Royal Icing Problem

PaddyJules

Well I am in the process of making sheep from fondant!! Have made the body and want to pipe little balls of white icing all over it to resemble wool. However, when I pipe them they are fine but a minute later they all just merge into each other but if I make the icing stiffer then it is too hard to squeeze out and they wont stick to the fondant. I am using just icing sugar and warm water. Should I try it with the proper royal icing (egg white) and if so does anyone have the recipe. Or could I add Tylo powder to the icing sugar so that it dries hard.

Alternatively has anyone any other ideas of how to make the fondant sheep look wooly and realistic.

As you may guess I am new to all this cake deco!!

Acoshla

Buy royal icing in the bag in Tesco, just add water like icing sugar. I use cold water. You just need to find the balance between runny and too stiff to come out of the bag, it's there I promise it just takes a bit of practice to find it!

DreamC

How to make Royal icing.

http://www.cakejournal.com/archives/how-to-make-royal-icing

Gee_G

I find butter icing better for piping or designing anything! sits perfectly in place!!!

PaddyJules

Bought the royal icing in Tescos today so will try it tomorrow. If that doesnt work then will try the recipe to make my own. The butter icing will be abit yellowy for a sheep I think. Will let you know how I get on and if it works out I will put up a picture (wishful thinking !!)

Sigma Force

*Puts hand up I know I know* ..you can get little sugar balls they aren't smooth on the outside they're kinda bumpy it'd be fiddley but if all else fails they could be stuck to the sheep. I think the Barbie sugar sprinkles in the supermarket have them in it ..although they could be the pink ones.

Here's a link to a photo of them
http://www.cakescookiesandcraftsshop.co.uk/acatalog/copy_of_White-Sugar-Ball-Cake-Sprinkles.html

Acoshla

Or alternatively roll tiny balls of sugarpaste, different sizes, lightly squish/stick them onto the sheeps

PaddyJules

Thanks so much Acoshla - got the Royal Icing in Tescos and it is amazing stuff. I have always just used icing sugar and water to ice cakes, but this stuff is way better to use and tastes nicer too.

So I successfully iced my sheep with little balls of icing and they look really good. Have to assemble the cake 2moro so once finished I will try to upload a picture. Please go easy on the comments though, cos I am so new to all this cake deco stuff.

Acoshla

Technically icing sugar and water is glacé icing, not royal icing, so you'd never get the whiteness or consistency of royal icing with just that. Fine for other uses but not when you specifically have something stiff and proper white in mind.

Mellor

Acoshla wrote: »

Technically icing sugar and water is glacé icing, not royal icing, so you'd never get the whiteness or consistency of royal icing with just that. Fine for other uses but not when you specifically have something stiff and proper white in mind.

Nobody said that just water and icing sugar was royal icing. The OP was asking if he should use royal instead of glace icing.

Eviledna

PaddyJules wrote: »

I have always just used icing sugar and water to ice cakes,

In fairness Mellor, Acoshla was responding to this ^

It's a mistake that lots of people make early on is to use plain glacé as an adhesive, she's only trying to be helpful

PaddyJules, please do post any pictures you have, I'd love to see the result, and don't fear negative comments, we're mostly happy go lucky amateurs in here.:)

Mellor

I know wht he was refering to. But the poster didn't say that WS royal icing. So correcting him was a bit pointless.
He even went on to say that the royal icing mix he picked up was better that the glace he was using.

Faith

Mellor wrote: »

I know wht he was refering to. But the poster didn't say that WS royal icing. So correcting him was a bit pointless.
He even went on to say that the royal icing mix he picked up was better that the glace he was using.

If you don't have anything constructive to add, don't bother posting. All you seem to do is nit-pick at other peoples' posts and it's getting tiresome.

Acoshla

Thanks Faith, I have to point out though that the title was Royal Icing Problem and the OP said they were using icing sugar and warm water, I was pointing it out in case the OP was expecting Royal Icing abilities from glace icing.