Au Naturel Dye-Free Daisy Cookie Icing
Author: Nancy Baggett
I like this icing because it avoids food dyes, but is easy, spreads smoothly, and has a slight sheen. For another au naturel icing that gives you green shades, check out my green tea icing recipe here. The recipe makes enough to decorate at least 3 dozen 2¾ to 3-inch cookies. Since it is sweet, add just enough to cover each cookie; don’t pile it on. The recipe calls for meringue powder or egg white powder. Wilton makes a meringue powder usually stocked with cake decorating supplies. Some supermarket baking sections include dry egg white powder. If you can’t find either, you may leave it out.
Ingredients
  • 3½ cups powdered sugar, divided, plus more as needed
  • 3½ teaspoons meringue powder or egg white powder, divided
  • 1 teaspoon light corn syrup, divided
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, divided
  • 1 to 1½ tablespoons thawed orange juice concentrate, plus more if needed
  • 1 to 1½ tablespoons thawed cranberry juice concentrate, plus more if needed
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more if needed
  • Turbinado sugar or white crystal sugar for optional garnish
Instructions
  1. Stir together 1 cup powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon meringue powder in each of three bowls, then stir together ½ cup powdered sugar ½ teaspoon meringue powder and cocoa powder in a smaller fourth bowl. Add ½ teaspoon each corn syrup and ¼ teaspoon vanilla to each bowl. To the first bowl, add 1 to 1½ tablespoons thawed orange juice concentrate; to the second bowl, add 1 to 1½ tablespoons cranberry juice concentrate, to the third 1 to 1½ tablespoons water. Stir each icing until thoroughly blended and smooth, adding in little more juice or water if too dry to mix together. To the fourth bowl, stir in just enough water to create a spreading consistency. Add more powdered sugar if needed to stiffen the icings to a slightly fluid and spreadable, but not runny consistency.
  2. To decorate the cookies: Using a table knife, spread a light, smooth coating of white, yellow, or pink icing over the cookies until all are decorated. Let stand until set, about 15-20 minutes. Put the cocoa and yellow icings into sturdy baggies with a small hole clipped from one corner; or if preferred, use a disposable plastic piping bag. Then squeeze out small portions of either the yellow or chocolate to form “eyes” in center tops of the cookies as shown at left. Immediately sprinkle a little coarse sugar over the “eyes” to add texture, if desired.
  3. Let the cookies stand at least 2 hours until the icing sets. Then pack, airtight, preferably in one layer or with wax paper between the layers. They will keep for 10 days. Or freeze up to 1 month.
Recipe by KitchenLane at http://kitchenlane.com/2011/06/summer-painted-daisy-sugar-cookies.html