Christmas and New Year's baked goods are a great option for decorating the holiday table. Among the variety of such desserts, gingerbread deserves close attention, which can be decorated with sugar icing, otherwise called icing. Such sweets turn out amazingly bright and beautiful. It's just a feast for the eyes! At the same time, preparing glaze based on raw protein is not difficult, and the process of decorating gingerbread cookies itself is a real mystery, a process full of wonder and fun. It’s especially fun to paint baked goods with the whole family.
White glaze for gingerbread
Anyone can decorate the most ordinary homemade gingerbread cookies with icing. After all, making sugar glaze with protein is not at all as difficult as it might seem. But on the other hand, you will receive icing, with which it will not be difficult to paint baked goods. White glaze is the base. It can be used pure or diluted with colored dyes.
Number of servings – 30.Ingredients
To prepare white glaze for gingerbread at home, you will need to prepare an extremely simple set of ingredients:
- egg white – 1 pc.;
- powdered sugar – 250 g.
There are only 2 components, and how many opportunities they provide craftswomen!
Cooking method
To make white icing for gingerbread at home, you don’t have to be a top-class chef. After all, preparing the glaze couldn’t be easier.
- The first step is to prepare powdered sugar for the glaze. It is very important that it be small and small. Unfortunately, it is difficult to find such an option on sale. That's why it's worth grinding it yourself. It's easy and doesn't take long.
- It is also recommended to sift the finished powder to ensure that too large lumps do not get into the mass. Use gauze folded in half for this.
- How is the sugar icing for gingerbread cookies made? Everything is simple here. You need to pour the egg white into the powdered sugar. The mass is mixed thoroughly so that its consistency becomes homogeneous.
- As a result, you will be able to obtain a fairly dense and thick mixture. You can check the readiness of the icing before you start using it. How to do it? Nothing complicated. It is recommended to rub it over the surface of the glaze directly in the container in which it was prepared. After 10-12 seconds, the “correct” icing line will disappear. Don’t worry if the first time you didn’t manage to achieve the required degree of density and viscosity of the mass for painting gingerbread cookies. You can bring the glaze to the desired condition by adding water or powdered sugar.
- The finished white sugar glaze for gingerbread is transferred to special pastry bags or in thick plastic bags. The top of the container must be secured with a special clamp. If this is not done, the composition prepared for painting confectionery products will simply leak out.
- If you decide to use an ordinary bag, then cut off the corner very carefully.
- Now you can start the drawing process. It is recommended to draw the contours very carefully, smoothly and slowly, trying to maintain maximum evenness and integrity of the drawn line. After applying each fragment of the painting, it will need to be given a little time to dry.
Note! If you decide to fill, and not just draw the contours on the gingerbread cookies, it is worth slightly adjusting the consistency of the icing. To do this, the glaze is diluted with water. The confectionery product is painted with a brush. However, a more detailed master class on decorating gingerbread cookies with icing is presented below.
Recipe for colored icing for gingerbread cookies
To decorate your homemade gingerbread cookies for the New Year or Christmas in a truly luxurious way, you should make not only white, but also colored glaze. It’s as easy as shelling pears, and you can work with such icing in the same way as with crystal white composition.
Cooking time – 15 minutes.Number of servings – 20.Ingredients
To make colored icing for painting gingerbread cookies, you will need to use a minimum set of ingredients:
- chicken egg white – 1 pc.;
- food coloring – 1 ml;
- powdered sugar – 200 g.
Cooking method
It’s worth mentioning right away that only at first glance does preparing sugar icing for decorating baked goods seem surprisingly complicated. In fact, this is not true at all.
- The first step is to prepare all the necessary ingredients for preparing icing.
- Now you need to take 1 chicken protein. It should be at room temperature. It should be shaken slightly. You shouldn't beat it too hard.
- Carefully pour powdered sugar into the protein mass. The optimal amount of product for such a serving is only 1-2 small spoons. It is recommended to sift the powdered sugar first to avoid any specks or too large crystals getting into the mixture.
