# Pretty Red Icing



## pdt816 (Feb 15, 2001)

Should have come here a couple of batches ago.  

I just can't get anything but pink royal icing. I am pretty sure I have put in enough red food coloring to kill several dozen lab rats and it's still pink. Is there a secret to making brilliant red icing or should I relax and just get some from a supplier?

Signed,

Cooking Idiot from Oklahoma


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## m brown (May 29, 1999)

I use christmas red and red red along with a dash of black. relax it also gets redder as it oxidises.


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## flash (Dec 7, 2001)

Hello PDT816, and welcome.

I don't know THE answer, but I would try to go with natural products when I can--especially when it concerns my family, and in my opinion we are ALL family.

I was thinking, what about beets? A reduced beet puree? I think the amount you would have to use (very little probably), would not intimidate the flavor a bit with all that sugar, instead, it would add a unique quality to your baking. No? OK, hou bout this site I found on Food Coloring Agents . It Looks like they have some good ideas and some crushed rose petals sounds elegant. You could say, "Don't you hate those Really Red icings with fake food coloring" to your guests, and then explain how you USE roses and how much more natural it looks. Hmmm? Anyway, Good luck and no matter what you do, remember we all love a good post. Thanks.

P.S. Beware the ever-present RED#40   

*This message was brought to you by Red Dye-40 , Driving Mom's MAD since whenever it was that we began to sneek it into everything.

flash


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## momoreg (Mar 4, 2000)

Powdered and paste colors will not alter the consistency of what you're making, and the color is more concentrated, so it will be more vivid. 

If you do decide to go with all natural colors, I've noticed it in a few stores, including Trader Joe's.

I agree with mbrown. Just one red color will never get you the results you want. And the black is reddish in small amounts!


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