Royal Icing

Martha Stewart 3 large eggs 4 cups confectioners' sugar (one 1-pound box), sifted Place egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat using the whisk attachment until frothy. Add 1/4 cup of the confectioners' sugar and mix well. Gradually add the remaining 3 3/4 cups confectioner's sugar, beating on low speed and scraping down the sides. Adding the confectioners' sugar slowly, incor porating a little bit at a time, will keep the icing smooth. Increase the speed to high and continue to beat the mixture until soft peaks form, about 5 minutes. At this stage, the icing will be ver y thick. Add water, a few drops at a time, to thin it to the consistency appropriate for the kind of decorating you are doing. As a rule, the icing should be sti er for lettering, more malleable for making petals--but you will need to experiment to nd the consistency that works best for you.