- Keep in mind that the powdered sugar will clump into a lump at first. This is fine. You should continue to sift and stir it until it is smooth.
- It is very important to continuously stir the glaze to achieve not only a uniform consistency, but also a perfectly white shade. After all, initially, when protein and powdered sugar are combined, the mass becomes grayish.
- Continue sifting the powdered sugar and kneading it. Make sure that there are no dry ingredients left on the walls. Otherwise, they will bunch up in lumps and ruin the icing for painting gingerbread cookies for the New Year.
- The glaze should be runny and even white. If you don't like working with this composition, make it a little thicker. To do this, add more powdered sugar to the protein and continue kneading the mass.
Use a whisk to check the consistency of the icing. A composition on which the trace of the whisk disappears after 10 seconds is considered ready.
- See how the icing will “behave” when it comes into contact with the surface of a plate or cutting board. If the contours hold their shape and do not spread, then the blank for painting gingerbread cookies is ready.
- You need to divide the glaze into separate bowls and dilute each portion with individual food coloring of the required shade.
- The finished icing is transferred into pastry bags. It is optimal to use versions with attachments. They make applying glaze to royal or simple gingerbread much easier.
Master class on painting gingerbread cookies with icing
If you have prepared icing (colored and/or white), you can safely begin the painting procedure. This is a very exciting and interesting creative process. With the help of the proposed step-by-step guide, this will not be difficult at all. A gingerbread mitten is used as an example. The result will be the same as in the photo below.
So, if everything necessary for painting is prepared, you can safely get down to business.
- First you need to draw a thin outline with white icing along the edges of the gingerbread, moving as smoothly as possible and trying not to interrupt the line.
- The “nose” of the mitten is highlighted with white glaze.
- Colored glaze is poured onto the main part with a spoon.
- Use a skewer to smooth it out without going into the contours.
- We begin to draw the “nose”. We draw the central contours.
- We draw longitudinal lines.
- Let's start making a mesh.
- We complete the creation of a thin mesh.
- We make a pattern in the form of a snowflake, filling in the “cells”.
- We systematically fill the grid to obtain a pattern.
Sweet, shiny, glossy - it's all icing. It is very difficult for confectioners to do without it. It is used to cover cakes and pastries, to paint on gingerbread cookies and cookies, to fill the tops of cupcakes, etc.
Glaze is not only beautiful, but also useful. Thanks to it, baked goods stay fresh longer. In addition, this cupcake decoration is very easy to prepare and not expensive. The only products you need are sugar and water. This is for the simplest frosting. But there are many recipes for this decoration; sometimes it seems that as many confectioners in the world, there are as many recipes, or even much more: everyone has at least two favorites.
Read also:
Glaze, like any other product, has its own rules, and if you follow them, your baked goods will always be beautiful, fragrant and impressive.
Consistency
The glaze should not be too thick and not too runny. Almost like sour cream. Then it will be well applied to the product, will set quickly and will not drain. If you followed the recipe and the glaze turned out too thin, add a spoonful of powdered sugar, and if it turned out too thick, a teaspoon of hot water.
Different goals
Liquid glaze is poured over the tops of cupcakes or donuts. Glaze with the consistency of 20 percent sour cream is used for patterns and designs on cakes. Or you can make the icing even thicker and use it to glue one half of the cake to the other. A brush will help with this.
Powder
It needs to be ground very carefully. Right within a few minutes. And when you open the lid of the coffee grinder, a “sugar smoke” should come from the powder. Yes, and of course, it’s best to make your own powder, not store-bought. Moreover, it is done very quickly.
In addition, it is better to sift the powder.
Lemon juice
It is often used as a substitute for water when making glazes. And sometimes they add a few drops to the glaze for flavor. Lemon juice gives the glaze a great taste and smell. And if the baked goods are very sweet, then it makes sense to use more lemon juice, this will create a contrasting, voluminous and interesting taste.
