what is royal icing

Royal icing is a type of hard white icing that is used to decorate cakes, cookies, and other baked goods. It is made from softly beaten egg whites, icing sugar, and sometimes lemon or lime juice. Royal icing is often used to make decorations such as flowers and figures for putting on cakes, and it is piped into shapes which are allowed to harden on a non-stick surface. The icing can also be used as an edible adhesive, particularly for gingerbread houses. Traditionally, royal icing is prepared with raw egg whites, which have a small chance of transmitting salmonella poisoning. However, meringue powder or ready-to-use, pasteurized, refrigerated egg whites can be used as a substitute with similar results. Meringue powder is a popular substitute for raw egg whites as it eliminates the need for fresh eggs but still provides the same consistency.