So, I wanted to make a gingerbread house this year, but the whole raw egg thing in the icing? Yeah, not a fan. I mean, who wants to risk getting sick, especially around the holidays? Plus, my little niece has an egg allergy, so that was a big no-go. I went on a mission to find an egg-free icing that would actually work. No runny mess, please!
First, I tried using just powdered sugar and water. Disaster! It was way too thin and just slid right off the gingerbread. Total fail. I almost gave up right there, but I’m not a quitter, especially when it comes to baking (and eating!).
Then, I remembered someone mentioning using milk instead of water. Okay, I thought, let’s give it a shot. I mixed powdered sugar with a bit of milk, and it was… better, but still not quite there. It held a little better, but it wasn’t that strong, sturdy icing I needed for a gingerbread house, you know?
Experimenting Time
- Attempt 1: Powdered sugar + Water = Runny mess
- Attempt 2: Powdered sugar + Milk = Slightly better, but still weak
I started experimenting like a mad scientist. I added a little corn syrup to the mix, thinking it might help with the stickiness. And guess what? It kinda did! The icing got thicker and definitely more glue-like. Progress!
But, it still wasn’t perfect. It was a little too shiny and didn’t dry as hard as I wanted. I was aiming for that rock-solid royal icing that could withstand a gingerbread house earthquake (aka my clumsy hands).
Finally, I stumbled upon the secret ingredient: lemon juice. Just a tiny bit of lemon juice, along with the powdered sugar, milk, and corn syrup, did the trick! It made the icing dry hard and gave it that nice matte finish. Plus, it added a little tangy flavor, which was surprisingly good with the gingerbread.
I couldn’t believe it. It actually worked, and it is really tasty. Who knew you could make decent gingerbread house icing without eggs? My gingerbread house ended up looking pretty awesome, if I do say so myself. And most importantly, it was safe for everyone to enjoy. Success!
So, that’s my little adventure in the world of egg-free icing. It took some trial and error, but I got there in the end. Don’t be afraid to experiment in the kitchen, folks. You might just surprise yourself!