On whites and yolks
With eggs, the glaze acquires a rich taste and a soft, dense consistency. Protein glaze is often used for Easter cakes or for drawing patterns. And the yolks give the glaze a yellowish tint - very beautiful. But for safety reasons, it is better to dry such glaze in the oven. Although this is often not mentioned in recipes.
Place the product in an oven heated to 100 C or a little more, even a little heating will protect you from salmonella, since it dies at 70 C.
With butter
When making icing for cakes, fat and butter are often added. The glaze with it turns out soft, creamy, it is well suited for cakes. The option with chocolate or cocoa and butter looks especially beautiful.
Secret: If you brush the cake with a thin layer of jam before frosting, the frosting will lie perfectly evenly and will shine very beautifully.
Dyes
It is often recommended to add food coloring to the glaze; with it, the color turns out bright, and the product takes on a festive, cheerful look. Of course, there is nothing wrong with using food coloring from a bag, but you can add natural coloring products to the icing. For example, a spoonful of raspberry jam - you get a red color and a magical raspberry aroma. A pinch of turmeric and a piece of butter will give you an intense orange tint.
Secret: For glaze it is better not to use porous chocolate. And if you add a spoonful of cocoa to the chocolate, the color will be more saturated.
How to apply?
Liquid glaze for Easter cakes and cupcakes is applied with a brush. You can apply it in several layers. The glaze for painting is applied using a pastry syringe. By the way, you can use a regular disposable syringe.
Simple glaze
200 g powdered sugar
4 tbsp. l. hot water
Step 1. Mix powder and water and place on low heat.
Step 2. Cook, stirring, until the glaze becomes smooth. Approximately 5-7 minutes.
Step 3. Pour hot glaze over gingerbread cookies or buns.
Egg yolk glaze
5 yolks
1.5 cups powdered sugar
3-4 tbsp. freshly squeezed orange juice
Step 1. Beat the yolks with orange juice until a stable foam forms.
Step 2. Gradually introduce previously sifted powder. Stir everything until smooth.
Step 3. Cover the cake or cookies with icing and dry in the oven at approx. 100 C.
Glaze with rum
1 cup powdered sugar
3 tbsp. Roma
1 tbsp. l. hot water
Step 1. Sift the powdered sugar.
Step 2. Add water and rum and grind very thoroughly. Cover cupcakes or pastries.
Chocolate glaze
100 g chocolate
3 tbsp. l. water
1 tbsp. l. butter
100 g powdered sugar
Step 1. Break the chocolate into pieces, add hot water and heat until the chocolate dissolves.
Step 2. Then add softened butter and powdered sugar and grind into a homogeneous glaze.
Protein glaze
Good to use for patterns
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
Step 1. Beat the whites until stiff foam.
Step 2. Sift the powder into the egg whites and beat very well again. Add lemon juice.
Step 3. Fill a pastry syringe or bag with icing. Apply a pattern to a cake, cookies or gingerbread.
Butterscotch frosting
200 g hard toffees
40 g butter
1/4 cup milk
1-2 tbsp. l. powdered sugar
Step 1. Heat butter and milk in a saucepan.
Step 2. Add toffee and powder, cook until the candies are completely dissolved, stirring constantly.
Step 3. Apply to the cake in several layers.
If this is your first time on the “Holiday Again” website, I want to inform you that this recipe is not for keen cooks. We provide simple and clear instructions for animators who want to add additional services to their portfolio. Glaze is needed for painting gingerbread cookies (there is a separate description of the recipe for making gingerbread cookies), we decided to devote a separate article to icing so that everything is clear.
A detailed master class with photographs was prepared for you by Helga Masterovaya:
Glaze is a universal coating for confectionery products. With it you can decorate various pastries for the holiday or just like that. Show your creativity and bring joy to yourself and your loved ones with cute painted items.
I usually look for inspiration on the Internet - confectioners from different countries post very beautiful works. Working with children needs to start with the simplest elements. Children will not prepare the glaze themselves, because the master class only includes the creative part - namely painting. You prepare the glaze yourself, so you need to practice and do everything well, otherwise the drawings will not work out.
I suggest you make the white glaze with me.
