A Future in Decorating?

In a previous post, I confessed how bad I am at baking cakes ( see Baking as the Bane of My Culinary Existence).  In that post, I mentioned my desire to learn how to bake properly, like a cake which can actually be eaten or would at least be presentable.

Last week, I was asked to make a mock gingerbread house using graham crackers. So I learned how to make royal icing and proceeded to assemble a church and a house for our Christmas decor.

How did it turn out? See for yourself:

Not bad, eh? Especially for a first-time decorator. Which brings me back to my desire to learn how to bake. I could decorate cakes! I should learn how to bake! I think I have a future here.

And so, as a tribute to this first (and definitely not the last!) attempt at decorating something that resembles a cake, here is the recipe of the royal icing I used to cement the graham crackers together to assemble these treats. (Yes, cement. Because this sweet icing is truly rock hard! Proof? That church couldn't be pried from the cake stand with my officemate Kirby's bare hands!)

Royal Icing recipe

• 3 egg whites
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 box Peotraco confectioner's sugar

Beat the egg whites using a wire whisk until frothy. I did it by hand, so the absence of an electric beater is not a deterrent. 

Add the powdered sugar gradually (about 2 tbsp. at a time), alternately with the lemon juice, until the lemon juice is used up. Continue adding the sugar until you get the consistency of stiff peanut butter.

Place the icing in a resealable freezer bag or ziploc bag. Cut a small hole on one corner and use this to pipe the icing on the graham crackers. 

I had been warned not to use a disposable frosting bag to pipe royal icing. The icing is very thick and the disposable bag might not be able to take the pressure.

You can also use this icing to put snowflake patterns on graham cracker squares. The sweet icing can add taste to the otherwise boring graham crackers.