I love using cookie glaze (vs. royal icing) but consistently run into two problems: spotting (random white spots appearing in the icing as they dry) and bleeding. I've tried switching color brand (from Wilton to Americolor), allowing lots of drying time, letting the cookies rest a day between baking and decorating, and using a fan to dry them. Using milk helps with the bleeding, but is more prone to spotting, using water helps with the spotting, but makes the colors almost always bleed. It's so frustrating because of the randomness of these things happening!! I've had cookie orders totally messed up because of bleeding or spotting. Most decorating blogs that I follow use royal icing, and the one decorator I've contacted who uses glaze (with gorgeous results) says that yes, spotting sometimes happens (and she's done her own experimenting, too!)
When starting this order for palette cookies, I was very nervous about all those bright colors on white, bleeding and looking awful. I did another search for solutions (as I do from time to time) and came across this recommendation for "frankenfrosting" which is a hybrid between royal and glaze. However, this solution involves making both kinds of icing and combining them … got no time for that. But, it gave me an idea … what would happen if I just threw some meringue powder into my glaze recipe? Yes, I know that an actual order should not have been the time to experiment, but I was too excited about the idea, I had to try it right away.
I used two tablespoons of meringue powder. First thing I noticed was that I couldn't get the shiny smooth consistency that glaze provides, but it was easier to work with than straight up royal icing. And, it still stayed soft after drying, another something I like better about glaze.
Final results on this new icing? Pros: NO bleeding. NO spotting. Cons: Less smooth, less shiny. However … I am absolutely willing to give up smooth and shiny for colors that stay true! I am so excited to try this again!
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