Required ingredients:
Egg white
Powdered sugar (approx.)
Starch (potato or corn)
Lemon juice
Important details for preparing the glaze:
- since we are using raw protein, the egg must be thoroughly washed with soda and placed in a strong soda solution (1 tbsp per 200 ml) for 10 minutes. Or you can use dry protein (albumin);
— qualitatively separate the white from the yolk;
— the result depends on the quality of the powder. It is very difficult to whip up icing of the desired consistency from coarse powder. It liquefies very quickly, and the pouring turns out grainy;
— starch is added to impart plasticity, but you can do without it;
— the dishes for whipping must be clean and dry, preferably made of stainless steel or glass. And the shape is not too wide, so that it is easier for the whisks to work with the mixture.
Cooking process:
- Sift through the powdered sugar. Masters recommend using organza. I used a fine sieve.
- Add powdered sugar and starch to the whites and beat with a mixer at low speed for about two minutes.
- Add lemon juice, increase speed to medium and beat for about 3-5 minutes.
- You should have a white, dense, smooth mixture.
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The glaze is ready! Cover the bowl with the glaze with a towel soaked in cold water and let it rest for 10 minutes. Then we achieve the consistency we need and create.
3 glaze consistencies:
Basic - the thickest glaze, used for inscriptions, gluing parts of 3-D gingerbread cookies and drawing small details.
Contour – used to outline (outline) the design and design the edge of the product. When drawing lines on a product, they do not spread and retain their shape. To get a contour glaze, you need to add cold water drop by drop to the base glaze (some use a spray bottle). The consistency is similar to fatty sour cream. The mixture should stretch and not flow from the spoon and you should be able to form peaks as you knead.
Filling – used to fill the surface of the gingerbread. To get the filling glaze, you need to add cold water drop by drop to the contour glaze. The consistency is similar to liquid sour cream. Leaves a mark on the surface, but with gentle shaking the mark disappears.
It is recommended to do the glaze right before painting, however, it cannot be can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. The air layer between the glaze and the lid should be minimal. You can cover the glaze “in contact” with cling film, and put a lid on top. Wrap the container in a damp towel and put it in a bag. This way the glaze can be stored for up to seven days. Before re-using, beat the glaze with a mixer with the addition of powdered sugar (1-2 tbsp.)
A few words about coloring:
- use food coloring;
- add the dye drop by drop, if you need just a little - a little, then on the tip of a toothpick;
— add the dye to the base glaze, and only then bring it to the desired consistency;
— after drying, the color of the glaze becomes brighter and more saturated.
Well, that seems to be all! And for clarity, as always, I have put together a wonderful video for you on how to prepare egg white glaze.
After reading this article, you will know how to make sugar icing. To create it, you don’t need egg whites or powdered sugar. Enough water and granulated sugar. The only drawback of this glaze is that it hardens quite quickly. Therefore, after cooking, it must be immediately applied to baked goods.
Ingredients
To make the simplest and most delicious sugar glaze, you need to prepare:
— two hundred grams of granulated sugar;
— one hundred twenty milliliters of hot water;
— three teaspoons lemon juice.
Preparing the glaze
White sugar icing is created very quickly and very simply. First you need to pour sugar into a saucepan. You also need to pour hot water there. Cook the mixture over low heat until the sugar syrup begins to bubble and thicken. As soon as you can see that the syrup is slowly dripping from the spoon, you need to remove it from the heat, add lemon juice to it and quickly stir with a spoon.
Making white sugar icing will seem less labor-intensive if you use a mixer to beat the sugar syrup. As soon as the sweet mass begins to turn from transparent to white, the glaze can be considered ready. At this point, it must be quickly applied to the baked goods. After all, as a rule, it freezes in a matter of minutes.
Skillful housewives who know how to make icing from sugar manage to turn frozen sugar fudge into liquid. They recommend adding a little water to the saucepan with the icing and stirring while heating the mixture over low heat. However, it should be noted that when heated, the white sugar icing may become clear again. Therefore, you should try not to miss a moment so as not to make sugar syrup from the glaze.
