Royal Icing/Details Crushing After Freezing

Do you mean it just spontaneously crumbles and falls apart? Nothing rubbing against it?

I honestly dont really have a clue, I dont freeze my cookies…but I do know that if I make my piping detail icing too dry and stiff and use it for things like lines it will crumble easily, with that being said, I wonder if maybe there is some moisture loss in the icing when freezing and once it comes to room temp the detail icing is now too dry and brittle? I wonder if maybe making the icing a little more moist than you typically do would help? Again, no clue, but just trying to help in any way possible. It can be super frustrating when your cookies fail after all that work!

It's crushing the piping in its cello packaging. The base is fine, but anything raised is crushed. I've been so careful to keep them on their side, but even a small amount of pressure against the cookies crushed the detail work. I had to take them all out, brush them off, and re-seal them.

@SherylM posted:

I honestly dont really have a clue, I dont freeze my cookies…but I do know that if I make my piping detail icing too dry and stiff and use it for things like lines it will crumble easily, with that being said, I wonder if maybe there is some moisture loss in the icing when freezing and once it comes to room temp the detail icing is now too dry and brittle? I wonder if maybe making the icing a little more moist than you typically do would help? Again, no clue, but just trying to help in any way possible. It can be super frustrating when your cookies fail after all that work!

I appreciate your response. I've not had issues before but with my last two sets. It's been horribly humid here in Michigan so I thought maybe that. I decreased my MP by 1T so maybe I'll go back. I just know I need to figure it out because the one order was four dozen and the other was three. That's a lot of work and a lot of potential for upset customers.

@Kellie G. posted:

I appreciate your response. I've not had issues before but with my last two sets. It's been horribly humid here in Michigan so I thought maybe that. I decreased my MP by 1T so maybe I'll go back. I just know I need to figure it out because the one order was four dozen and the other was three. That's a lot of work and a lot of potential for upset customers.

Im so sorry, how frustrating. I wish I could be of more help. Hopefully adding the 1T MP back will be the answer!

So is the icing that’s crushing actually soft, or hard and brittle? It looks soft in the photo, but your description made me think it was dry and brittle. If soft and it’s humid out, them I’d add back the meringue powder you took out (it has a hardening effect). Why did you take it out if it had been working well before?  If the icing is dry and brittle, then I would suggest not drying as long in the dehydrator. I don’t freeze (for this very reason), so I’m just suggesting things based on basic baking science.

I wish I could help but we are a dry climate and I follow the recipe on the meringue powder, just a little less corn syrup.  I do wonder if you have too much corn syrup and it’s not setting completely.

@Econlady posted:

I wish I could help but we are a dry climate and I follow the recipe on the meringue powder, just a little less corn syrup.  I do wonder if you have too much corn syrup and it’s not setting completely.

Ooh, I didn't even notice that you had corn syrup in the mix. I agree with Econlady that it could be part of the problem. It will inhibit setting.