2 questions about icing?

Question

First of all I need a recipe for Royal Icing. Secondly I can't find any black food coloring so I am going to have to make it, I have red, blue, green and yellow food coloring, I know that if you mix two complementary colors such as red and green together that it will make brown, can I make black by doing this same thing? I am making Halloween cupcakes and I need black icing for those as well as some cookies I am making. Thanks!

Answer 1

For any icing needs, I always use Wilton recipes and products -- and I always have fantastic results!

This smooth, hard-drying icing is perfect for making decorations that last. It is also useful as a "cement" to fasten decorations together. Royal icing is edible, but not recommended for icing cakes.

Ingredients:
3 Tablespoons Wilton Meringue Powder
1 lb. (4 cups) confectioners' sugar (about 1lb.)
6 Tablespoons warm water*
Beat all ingredients until icing forms peaks (7-10 minutes at low speed with a heavy-duty mixer, 10-12 minutes at high speed with a hand-held mixer). Recipe makes 3 cups.

NOTE: Keep all utensils completely grease-free for proper icing consistency.

* For stiffer icing, use 1 tablespoon less water.

**When using large countertop mixer or for stiffer icing, use 1 tablespoon less water.

Now, for black icing, it's very hard to create a *true* black. A true black would call for so much of your color that it would cause the icing to turn bitter. Your best bet would be to add some cocoa to your icing and start with a dark base -- then add small amounts of blue until you can get the closest match.

If you have the time to run to a local Wal*Mart, Hobby Lobby or Michael's, I suggest to purchase Wilton black icing color (concentrated gel) -- and use that with the chocolate icing to get the best-tasting, best black icing ever!

Answer 2

Check Martha Stewart's recipe for Royal Icing recipe. (but if you want to cheat, as I frequently do, just mix powdered icing sugar with water or juice and it hardens well - even if it seems liquidy when you paint it on the cookie or use a knife to spread on)
For coloring black - at a craft store like Michael's you will be able to buy black paste food coloring. If you just try to mix regular liquid food coloring the closest you will get is a dark purple or a murky brown.

Answer 3

The best place for recipes is food network. As for the black food coloring, mixing colors does not seem to work as well. I would try wilton food dye. You can get it at places like wal-mart in the cake decorating isle. It is a gel food dye. They have a great orange color as well.

Answer 4

for the black food coloring, try the halloween section at your local grocery store.. i got some orange and black food coloring last year around this time of year

Answer 5

blue and green

Answer 6

go to www.foodnetwork.com and find out!