Royal icing flowers

Ingredients

• 1 egg white
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• Gel or paste food coloring
• Piping bags with tips of different sizes

Step-by-step preparation

1. In a medium bowl, beat the egg white and cream of tartar with an electric mixer until foamy.
2. Gradually add the powdered sugar, beating on low speed until the mixture is smooth and glossy.
3. Divide the icing into separate bowls if you want to use different colors.
4. Add the gel or paste food coloring and mix well until the color is even. Keep in mind that royal icing darkens slightly as it dries.
5. Put some icing in a piping bag with a small tip (such as a #1) for the finer details of the flowers, like the centers and edges.
6. Put some icing in another piping bag with a medium tip (such as a #3) for the petals.
7. Lay a sheet of wax paper on a flat surface and draw the outline of the flowers with a pencil or edible ink pen.
8. Use the bag with the medium tip to pipe the petals, following the outline on the wax paper. Start at the center of the flower and pipe outward in a zigzag motion to create the petals. Make at least 5–6 petals for each flower.
9. Use the bag with the small tip to pipe the details, like the centers and edges, following the outline on the wax paper.
10. Let the royal icing flowers dry for at least 24 hours before using them to decorate your desserts.