1/2 to 3/4 Cup Warm Water

5 Tablespoons Meringue Powder

1 Teaspoon Vanilla (or more to taste)

2 Pounds (1 bag) Confectioner’s Sugar (I prefer C&H and feel like it tastes and performs better)

1 Teaspoon White Food Color Gel

1.5 Tablespoons Corn Syrup

In the bowl of your mixer, hand whisk meringue powder into 1/2 Cup warm water to dissolve thoroughly and make frothy. Put bowl onto your mixer, attach paddle attachment. Add sugar, vanilla, gel and corn syrup and mix on low to incorporate then increase speed to medium high (slowly get there - start on low so you don’t have sugar flying everywhere). If your mixer is struggling - add water so that you get the right consistency to work with for adding colors and creating your cookies. You want a thick royal icing base - it’s going to feel kinda like a heavy buttercream (like really heavy :) - it’s fluffy but it’s not thick and dense. I like to mix my Royal Icing for a total of about 3-5 minutes - don’t over do it. If you overmix, it creates all kinds of problems when it’s dry.