5 Ways to Make Red Frosting

With Valentine's Day just around the corner I was thinking of different ways to decorate all the homemade treats I will be baking soon. Red icing seemed the obvious choice for my Valentine's Day goodies, so I went in search of some recipes that would be easy to make, but still look and taste great. The following are my top five icing recipes. I hope these help to make your Valentine's Day memorable.

My first recipe is one that my mother made us as a child. It is so simple that we even got to help, and it tastes so creamy and delicious. All you need is powdered sugar, vanilla and milk. Then of course add red food coloring. Start with just a few drops. Since this is more watery than normal icings, you probably will not need as much as you would with a thicker icing. If the color isn't dark enough for you, add more, one drop at a time. This tastes wonderful on homemade waffles, and would be a great way to start off your Valentine's Day.

Powdered Sugar Icing
2 cups powdered sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons milk
Red food coloring

Mix the powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk together. Once dry add small amounts of milk and stir until the icing is runny enough to drizzle lightly from a spoon. Now add the food coloring, remember to do this a drop at a time as a little bit can make a dramatic difference.

Sometimes red icing can taste bitter, and bitter icing on Valentine's Day just wont do! To help lessen the effect on the taste of the food by the food coloring, try the following nifty recipe. Get whatever type of white royal icing that you prefer and add enough cherry juice to make it a nice pink color. From here add your red food coloring, the paste kind works the best as it doesn't change the consistency of your icing; only add enough to get the icing to a deep pink. Add a little almond extract for flavoring. Cover the bowl and put it in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours, perhaps even 48. During this time the icing will darken and should be a nice deep red, without the bitter taste. If you don't have cherry juice, try pomegranate juice, strawberry juice, or jam.