Swedish Kristyr is an icing that hardens and can be used as glue when making gingerbread houses. It is easy to make and requires only three ingredients. It is very similar to royal icing. Make different colors by mixing some food coloring in it.
To make these Swedish ginger thins, see the recipe. They are delicious to eat as a fika moment. At Christmas, enjoy these gingerbreads with a cup of white glögg or red glögg.
Ingredients
- Powdered sugar
- Eggwhite
- Lemon juice
If you omit the egg, you get more soft and crumbly icing. Eggwhite is what makes the icing harden.
Food safety: Buy pasteurized eggs. This is a process that does not cook the eggs but destroys the bacteria, so you won't get salmonella. Eggs are quite safe to eat as raw in Sweden. If they are not in your country, or you can not find pasteurized eggs, you can replace the egg white with meringue powder. Then you need more liquid in the recipe.
Instructions
- Lightly beat the egg white until frothy. It's easiest with an electric mixer, but a handheld whisk will also do. Gradually add the powdered sugar and keep mixing with low speed until you get a smooth mixture.
- Add in the lemon juice. Check the consistency. The mixture should be thick enough to hold its shape, but not so stiff that it's difficult to pipe. If it's too thick, you can add a few drops of water to thin it out. If it's too thin, add a little more powdered sugar until you reach the desired consistency. Spoon the icing into a piping bag fitted with a small nozzle.
- Pipe the icing onto your cookies in the patterns you desire. Make sure the icing is stiff enough to hold its shape if making lines or details.
- Tip: If desired, add food coloring to the icing. Mix well to ensure the color is evenly distributed. In the picture above I used beetroot powder as coloring. You can divide your icing in different bowls to make different colors.
How to use
To work with icing it is good to have a piping bag with a nozzle and coupler. The smaller tip, the more detailed work and decorations you can make. A Wilton piping tip number 4 is my recommendation.
If you don´t have a piping bag, you can use a squeeze bottle or simply a sturdy freezer bag where you cut the tip off.
A toothpick can be a handy tool if you are up to detailed decorations.
Kristyr is easy to work with, but if it feels too thick, then add a couple of drops of water or lemon juice to the mix.
Use the icing as decorations on your cookies or gingerbread house to glue some candies on the roof and walls.
FAQ
Keep it airtight and store in the fridge for up to three days.
The icing hardens in 15-20 minutes. Humidity and thickness effect the hardening time.
Kristyr-Gingerbread icing
Ingredients
- 200 g powdered sugar (4dl)
- 1 eggwhite
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice (or white vinegar)
Instructions
- Lightly beat the egg white until frothy. Easiest with an electric mixer, but a handheld whisk will also do. Gradually add the powdered sugar and keep mixing in low speed until a smooth mixture.
- Add in the lemon juice. Check the consistency. The mixture should be thick enough to hold its shape, but not so stiff that it's difficult to pipe. If it's too thick, you can add a few drops of water to thin it out. If it's too thin, add a little more powdered sugar until you reach the desired consistency.
- If desired, add food coloring to the icing. Mix well to ensure the color is evenly distributed.
- Spoon the icing into a piping bag fitted with a small nozzle. If you don’t have a piping bag, you can use a zip-top bag with a tiny corner cut-off.
- Pipe the icing onto your cookies in the patterns you desire. Make sure the icing is stiff enough to hold its shape if making lines or details.
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