Get the best results from your gingerbread cookie frosting by choosing the right type of frosting. Yep, the type of frosting changes based on your end goals. Who knew? (For the Best Tasting Gingerbread Cookie Recipe Follow this link)
Gingerbread Cookie Glue
Little hands apply a lot of pressure on gingerbread houses during the decorating process. Save the tears and the house repairs with a secure frosting that holds fast during the decorating process.
Royal Icing
Royal icing compares to carpenters wood glue in its ability to hold a structure together. Plus, it is thick enough to draw a straight “bead” line down the side of the gingerbread house like any professional.
If executing a gingerbread cookie with exactness and accuracy of detail suits your goals, this is the frosting for you.
3 Egg Whites (this is not best option for little kids)
4 Cups Confectionary sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla or almond (optional0
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
Substitute for egg whites: 3 Tablespoons meringue powder & 5 tablespoons water.
Whisk eggs into soft peaks with standing mixer, slowly add powdered sugar until stiff peaks form.
For thinner royal icing add another egg white or another tablespoon of water.
Pros: Drys quickly, stays hard, very secure, easy to make straight lines and detailed designs (the cookie will break before the frosting seams come apart)
Cons: Uses raw egg whites (or margarine powder), drys too quickly, is very hard, not great taste, crusts up and falls apart if not stored correctly during use,
Cover the unused portion with plastic, use within a day, best applied with piping bag or bottle.
Simple Sugar Frosting (Pin Recipes for Later!)
Simple sugar frosting combines strength and edibility. A typical choice for sugar cookies, this frosting lends itself to precise decorating techniques.
1 1/2 C Confectionery Sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons milk (coconut, soy, almond)
1 1/12 teaspoons light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla ( almond, peppermint, orange)
Add all ingredients and mix well–add more or less milk to thicken.
Pros: Drys reasonably quickly, no eggs, tastes OK (sugary sweet), can be watered down to paint with, easily hand-mixed, can be stored and reinvigorated with a little water
Cons: Takes more time to dry, does not harden completely, melts more easily, does not stick as well to cookie or candy.
Still to much work? Make a fun toddler-friendly graham cracker.
Butter Cream Frosting
Although not as elegant on houses or cookies this frosting is easy to use for everyone. For Five Tricks to Gingerbread Houses Look Here.
Wonderful, friendly frosting that pleases the tastes of young and old. This frosting is the “hands-down” winner for gingerbread cookie frosting. Especially for toddlers and younger kids who just want to paint it on the cookie then plop candy down and eat before, during and after the process.
Although great tasting, buttercream loses the battle as a precision tool for decorating gingerbread cookies for the long term.
1 cups salted butter
4 cups confectioner sugar
4-6 tablespoons cream or coconut cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
Cream the butter, add half the sugar and cream, blend well. Add second half of confectioner sugar, salt and cream blend together–add vanilla.
Reduce thickness by adding more cream.
Pros: tastes awesome, spreads easily, pairs well with gingerbread, keeps in the fridge indefinitely, easy for little hands to use, candy sticks and can be easily removed.
Cons: does not harden, runs and melts, can’t stack cookies, does not gift wrap well, candy will slip off.
Which Gingerbread Cookie Frosting is Right for You
Let me ask you what might seem like a silly question; do you plan to eat the cookie?
If you answered no then definitely choose the royal frosting. After Christmas store the cookie in an airtight container for next years decorations.
If you plan to eat the cookie, my first pick is buttercream frosting. The yummy gingerbread taste syncs sweetly with the buttery frosting despite less than perfect decorations.
Is handling a piping bag in your skill set?
Piping all of these frostings creates the most precision on the gingerbread cookies. But managing a piping bag creates challenges for kiddos.
Royal Icing truly only works well from a piping bag in my opinion. A knife, paintbrush, or your finger works marvelously with the other two.
When to Mix up Both Icing and Frosting
(Still need a reason to make gingerbread this season read Why are Children Obsessed with Gingerbread)
In the structural house building arena of gingerbread cookies, royal icing provides virtual indestructibility. Just try removing a piece of candy from this veritable fortress of sugar.
Constructing the undercoated house out of royal icing provides little hands with a non-destructible surface.
Choosing the buttercream or simple sugar frosting for decorating eliminates the egg issue leaving everyone free to lick and stick.
All the decorating fun and none of the tears.
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