Set icing or glaze tastes like a dream on top of scones, muffins, cakes, cookies, and pancakes. (I can go on and on.) This is a favorite way to slightly sweeten, and make a treat more delicious and lovely. This simple staple will set and firm to a soft-stiffness, so there is no smudging or mess when stacking.
Icing and glaze have the same meaning. For easy-reading, I’ll go on with calling it glaze. This super-easy recipe can be made with as few as just two ingredients over the stove top: confectioners sugar (also called powdered sugar) and any liquid you choose.
This morning I made a batch of poppyseed muffins, to share my techniques for making classic, cherry, citrus, and espresso set-glaze. I have my favorite way to enjoy it, and give you two options for a lighter, and softer, translucent end-result (my favorite, made with less sugar), and a traditional, more stiff glaze, resulting in a thicker, more opaque end-result. Both are awesome, and with one little tweak, you’ll get the glaze you like best.
Confectioners sugar, mixed with the right amount of liquid for a dip or drizzle, is great as it is, or can be made extra-cute with crystalized sugar sprinkled over the top, just before it quickly sets and firms/stiffens.
I love adding real fruit flavor to compliment whatever I’m making, so without changing the chemistry of the ratios here, I switch out the water for real fruit juice, or mashed fruit with added water, to make up the two tablespoons of liquid that I call for in this recipe.
If I’m using citrus fruit, I typically also add fresh-zest because it amplifies the flavor. It looks and tastes amazing with orange, lemon, or lime.
Orange is my all-time favorite. Below I share the recipe details for my favorite way to make it.
easy set icing or glaze
Ingredients
light – softer, with a translucent finish
- 2/3 cup confectioners sugar (powdered sugar)
- 2 tablespoons liquid water, juice, espressp coffee, mashed fruit
- optional dry ingredients – 1/8 teaspoon – 1 tablespoon citrus zest, espresso grounds/powder
classic – firmer, with an opaque finish
- 1 cup confectioners sugar (powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons liquid water, juice, espresso coffee, mashed fruit
- optional dry ingredients – 1/8 teaspoon – 1 tablespoon citrus zest, espresso grounds/powder
Instructions
light glaze/icing
- In a pan, over medium heat, add 2/3 cup of confectioners (powdered) sugar, and two tablespoons of liquid. For orange glaze, I use orange juice and about one tablespoon of zest – typically the amount from one small orange.
- Whisk for about two minutes, until combined.
- Once the sugar has totally dissolved, the glaze/icing is ready to use. If your glaze stiffens before you are done using it, simply re-heat and stir to get it back to liquid. You can do this in the microwave, or returning the mixture to stovetop.
- The end result is a lighter, softer, more liquid and see-through/translucent finish. Pour, drizzle or dip onto your favorite things. If you are sprinkling crystalized sugar sprinkles, do so right after pouring, since the glaze will set quickly.
classic glaze/icing
- In a pan, over medium heat, add one cup of confectioners (powdered) sugar, and two tablespoons of liquid. For classic-glaze, I use filtered water.
- Whisk for about two minutes, until combined.
- Once the sugar has totally dissolved, the glaze/icing is ready to use.
- If your glaze stiffens before you are done using it, simply re-heat and stir to get it back to liquid. You can do this in the microwave, or returning the mixture to stovetop.
- The end result is a heavier, firmer, and more solid-looking/opaque finish. Pour, drizzle or dip onto your favorite things. If you are sprinkling crystalized sugar sprinkles, do so right after pouring, since the glaze will set quickly.
Video
If you wanted a berry glaze, you cut and mash the skin-only from strawberries, or do the same for the seeds of raspberries or blackberries and add water to the natural juice for the liquid required.
If stone fruit is your jam, you would do the same thing as berries – first cutting and then mashing small bits of cherry, peach, nectarine or apricot into the natural juice or liquid. Here I used water with cherries that I cooked down for cherry pie filling.
Coffee-flavor glaze is easy-breezy and so good. I switch out the water for espresso because espresso is naturally more concentrated in flavor. To make it even more beautiful, I sprinkle in a dash of fine espresso grounds, once the sugar has dissolved.
I had a lot of fun baking and glazing today. I saved this tiny bit of glaze I had left. I keep them in the fridge, covered, for up to a week. When I want to use them, I simply reheat and drizzle.
Thanks for being here, and take care,
