porcelain ornaments, haha
Kim, we’re eating at my mom’s today and I’m cooking tomorrow, then at my cousin’s on Sat, then out on Sunday. Happy Holidays!
Merry Christmas Jessica and Lon
We have a dinner at our place with fellow bloggers. Drop in for some local Goan food 🙂
What a simple and pretty way to decorate the tree! Thanks for the idea and Happy New Year!
This is so pretty! I know it’s been here for a while, but I’m including it in my Friday Favorites this week!
Staci, good recipes are timeless. =) Thanks!
Going to try this on my tree if I have some spare time! Thanks!
I never thought of this!