Icing trouble

[Melissa Sugar Cookies]

Hi all,
For the past year I’ve used the same icing recipe for my cookies and it’s been perfect, the right consistency for the piping and I add a bit more water for the flooding. The past 4 batches that I’ve made for cookie orders has all going horribly wrong. I’ve changed nothing, same icing sugar, same meringue powder, same measures of water. I cannot get the right consistency to save any of my cookies.
I’m ready to quit as it’s so frustrating!
Has anyone got any ideas?
I’m losing the will to bake and decorate!!

 

[Norcalbaker59]

I wouldn't use meringue power. Egg whites produce a better royal icing.

Try Julia Usher’s recipe.

There’s probably 5 consistencies you want for decorating cookies. This video shows how to make a master icing, then you thin it. I think most everything of Ushers is now behind a pay wall. but you may be able to find her Royal icing recipe on somebody’s blog. She’s been around for year's. My sister is not a baker, but she has a cookie decorating party every year; she uses Usher's cookie and icing recipes.

Stephanie Kappel of The Hungry Hippopotamus has a cookie decorating DVD on Craftsy.com. You have to pay for it but it’s about 3 hours of tutorial. I reviewed it a couple of years ago, it’s pretty good.

Better Basics for Exceptional Cookies (DVD + Streaming)

At a Glance…

www.craftsy.com