I go through phases. In college, I went through a tortilla phase. For weeks on end, every meal I ate included tortillas. Sometimes they *only* included tortillas. (I did say I was in college, right?) It wasn't a conscious decision it just happened. And one day, completely without realizing it, I moved on. (To cottage cheese and pickles if you must know.) I've gone through tomato phases and stir-fry phases and while in Korea, I went through a phase of going out to eat only to return home and eat again because I had accidentally ordered neck bone soup instead of rice and vegetables. Or hot pepper spaghetti instead of rice and vegetables. Or spicy octopus instead of rice and... you know what? I think you get the picture.
I do the same thing with cookies. For weeks every cookie I make will have sanding sugar on top of it. (Maybe because I'm too lazy to put them away? And since they are there...) Or I'll paint all my cookies. Or... currently... I'll make Royal Icing Transfers for every cookie set I design. And I was thinking that if you wanted to make them along with me, maybe you would like to know how I get those tricky transfers off the wax paper. I almost never break a transfer anymore.
For the most delicate Royal Icing Transfers, I will cut a small square of wax paper for each one before piping the design. For medium risk designs, I will cut them apart after they are dry. (For stable designs like a flower center or eyeballs... I never cut them apart.) Place your Royal Icing Transfer on something hard and flat that has a sharp edge. Bring the corner of your wax paper (or acetate or parchment paper) to the edge of your surface and pull it down sharply and slowly as it begins to peel away from the transfer.
As soon as you see that it has separated, place a thin knife under the transfer where it meets the corner of your hard, flat object. This is also the very place where the paper starts peeling away. Use the knife to cradle the transfer and keep it completely flat as you continue to pull the paper off the back of the transfer. Never try to peel the transfer off the paper. Don't pull up with the knife. Dry royal icing doesn't bend and you'll just end up breaking your transfer. Place the transfer gently back on top of the wax paper until ready to use.
NEED MORE?
Piecing together cookies so they will STAY together.
Can you save over mixed icing?
Make hand cutting cookies as easy as possible.
FAQs
Place your Royal Icing Transfer on something hard and flat that has a sharp edge. Bring the corner of your wax paper (or acetate or parchment paper) to the edge of your surface and pull it down sharply and slowly as it begins to peel away from the transfer.
How to dry out royal icing quickly? ›
Using a fan to assist in drying royal icing is my favorite method. I use a small table fan to help circulate the air around the cookies. This will not only cut down on drying time but will also help the royal icing to dry with a bit of a sheen.
What does overmixed royal icing look like? ›
Undermix, and your royal icing looks translucent and is structurally weak. Overwhip, and you're giving too much volume to the egg proteins via air, causing the structure to weaken in a different way. Overmixed icing usually looks porous when dry, and sometimes will not even fully dry and be soft/brittle.
How long do royal icing transfers take to dry? ›
If you do not have transfer sheets, you could use a cookie projector if you have one. Once you have piped however many you need on a sheet with either royal icing or glaze, let them air-dry for 24 hours to 4 days, depending on humidity where you live.
Can you dry royal icing with a heat gun? ›
The Wagner Studio heat gun makes drying royal icing-topped cookies easy and allows for quick use of multiple colors, which used to take hours of drying time.
How do you dry royal icing to make it shiny? ›
to lock in the shine, run the dehydrator for about 4 hours or so, then let them dry the remainder of the way without the machine running, the cookies will dry sooner, but to be on the safe side, I still allow a full 6-8 hours to dry completely.
Can you scrape off royal icing? ›
If you've covered the entire cookie, scrape all of the icing off. After scraping, you can wipe the cookie with a damp paper towel and dry it for a totally clean slate.
What is the best consistency for royal icing transfers? ›
Royal icing transfers are piped onto wax paper, parchment paper, or acetate. You can use any consistency royal icing, although it's better to keep it on the thick side (at least 20 second count). Once they are dry, they can be removed from the backing and stored for several months at room temperature.
What is oversaturated royal icing? ›
Generally speaking, if you're using less than 5 Tbsp of meringue powder per 2lbs of powdered sugar, you may experience color bleeding. This is because a low meringue powder to powdered sugar ratio can make your icing more prone to color bleeding. You're oversaturating your icing with coloring.
Why add corn syrup to royal icing? ›
Corn syrup helps give shine and also a soft-bite to your icing. Without corn syrup, your royal icing can be as hard as a rock, and no one wants to chip a tooth on a cookie. I use 1 Tablespoon of Karo Light Corn Syrup in my icing recipe. I've seen some cookiers use more but this ratio works well for me.
A few days in advance: Since I'm using meringue powder in my recipe, I will store my icing in an airtight container on the counter for up to a few days. I always start my icing at least the night before (sometimes two days before depending on the colors I'm making), so this is standard practice for me.
What paper is best for royal icing transfers? ›
Next, you need a surface to pipe on. I highly recommend using food-safe sheet protectors for a few reasons. While parchment or wax paper is more readily available, they curl from the moisture in your icing, so your transfers won't dry with a flat bottom.
Can I freeze royal icing transfers? ›
Royal icing will stay good for almost an indefinite amount of time in the freezer. This can be a huge timesaver if you only need a little bit of a color and don't want to have to make a whole new batch of icing. It can also be great if you want to make royal icing transfers ahead of time.
Can you put royal icing cookies in the fridge to dry faster? ›
Does putting the cookies in the refrigerator make them dry faster? Definitely not! In fact, it will likely ruin your cookies. As mentioned above, royal icing needs to be exposed to air to be able to dry completely.
How to fix royal icing that won't dry? ›
I'd experienced this issue when I thinned my icing with too much water for flooding. The good news on that front is that if you noticed that you'd done it before you start icing a cookie, you can stir in some sifted powdered sugar (or some reserved piping consistency icing if you want some) and recover.
How do you rehydrate royal icing? ›
If the Royal Icing gets crusty, adding a little warm water will rehydrate it.
How fast does royal icing harden? ›
As royal icing dries, it hardens to the consistency of a candy-like coating with a smooth, shiny finish, so it doesn't smear if you run your hands over it. It will take 6 to 8 hours to dry at room temperature.
