Ingredients
Made with egg whites:
- 3 cups (700 ml) powdered sugar, more as needed
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon (5 ml) lime juice
Total Yield: About 4 cups
Made with protein powder:
- 4 cups (950 ml) sugar, (powdered or rock) sugar
- 3 tablespoons (15 ml) protein powder
- 1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) extract (vanilla, lemon, almond)
- 1/2 – 3/4 cup (120 – 180ml) warm water
- Total Yield: About 5 cups
Made with Egg Whites
Pour the powdered sugar into the bowl. Sifting through a sieve is not necessary, but sifting will prevent the frosting from clumping.
Separate the egg whites and place them into a separate bowl. Crack an egg, gently open the shell, and use half of the shell to hold the yolk. Allow the egg whites to flow out by continually moving the yolks from shell to shell.
- The egg yolks can be left out for homemade salad dressing or soy sauce.
Mix the lime juice and egg whites with a whisk. Don’t stir too hard or for too long. Stir for 20 seconds to combine the two.
Add the sugar to the lime juice and egg white mixture, a little at a time. Start with 1 and 1/2 cups or 2 cups of sugar and gradually add the remaining sugar. Beat with a stand mixer until liquid is opaque, about 5 minutes.
- If you don’t have an electric mixer, you can also use a hand mixer. Sometimes working the old-fashioned way will achieve the same results, and you’ll get quite a workout.
- Small edible buildings like gingerbread houses are thicker, so they require more peanut butter to stick well.
Since the icing is mainly used as a cream lace, the icing should be whipped to a wet foaming state. Wet foaming is in a non-solidified state; use a mixer to stir the icing up and down. If the foaming returns to its original position, it means it is well-whipped.
- To make a piping bag, simply place the icing in a sealable bag and snip off a corner of the bottom of the bag. Start by cutting small corners so that you have more control when piping out the icing and the icing will come out finer. You can cut the corners larger according to your own progress.
Continue to stir while adding 2 teaspoons of sugar. Add more sugar little by little as needed while the mixer is running. The more sugar the harder the frosting will be.
Adjust the amount of sugar, water, or egg white as needed. You probably have an idea of what you want your frosting to be. However, sometimes things don’t go as planned. If you need to change the softness or hardness of the frosting, don’t worry, here’s how to adjust it in time:
- If the frosting is too soft, add more sugar. It’s best to add it little by little.
- If the frosting is too stiff, add egg whites. Again, add little by little.
- If you want a soft frosting, add water, a few drops at a time. Stir the icing sugar to dissolve. Bubbles will be generated during this process, wait 30 minutes for the bubbles to disappear.
Use meringue frosting immediately or place immediately in an airtight container. If not stored immediately, the frosting will harden quickly.
Made with Protein Powder
Check the label for pastry flour. Many meringue powder labels include specific instructions for using the product to make meringues. Instructions are not exactly the same for every product. Keep the manufacturer’s instructions in mind and adjust the recipe as needed.
Using a hand or electric mixer on low power, beat the sugar and meringue powder until completely combined.
Add warm water and stir with a mixer on high until the mixture is smooth and frothy. The whole process only takes 5 to 7 minutes.
Add more powdered sugar or water as needed. When using icing sugar as a binder for a gingerbread house, you may want it to be stiffer, so add more sugar. When making cookies you need a softer frosting, in which case just add more water.
- When the stick comes out of the mixer and the frosting flows, the frosting is ready to decorate the cookies.
Use frosting immediately or place immediately in an airtight container. Meringue frosting will harden quickly if not stored properly.
Tips
- The proportions in this recipe are only approximate; if it’s too thin, add more powdered sugar, if it’s too dry, add more egg whites.
- If gluing a heavy gingerbread house is difficult, let the frosting sit for a few minutes and stir before using.
- Eggs from infected poultry may contain salmonella.
- Be prepared that the piping bag may leak and your hands and countertop may get sticky.
- You can mix the icing by hand or with a machine, but be sure to always mix in the same direction.