Homemade Sugar Eyes for Decorating Desserts
·Make the icing base
In a bowl, lightly whisk the egg white with a few drops of lemon juice. You don't need stiff peaks – just whisk until slightly foamy. The lemon helps the icing turn out nice and glossy and keeps it fresh for longer.
Thicken with sugar
Gradually whisk in the (ideally sifted) powdered sugar. Keep whisking until you get a thick, smooth mixture. It should hold its shape but still be a little runny. If it's too thick, carefully add a few drops of water; if it's too thin, add more sugar.
Piping the eyes
Line a flat tray or board with baking paper. Transfer the icing into a piping bag fitted with a small round tip (or just snip off the corner of a bag). Pipe circles, ovals, drops – whatever shapes you like – onto the paper; these will be the whites of your sugar eyes.
Painting the pupils
Let the white shapes air-dry slightly, about 15–30 minutes. Then take some gel food colouring and carefully add a dot or line in the centre of each shape to create the pupil – you can apply it straight from the tube, or with a cocktail stick or small brush.
Final drying
Let the finished sugar eyes dry thoroughly at room temperature. Depending on their size and the humidity in the air, this can take 12 to 48 hours. They're ready when they peel off the paper easily and feel completely hard to the touch.
Storage and shelf life
Once completely dry, carefully peel the eyes off the paper and store them in an airtight container. Keep them somewhere dry and dark, like a pantry – definitely not in the fridge, as moisture will make them dissolve. Stored this way, they'll stay ready to use for several months.