Royal Icing

Royal Icing
Makes about 1 1/4 cups
You can substitute 5 tablespoons meringue powder and 1/3 cup water for 2 raw eggs. This icing is great for doing detail work on cakes, decorating cookies, or building gingerbread houses. The icing dries hard in about 15 minutes.

1 large egg whites, or more to thin icing
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar, or more to thicken icing
1/2 lemon, juiced

Beat the whites until stiff but not dry. Add sugar and lemon juice; beat for 1 minute more. If icing is too thick, add more egg whites; if it is too thin, add more sugar. The icing may be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.