Royal Icing

• Whisk together 2 cups (250g) of powdered sugar and 1 Tbsp + 2 tsp (15g) of meringue powder in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer.
• Add 3 Tbsp water and mix on a low speed with a stand mixer and paddle attachment or hand mixer to incorporate the liquid, then increase to a medium speed and mix until the mixture thickens and has a puffy, toothpaste-like consistency (see picture above). This usually takes me about 3 minutes with a hand mixer or 2 minutes with a stand mixer. Scrape around the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula to ensure everything is properly mixed together.
• Check the consistency by dipping a spoon or spatula into the bowl and lifting it up. It should be thick enough to hold its shape, but soft enough to settle into a smooth circle once piped. If the icing is too thin, add more powdered sugar, 1 Tbsp at a time. If it's too thick, add more water, 1 tsp at a time.
• Scoop about 1/4 of the icing into a small bowl and color it black with gel food coloring. Place this into a small, tipless piping bag (like these), or a regular small piping bag and seal the top with a rubber band or clip. Set aside.
• Scoop the remaining uncolored icing into a small, tipless piping bag (like these), or a regular small piping bag, and seal the top with a rubber band or clip. Set aside.
• Cut a small opening (about 1/8 of an inch) at the base of the piping bags. You can always cut the opening wider, but you can't make it smaller once you cut it.
• Use these templates to pipe the eyeballs. Place the candy eye templates on large baking sheets, then cover them with parchment paper. Pipe the eyes directly onto the parchment paper, using the templates as a guide.
• Start by piping the white part of the eye, then add the pupils with black icing. The icing will crust as it sits, so pipe the pupils shortly after you pipe the white part of the eye so that it can easily incorporate into the white icing (i.e. don't pipe an entire tray of 100 white eyeballs, then try to add the pupils). If the icing isn't settling smoothly once it's piped, gently jiggle it with the tip of the piping bag or use a scribe or toothpick to help smooth it out. Make sure to do this before the icing crusts. The first few can be challenging, but it gets easier the more you pipe, I promise!
• Let the eyeballs dry for at least 4 hours or overnight until they're firm to the touch and peel off the parchment paper cleanly. These can be stored in an airtight container for up to a year.