Meringue Powder Ratios - Adding More Meringue Powder To Royal Icing

Hey there!

So, I know that most royal icing recipes tend to use around 3 or 4 tbsps (at the most, if were talking tablespoons) of meringue powder per pound or so of icing sugar. The other day, I stumbled across a sugar cookie artists recipe who used double this - around 6 tbsps of meringue powder per pound of icing sugar. This is a recipe that doesn't use any additional things like glycerin, corn syrup, cream of tartar, etc. either.

I was wondering if there are any benefits to this? What would adding more meringue powder to your royal icing actually do? Would there be less colour bleeding? Less drying time? Longer drying time? Harder icing? Softer icing?

I figured I'd ask you guys, just in case you happen to have any experience with this. Maybe one of you use a high ratio of meringue powder to icing sugar, too?

2/24/209:22 PM

Original Post

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Julia M. UsherFounder and Host, Cookie Connection; Owner, Recipes for a Sweet Life

More meringue powder leads to a faster-drying and harder-setting icing - it's the albumen (protein) in the whites that enhances/speeds drying.

2/24/2010:17 PM

Elke HoelzleGobbler

I wonder if it helps with the volume? Here in Brazil we mostly find the Royal Icing already mixed in the bag, so everyone's RI is exactly the same. I keep thinking about adding more dried egg whites to the bag, but never do...

2/26/207:14 AM

IcingsugarkeksSuper Gobbler

That sounds very interesting to me! @Julia M. Usher
So far I have worked with raw protein without exception. If the mass was too thin, I added powdered sugar. I can now imagine, however, that the addition of meringue powder also makes the icing break down less quickly at fine details. Is that so??

I won't get around trying meringue powder ...

2/28/205:21 AM

Julia M. UsherFounder and Host, Cookie Connection; Owner, Recipes for a Sweet Life

Icingsugarkeks posted:
That sounds very interesting to me! @Julia M. Usher
So far I have worked with raw protein without exception. If the mass was too thin, I added powdered sugar. I can now imagine, however, that the addition of meringue powder also makes the icing break down less quickly at fine details. Is that so??

I won't get around trying meringue powder ...

Meringue powder is basically albumen (pure egg powder) with some other additives. Both adding more meringue powder and adding more albumen would cause icing to set faster and harder. I'm not sure what you mean by "break down less quickly at fine details", so please clarify what you mean and maybe I can help.

3/1/207:05 PM

IcingsugarkeksSuper Gobbler

Oh my english ...! eek So sorry @Julia M. Usher

I try to rewrite it:
For example, when I use RI to put the leaves around the roses, it sometimes happens that the fine leaf tips break off later when touched. Would the leaves (or the icing at all) also become more stable with the addition of more protein powder?
That would be a reason for me to try protein powder! thumb

3/2/2012:32 PM

Julia M. UsherFounder and Host, Cookie Connection; Owner, Recipes for a Sweet Life

Icingsugarkeks posted:
Oh my english ...! So sorry @Julia M. Usher

I try to rewrite it:
For example, when I use RI to put the leaves around the roses, it sometimes happens that the fine leaf tips break off later when touched. Would the leaves (or the icing at all) also become more stable with the addition of more protein powder?
That would be a reason for me to try protein powder!

Maybe - give it a test, and let us know!

3/2/205:15 PM