CookieCrazieBasics: Coloring Glaze Icing

The glaze is made ......now what?

Let's add some color....and make sure it is the right consistency!

What coloring to use......hands down.....Americolor Gels! They are fabulous.

I love these gels so much that I have a treasure chest full of them. heehee

Many people ask how I get such vivid icing colors.

Americolor is the answer.

How do I make my icing so black? Americolor Super Black

How do I get my icing so white? Americolor Bright White

Another question I get asked often...

Do you find that Americolor Super Red causes your icing to taste bitter? No, I have not found any problem with Super Red's taste.

So how do you go from this....

to this?

Check out this YouTube video I made to help you visualize it all.....

Here's my set up for coloring and bagging my icing.

You'll need a smaller bowl and spoon to mix up each color and get it to the right consistency. 

As soon as you're there, you will roll it up in some plastic wrap (preferably Press N' Seal) and bag it. 

For all the bagging information, go HERE.

For now, we want to get the icing to look and pipe just right.

Take the amount of icing you need for that color and add some drops of color.

Remember.......you can always make it darker.....but making it lighter is TONS harder!

So be careful how much color you add.

Mix in color until you are satisfied.

Then check the consistency.

I use the "Ten Second Rule". (The 10 second rule is featured in the middle of the above YouTube video.)

The main thing is.....consistency is KEY!

I touch and pull up on the surface of the icing with a clean finger and count. I want the icing to go completely flat at the count of ten.

If it takes longer than that......it will be really hard to pipe. (Add & mix a tiny bit of water to it and use the 10 second rule again.)

If it flattens quicker than that, it will spread out after you pipe it. (Add & mix a tiny bit of powdered sugar to it and use the 10 second rule again.)

Try to get it as close to ten seconds as possible. 

I use this consistency of glaze icing for outlining, flooding, and detailing my cookies. One consistency for everything. 

Once your icing has the color and consistency you desire, you can put it in bags.

I'll show you how I bag mine HERE.

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For a fantastic color chart from Sweet Sugar Belle, go HERE.

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For the CookieCrazie glaze recipe go HERE.

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CookieCrazie Glaze Icing Recipe (Vegan)

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The key to any cookie's success is it's taste and texture.
Glaze icing is the CookieCrazie icing of choice because of it's fabulous taste and softer texture!

Unlike other decorating icings, it's taste is sweet with no after taste. The texture does not dry rock hard and chalky......but keeps a lighter, softer consistency. Because it dries slower, it gives extra time for decorating, less problems with clogging tips.....and even has an added benefit of being able to create texture on it's surface while it is partially dry. Air bubbles are not a major problem with glaze. And it leaves a shinier finish upon drying compared to other icings.

One of biggest advantages of glaze is it's simple list of ingredients that do NOT include eggs, thus making it vegan. It's pretty incredible that you can take three basic ingredients (powdered sugar, corn syrup, and water) to make an icing that can decorate with the best of them!

CookieCrazie Glaze Icing (Vegan)

1 lb (3-3/4 cups) powdered sugar

1/4 cup corn syrup

approx 1/4 cup water

few drops Americolor Bright White Gel

Mix all ingredients together on lowest mixer setting. Mix well for at least one minute.

Notes:

• This recipe covers approximately 20 medium cookies.
• Flavorings can be added before mixing up the glaze. I use 1/4 tsp almond extract and 1/8 tsp butter flavoring for this recipe, but it is totally a personal preference.
• Add Americolor Bright White Gel to the entire batch of glaze to avoid translucency. 
• Keep the mixer on the low setting to prevent excessive bubbles.
• With no perishable ingredients, glaze can be kept 1-2 weeks at room temperatur

For tips on coloring glaze, go HERE.