Quick Cocoa and Pastel Pink Powdered Sugar Icings
Author: Nancy Baggett
Ingredients
  • 3 cups powdered sugar, divided, plus more as needed
  • 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon light corn syrup, divided
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, divided
  • 1 to 1½ tablespoons thawed cranberry juice concentrate, plus more if needed; or use a few drops red food color and 1 to 1½ tablespoons water
Instructions
  1. Place 1½ cups powdered sugar in each of two bowls. Sift the cocoa powder into one bowl, then stir well. Add ½ teaspoon each corn syrup and ¼ teaspoon vanilla to each bowl. To the cocoa icing bowl, gradually stir in 1 to 1½ tablespoons water or enough for a piping consistency, stirring well to blend. To the other bowl, gradually add 1 to 1½ tablespoons cranberry juice concentrate, or 1 to 1½ tablespoons water and several drops of red food color, stirring until well blended. Add in little more water if too dry or more powdered sugar if too wet to pipe.
  2. Spoon the icings into small sturdy baggies and close tightly. Snip off a very small opening in one corner to pipe the icing. Alternatively, use piping bags with fine writing tips or pastry cones if preferred. Left-over icing may be covered and kept refrigerated for up to a week. Stir well and if necessary, thin with a little water before using.
  3. For more pics/info/tips on piping with a mini-plastic bag, go here.
Notes
The recipe calls for cranberry juice concentrate to tint the pastel icing pink so you can skip using synthetic red food dye. I prefer to avoid red dye #40 because it can cause allergic reactions in some people, including me. But, if you don't object to this product, you can use water instead and tint the icing pink with a few drops of red food coloring.
Recipe by KitchenLane at http://kitchenlane.com/2014/02/wishing-you-valentines-day-full-of.html