Icing fairy buns

[LuBlu]

Can anyone tell me the best ratio for making icing. I want to ice fairy buns with the icing sugar/water mix. Whenever I've made this in the past it is always too runny. I want to to be able to spread it and it harden and go crunchy/crispy. I guess what i'm looking for is a loose spreading consistency. I've tried to make it with lemon juice before (instead of water) to use over a lemon drizzle loaf and it to have the effect of having hardened whilst running down the side of the loaf, but it always just runs into 'pools'. Nowhere near as atttractive! Help!!!

[mrs_overall]

The best way to get the right consistency is to put the icing sugar into a dish/cup and add the water literally ONE drop at a time. The mistake people make is to slosh too much water in and make runny icing. Keep mixing with a spoon until you have icing that is of a fairly stiff consistency so you have to spread it on the buns with a knife/spoon rather than pour it on.
I'm always available for bun tasting sessions!

[LuBlu]

Thanks Mrs Overall, I'll ditch the recipes that have thus far been useless!!
Cyber buns on their way to you!!!

[ethandron]

and dip your spreading knife in water to get a smooth finish.

[JanL]

warm water (boiled water, cooled) makes a stiffer icing