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Chatelaine Kitchen

Pantry 101: Royal icing vs. rolled fondant

Both make spectacularly decorative holiday cookies — but what's the difference, and which one is easier to work with?
fondant vs royal icing Illustration, Casie Wilson.

Decorating with royal icing and fondant can turn plain cookies into spectacular cookies. Find out which technique to use to get the look you want.

Royal icing Royal icing is an icing that dries to a hard, matte finish. It is made primarily with icing sugar, water and/or lemon juice and egg whites. The addition of egg whites (either fresh, pasteurized or in dried powdered form) helps the icing to harden quickly. The consistency of royal icing can be thick and creamy to thin and runny, depending on how much liquid you add to the recipe. A thicker icing is ideal for more intricate piping projects (cookie borders, lettering or designs) while a thinner icing is great for filling inside the borders (also called 'flooding'.) Food colouring can be added to royal icing prior to using. After decorating, let cookies stand for at least 24 hours in a cool, dry place until icing is firm.

Why we love it: If you have some time and patience, royal icing can give cookies a very clean and sophisticated look.

Make your own:
Royal icing

How to decorate with royal icing:


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Rolled fondant Rolled fondant is a pliable icing with a dough-like consistency primarily made with sugar, water and gelatin. It can be sculpted into various shapes and figures for a 3D-effect, or rolled out into a thin sheet and cut. While often used to cover cakes for a smooth, polished look, fondant can also be used to decorate cookies. Mold, or use cookie cutters to cut out shapes, then arrange them on a cookie base, using a little corn syrup to help pieces stick. Arrange cookies in one layer to serve or transport.

Why we love it: Fondant can be a cookie decorating time-saver compared to royal icing and doesn't require piping skills. The icing can be kneaded and is easy to work with — it's like edible play-dough. Ready-made fondant can be purchased in a variety of colours at your local baking supply store, such as Bulk Barn or Michaels.

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How to decorate cookies with fondant:

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