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Simple Sugar Cookie Icing That Dries Hard

A close-up of a bitten sugar cookie topped with white and bright blue sugar cookie icing, sitting on a white plate.
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Make smooth, glossy sugar cookie icing that hardens perfectly for decorating and gifting. This easy recipe uses basic ingredients and is ideal for beginners.

Ingredients

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  • 4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
  • 1/4 cup milk or water
  • 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Food coloring (optional)

Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl, combine the sifted confectioners’ sugar, milk or water, light corn syrup, and vanilla extract.
  2. Whisk the ingredients together slowly until the mixture is smooth and there are no lumps. This is your base icing consistency.
  3. Test the consistency: The icing should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon but still flow slowly. If it is too thick, add milk or water, 1 teaspoon at a time. If it is too thin, add more confectioners’ sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time.
  4. If you plan to decorate with multiple colors, divide the icing into separate bowls. Add gel food coloring to each portion and mix until the color is uniform.
  5. Use the icing immediately for flooding cookies. For outlining, you may need to let the icing sit for a few minutes to thicken slightly, or add a touch more sugar.
  6. Allow the iced cookies to sit at room temperature until the icing is completely dry and hard to the touch. This usually takes several hours, depending on humidity.

Notes

  • For a truly hard, glossy finish, the corn syrup is important. Do not skip it.
  • If you need to thin the icing for flooding, use water instead of milk for a slightly harder set.
  • To store leftover icing, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the icing to prevent a crust from forming, then seal the container.
  • This recipe makes enough icing to cover approximately two dozen standard-sized cookies.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://daisyrecipe.com/sugar-cookie-icing-recipe-dries-hard/