Making royal icing...

[Scarlett]

I've made a Christmas cake- so far so good, but am a bit stuck on how to make the icing. I want the type that is white and hard like on wedding cakes, and marzipan too! However I don't have a food processor. I have a hand held blender which I use to make soup but that's it! Do I need to go out and buy an electric whisk or even a whole food processor? Also the youtube recipes in America use meringue powder and we don't have that here. If I use powdered egg white, would that be the same? I'd hate to ruin what I've made so far! thanks

[albaqwerty]

found this Scarlett, hope it's useful

http://britishfood.about.com/od/christmasrecipes/a/iceachristmascake.htm

[knittynora]

I make my own cakes and ice them without any special equipment. I just have an electric mixer but it can be made by hand although it takes longer. For my icing I just use egg white and ordinary icing sugar. My recipe says about 2 egg whites to every 450gms of icing sugar.I add about half the icing sugar and beat it. It's a bit of a creamy colour at first but turns pure white the longer you beat it. Cover with greaseproof paper and leave to allow the air bubbles to rise (about half an hour) then gradually mix in remaining icing sugar until it's the consistency you want. If that sounds a bit of a faff I think you can buy the royal icing powder in Tesco and you just add water.

[AliceTickband]

and if you want royal icing that you dont need a hacksaw to cut, add a few drops of glycerine while mixing........works a treat, icing solid but not bulletproof!

[paddywak]

Don't know what the stuffs like but I noticed in Tesco the otherday that you can buy Icing and marzipan ready made you just roll it out to the size you want.

[AliceTickband]

^^^^
that is probably fondant icing....which I use nowadays and it's great!

[paddywak]

Sorry, I wouldn't know the difference. Though I say it myself I make a mean Christmas cake but I leave the decorating bit to Trish.

[kirkcudbright]

You can buy 'Royal Icing' icing sugar I've made it lots of times using a hand mixer