Royal Icing for Cut Out Cookies

We've all made that icing with the powder sugar and water, right? Well, let's get all grown up and make something a little more sophisticated by adding a simple ingredient, Meringue Powder. Don't get me wrong, there's a time and place for the plain old icing but this is great and versatile. Plus it makes your cookies look professional.
This icing dries candy-hard, which is ideal for decorating cookies, flowers, detailing, but not so good for decorating cakes.

Here we go:
3 T Wilton Meringue Powder
4 cups sifted confectioners sugar
4-6 T water

if your making stiffer icing, you'll want 1-2 T less water.

Beat all ingredients at low speed for 7-10 minutes until icing forms peaks. At this point I separate the icing into two batches. One that will remain as it, stiff, that I cake use as "piping" and the other stays in the mixing bowl to my my "flood icing". I add 1-2 T water to the bowl and thin the icing out again, using this as my "flood" icing.
You can add food coloring to either and decorate till your hearts content.