How to make colored icing sugar?
As mentioned earlier in this article, this recipe creates a rather finicky sweet fudge. After the sugar syrup turns white, it usually begins to harden. If you want to make the fudge a different shade, food coloring should be added along with lemon juice to the hot, thick syrup. And only then stir the mixture with a spoon or mixer to make it opaque.
Application of icing sugar
Since sugar fudge is so easy to make, it can be used to decorate any type of baked goods. As a rule, this type of sugar icing is created for Easter cakes. But some housewives use it to decorate gingerbread cookies, cookies, muffins and donuts. This sugar icing produces a beautiful, uniform texture so it looks great on any type of baked goods. Unless you can just pour it over the cake. I loved this sugar icing. The recipe is very simple. It can be made when there is only sugar in the cupboard and no powdered sugar or eggs.
Features of sugar fudge
Now you know how to make white fondant and that it hardens very quickly. But it should also be noted that it also crumbles if you cut into pieces filled with it, or bite into a cookie decorated with it. Therefore, if you prefer to create the perfect baked goods, then this fondant most likely will not suit you. It is still there for those occasions when you need to make baked goods attractive, but there are no chicken eggs or powdered sugar in the house.
It's easy to make multi-colored glaze for painting gingerbread cookies; you only need three ingredients.
With multi-colored icing, any gingerbread cookies will look fabulous. You can decorate a cake with multi-colored gingerbread cookies, make wedding bonbonnieres, or congratulate on any themed holiday. Just imagine how happy the kids will be with these gingerbread cookies.
You can decorate your creations in one color scheme, or combine different colors. Even if you don’t have dyes or special tools, we’ll tell you how to make colored glaze from improvised materials and decorate gingerbread without a pastry bag.
On our website we have two recipes for gingerbread cookies for painting with glaze:
Ingredients for making thick glaze:
- Egg white - 1 pc.
- Powdered sugar - 100 g
- Citric acid - on the tip of a knife
- Vanillin - optional
In order to beautifully decorate gingerbread cookies with colored glaze, you will need 2 consistencies of glaze: thick and liquid.
We form an outline from thick glaze; such glaze will be harder after hardening. We fill large elements of the design with liquid glaze; it will be softer.
Glaze preparation process
Wash the eggs well with soap or soda, since we will be using raw eggs.
Immediately start beating the whites with powdered sugar. Do not start beating the whites separately, otherwise the structure of the glaze will be filled with air bubbles instead of glossy and homogeneous.
Gradually add powdered sugar in parts, add citric acid at the end. The white glaze should turn snow-white.
For liquid glaze, use 30 g. less powder.
To achieve a perfect coloring result, food coloring is used. I use Americolor gel dyes. Add coloring to the finished glaze.
Prepare natural dyes for glaze
If you are a lover of organics and naturalness, then use natural dyes; they can also produce good results, but you need to work with them carefully so as not to upset the balance of the glaze composition.
For example, if you add the juice of a bright fruit, the amount of powder will have to be increased, but the coloring natural spices, on the contrary, will absorb the liquid, so you will have to reduce the amount of powdered sugar.
Turmeric, lemon and orange zest juice will give the yellow color. The brown color comes from onion peels, burnt juice, and strong coffee infusion. Chocolate - cocoa powder, a mixture of cocoa and red. Blue color - blueberries, blackberries, a mixture of green and yellow dyes. Red - juice of barberries, cherries, dark grape marc, dogwood, red currants, red syrups and jams. Burgundy, soft pink, raspberry - beet juice, red cabbage juice, raspberries. Orange - a mixture of yellow and red, tangerine zest, carrot juice. Green - spinach squeezed. Purple is a mixture of blue and red dyes, black currants.
Painting gingerbread cookies with glaze
When the cream is brought to the desired consistency, fill a pastry bag with it and start decorating.
First draw an outline; the thick glaze for the outline dries within an hour. Fill large parts with liquid glaze and let it dry completely for 8-10 hours.
