Icing

Icing is a sugar mass for the artistic decoration and painting of confectionery items, above all cookies and gingerbread, as well as cakes. The most common variety is royal icing.

It is made by whipping icing sugar with egg white (or a special albumin) and a little lemon juice. The resulting mass has an important property: in the soft state it is pliable and convenient to “draw” with, and after drying it sets into a hard, strong, smooth, and matte layer. By regulating the thickness of the icing, the confectioner can perform various tasks: thicker icing is used for clear outlines and three-dimensional details, and thinner (“flood”) icing to fill areas with an even smooth layer. With a piping bag and nozzles, incredibly fine and refined patterns are created from icing — lace, flowers, inscriptions. Icing turns ordinary cookies into true miniature works of art.