icing fit for a king

You  know those Christmas cookies that are always on the front of magazines.  They're so yummy looking with their shiny icing and intricate details.  Like the ones to the left there, that I DID NOT make...I found them on Google Image Search!
Well, I decided to try my hand at this yummy treat.  I had a specific cookie to make, and I will share that with you tomorrow.  Now, I want to share with you the recipe for making the icing.
I googled different recipes and found that the icing i wanted was the kind of icing I was wanting to make was royal icing.  This icing hardens, so that cookies can be stacked and it just looks so pretty
Here is the recipe I wound up using.  I must warn...give this one a test run.  I am so thankful that I did a test run, especially because I was piping the icing.
I got my recipe here, but wound up halving it...it makes a TON!

1 egg white
1 1/2 cups sifted confectioners sugar
This recipe also called for lemon juice, which I wound up not using...it still tasted yummy.

Just mix the sifted sugar into the egg whites a little at a time.  Beat with the mixer and ice!  I was making cookies for my sisters bridal shower, so I tinted the icing to her wedding colors.  I used Wilton Brand food coloring because of the specific colors I wanted.  However, you could easily tint the icing to more standard colors using common food coloring.  Just be careful, the more food coloring you use, the more watered down the icing will be.

There you have it, a simple mixture for icing that looks like you spent ALL day and then some on it.  Try getting creative, add sugar and sprinkles, layer the icing and colors.  Create something delicious (and save one for me!).