Royal icing help please

[shoppingbagsundereyes]

I am making dd a muppet cake. I've made the muppets out of fondant icing but I think their hair will look best a bit stiffer so I want to use royal. I need to make tiny amounts of several colours. What's the best way to avoid it hardening while I'm fannying mixing colours? Tried to get Betty Crocker so I could microwave each time to loosen it but have tried 3 supermarkets to no avail. Do you reckon I can microwave home made royal icing?

there would be no benefit in microwaving icing as there is nothing in it to melt - have you added any liquid glucose?

Haven't tried anything yet. The Betty Crocker one you just warm to stop it hardening. Would you just make a new batch of royal for each colour then? Perhaps I just need to work quickly but I thought I would need to wash my piping bag after each colour

i would make a batch of white, then colour portions of it as i worked, in a different bowl

if you keep the main batch covered with a damp cloth with cling film over the top, it'll stay 'wet' for ages

can't comment on Betty Crocker as i've never used it

i am no expert but made a Minnie mouse cake for dd last week.

used asda chosen by you cake decorations white icing and coloured it. I wrapped each colour in clingfilm to stop it drying out, and put it in the microwave to soften when it became to hard.

You could try asking on the new baking topic. Wen and a few others appear to have great advice on this kind of thing.Good luck

i thought this was in baking

yes, OP, ask for this to be moved?

A new baking topic!!! Very exciting. Will move across :)