The water icing is one of the simplest and most versatile preparations for decorating cakes and cookies, and for this reason, it is particularly loved during the Christmas season.
Unlike royal icing, which requires egg whites and longer drying times, this icing is prepared in a flash with just a few ingredients such as powdered sugar and water. You can also add food coloring to make your desserts more colorful. It is ideal for finishing Christmas cookies, from the classic shapes of stars and tree shortbread to gingerbread men, and for decorating cakes and donuts. You just need to adjust the ingredients to get an icing that is more or less covering, depending on what you need it for.
Ever since I discovered this recipe, I often use it, especially when I want to spend some time with the little one in the house who loves decorating her favorite cookies.
Now take a minute to read the recipe and then…let’s cook and eat
See also
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 5 Minutes
- Cooking time: 3 Minutes
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- as needed water
- food coloring (water-soluble)
Tools
- 1 Small Pot
- 1 Hand Whisk
- 3 Small Bowls
Steps
Preparing water icing is very simple and also very quick.
First, gather the powdered sugar in a small bowl and add 2 tablespoons of water.
Mix with a hand whisk until you get a smooth and fluid mixture.
This will give you fairly dense and compact icing, perfect for cookie decoration, while adding a little more water (do it one teaspoon at a time) will give you a more fluid and translucent icing perfect for covering pound cakes and cream puffs.
If you want to color your icing, divide it into as many bowls as the colors you want to achieve and, in each of them, add a drop of coloring at a time until you reach the desired intensity, always mixing with a hand whisk or a teaspoon.
At this point, your water icing is ready, and you just need to let your imagination run wild to decorate and make your desserts real masterpieces 😉.
Storage
Water icing can be stored in the fridge for, at most, one day covered with a damp paper towel.
Tip
Once glazed, let the cookies dry on a wire rack.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
How many cookies can be decorated with this amount?
There is no exact answer to this question, as it depends on the size of the cookies and whether you want to decorate only the edges or the entire surface. My advice is to start with this amount and, if you need more, prepare it on the spot since it is quick to make.
Is it possible to flavor the icing?
Of course, you can choose to replace the water with orange or lemon juice to get a citrus-flavored icing.
How do you use the icing?
To quickly decorate the entire surface of the cookies, you can simply dip the cookie into the icing, only on one side. Alternatively, for a more precise result or when you want to decorate only the edges of the cookies, I recommend putting the icing in cones made with parchment paper or better yet, use dedicated icing piping bags.
To decorate the surface of desserts like pound cakes and donuts, use a spoon to let the icing fall over the entire surface of the dessert.
