Deep and crisp and even

It's the annual tradition of digging out all the cookery books and trying to remember how to do royal icing - my books vary hugely in the quantities they think are required. I think I've got it right this year - enough coverage but not too deep (getting crisp but not quite even). I've discovered that the new 'natural' food colourings are not nearly as strong as the old-style best-not-ask food colourings. I usually add a drop or two of blue colouring to the icing to stop it looking yellow. Once I accidentally added a little too much and had a turquoise cake. This year I kept having to add more and more. I'm pleased with the result though.

It looks almost identical to last year's of course as I only have the two retro style cake decorations!

Maybe I'll tie a ribbon round it too.

Further to yesterday's marzipan musings, on checking the top shelf of the cupboard today I found a spare packet of marzipan from last year - clearly this has happened before.