Do you want to bake holiday goodies but don’t consider yourself a “smart cookie” in the kitchen? COOK is here to help! Joe Green of Affinity Confections came into our kitchen last week to share his wealth of baking knowledge. We’re passing along some of Joe’s holiday cookie tips as well as his recipe for royal icing. Read on to boost your baking skills and learn how to make royal icing – perfect for glazing your new-and-improved treats! 

Joe prides himself on making cookies that taste even better than they look. His flavor-focused mentality led to some delicious sweet AND savory shortbread snacks. Joe’s assortment included: thumbprint, iced holiday, snowball tea, peanut butter and rosemary toasted almond cookies. Fresh herbs are a key ingredient in Joe’s baked goods. By incorporating newly-picked rosemary and thyme into his cookies, Joe added a depth of aromatic flavor that paired beautifully with the rich buttery nature of shortbread. Another way to add freshness to your cookies is by adding zest into the mix. Joe grated lemon zest into his royal icing, which not only adds specks of bright yellow color but also provides some lemony essential oil zing! Get creative by adding your own touch, such as blood orange or lime zest, to Joe’s royal icing recipe.

Royal Icing Recipe
Courtesy of Joe Green of Affinity Confections

Ingredients

•  1 cup powdered sugar
•  2.25 tsp meringue powder
•  2 tbsp warm water (or 1 tbsp warm water + 1 tbsp of a flavored extract)

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, sift powdered sugar and meringue powder together. Use the flat blade beater and turn the mixer on low to mix powdered sugar and meringue powder together for 10 seconds.

After the dry ingredients are mixed, add in the warm water and mix until everything is moistened. Once the dry ingredients are moistened, turn up the mixer speed to medium-high until the glaze becomes the texture of paste.

If the icing is still too thick, add 1⁄2 tsp water at a time until you reach your desired texture. If the icing is too thin, add more sifted powdered sugar 1 tbsp at a time until the desired texture is reached.

Use a piping bag, pastry brush or spoon to apply the icing to your desired dessert and let the icing set until it is firm to the touch.

If you want to save any extra icing, Joe recommends leaving it in a bowl covered with plastic wrap and refrigerating it for up to 3 days. Be sure to rewhip the chilled leftover icing before using it to decorate your baked goods.

Alternatively, if you don’t feel like baking, you can always order treats from Affinity Confections!

Looking for some baking supplies for yourself or to give as a gift this season? Well you’re in luck! During our 12 Days Of COOKmas sales all our baking items are 20% off on Sunday, December 16th (10 AM – 6 PM). Check out all the complete COOKmas sale schedule and do some kitchen-related holiday shopping at COOK!