At the Ministry of Biscuits, in London, we know a thing or two about making perfectly hand iced creations - it’s what we’re famous for! So, if you’re searching for the best way to ice your own cookie creations, you're in the right place.
In this tutorial we’ll be showing you how to make line and flood icing, as well as sharing our top tips when it comes to icing cookies.
Every day at Biscuiteers HQ our team of icing artists and illustrators bake and hand-ice cookies to fulfill deliveries all over the world, including to the US in just 3 days.
Once our twice-baked cookies have been baked and cooled we have the perfect canvas to start icing. We use a technique called flooding which involves making a wall with line icing then filling the cookie in glossy royal icing, giving the biscuit a smooth and level look. The frosting sets hard so decoration can be added on top to really bring any design to life!
Basic Royal Icing
Take your pick of one of the following three royal icing recipes…
1. Powdered egg-white recipe
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180ml water
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6 cups + ¾ cup + 2 tbsp icing sugar/ powdered sugar
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¼ cup egg-white powder
2. All-in-one recipe
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150ml cold water
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6 cups + 3 tbsp royal icing mix
3. Egg-white recipe
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4 egg whites
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6 cups + 3 tbsp icing sugar
All the recipes are prepared in the same way:
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Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl, starting by adding the liquids first.
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Add the dry ingredients and whisk or beat for about 5 minutes if using an electric beater or whisk, or for longer if using a wooden spoon. Whisk slowly to start with to avoid clouds of icing sugar covering you and your kitchen!
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Continue whisking until the ingredients form a thick, smooth paste that is bright white in color and has the consistency of toothpaste.
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If you are not using the finished frosting immediately, cover the bowl with saran wrap to stop it drying out and refrigerate.
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Fill your piping bag with the chosen colors and you're ready to begin!
Now you have the basic recipe, let's get a little more technical...
Line Icing
Your line icing should be the texture of toothpaste. If it seems a bit stiff add a little water.
If you are making an outline to fill with flood icing you need to make sure that you join up your trail to form an unbroken wall around the shape you need. If there are any gaps the flood icing will flow through.
When you first start, or if you are icing with children, either choose a larger plain nozzle (no.3) or cut a larger hole in the end of the disposable piping bag. Let the walls dry for about 5 minutes before filling with the flood icing.
Flood Icing
The flood icing is a little runnier than the line icing - you just need to add a bit of water slowly to the basic recipe to get the right consistency.
At Biscuiteers we squeeze our flood icing in place using little clear plastic squeezy bottles. For any tiny area it's easier to use a piping bag. Fill the area in just the same way as with the line icing but be careful as the icing will pour out of both ends if unsecured. For simple designs, or when you are starting out, you can just spoon the icing on the cookies and spread out using a cocktail stick or a little skewer.
Once you’ve finished adding the flood icing to your cookies, place them in the oven to dry for around 30 minutes. At Biscuiteers we put our biscuits in a very very low temperature oven (around 120 degrees Fahrenheit) to make sure the icing is totally dry. Don't worry, the cookies won't burn and the icing will not melt! The heat helps set the cookies so they have that glossy and smooth effect on top.
Now you’ve mastered these basic icing techniques, why not head over to our YouTube channel for more icing tips and tutorials.
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