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–+ servings
Glossy sugar cookie icing with a hint of lemon and salt on a decorated heart-shaped cookie.

Sugar Cookie Icing

Rebecca Blumer
Create a professional, high-gloss finish for your holiday treats with this easy sugar cookie icing. It dries firm enough for stacking but remains beautifully shiny without being overly sweet.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course Dessert, Topping
Cuisine American
Servings 1 cup
Calories 480 kcal

Equipment

  • Small bowl
  • Spoon
  • Piping bag
  • Toothpick

Ingredients
 

  • 1 cup confectioners' sugar
  • 2 teaspoons milk
  • 2 teaspoons light corn syrup
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Recommended:

  • assorted food coloring

Instructions
 

Build the Base and Shine

  • In a small bowl, stir the confectioners' sugar with the milk until the mixture looks creamy and uniform, ensuring there are no dry pockets left on the bottom.
  • Mix in the light corn syrup and almond extract, continuing to stir until the icing becomes smooth, glossy, and falls from the spoon in a steady ribbon.

Dial In Consistency, Color, and Decorate

  • Perform the 10-second rule by letting a ribbon of icing fall into the bowl. If it melts back in at 10 seconds, it is ready for flooding. If it is too thick, add a touch more corn syrup.
  • Divide the icing into smaller bowls and tint with food coloring, adding gel colors sparingly to avoid over-thinning.
  • Decorate your cookies by dipping for a quick glaze or using a piping bag to outline and then flood the centers for a professional, glassy look.

Notes

Professional Shine: Light corn syrup is the secret to achieving a smooth, glassy finish that prevents the icing from looking matte once dry.
Color Control: Use gel food coloring to achieve vibrant shades without thinning the icing consistency, keeping your outlines crisp.
Stacking Success: Allow the decorated cookies to air-dry for 20 to 24 hours before stacking to ensure the icing has hardened completely through to the cookie surface.
Texture Tip: Sift the confectioners' sugar before mixing to eliminate lumps and ensure the smoothest possible application.
Nutrition information is estimated based on common ingredients and serving sizes and may vary.

Nutrition

Calories: 480kcalCarbohydrates: 122gProtein: 0.2gFat: 0.1gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 10mgPotassium: 5mgSugar: 118gCalcium: 10mg
Keyword cookie decorating, glossy glaze, sugar cookie icing
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