Royal Icing for Gingerbread

 Great, strong icing for sticking gingerbread houses together. Adapted from here.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound confectioners' sugar (sifted, more as needed)
• 1/2 cup/3 large pasteurized egg whites (room temperature)
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Procedure:

In a large bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, pasteurized egg whites, and cream of tartar. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Turn the mixer to high and beat until the mixture is thick, very white, and will hold a peak. This should take at least 7 to 10 minutes. If the icing is still too soupy, add more confectioners’ sugar, a little at a time. Don't add too much, or the icing will be dry and hard to work with.

When finished, cover with plastic wrap, making sure it touches the royal icing so a crust doesn't form. Royal icing dries out quickly, so make sure it is covered all the time. Otherwise, lumps will form in the icing and they will never pass through an icing tip.

Pipe as desired.