Marble Icing Standard

By Sugar Salt Magic · 90 min

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F (160°C fan) and line 2-3 large cookie sheets with baking paper.
2. Sift the flour and baking powder together.
3. Beat the butter and sugar until light, scraping the bowl. Add the egg and vanilla and beat well, scraping down the bowl a couple of times.
4. Add the flour mixture in three parts on low speed until it comes together as a dough. If it is too crumbly, add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of milk at a time until it forms big clumps; do not add more milk than necessary.
5. Shape the dough into a smooth ball, roll it out on a lightly floured surface to 3-4 mm thick, and cut out cookies. Re-roll the scraps and cut as many cookies from each batch as possible.
6. Space the cookies at least 2.5 cm (1 inch) apart and bake for 10-11 minutes, turning the trays halfway through, until just starting to turn gold at the edges. Move to a cooling rack.
7. Place the icing sugar, water, cream of tartar (if using), meringue powder and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in a bowl. Beat on low until combined, then on medium-high for about 1 minute to make a basic royal icing.
8. Thin the royal icing with water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until it runs slowly off a spoon and leaves a visible trail for 8-10 seconds.
9. Divide one third of the royal icing between 3 small bowls, colour each with a little food colouring, and transfer each to its own piping bag or small snap-lock bag.
10. Spread one third of the remaining white icing in a small high-sided plate, keeping the rest in the bowl to refresh as needed.
11. Set a wire rack over a baking-paper-lined tray.
12. Snip a very small corner off each coloured bag, drizzle lines of colour over the white icing, then drag a toothpick through to marble it.
13. Dip the top of each cookie into the icing, turn them icing side up and place on the wire rack to drain and dry for at least 24 hours until fully set.

Summarized from Sugar Salt Magic's video. Watch it for the details.