Difficult to achieve black color for royal icing?

clevebride2006

I know reds and black are difficult colors to achieve when making buttercream, but how is it for royal icing?

I am trying to use black to outline mouths and cheeks/whiskers on sugar cookies, but not sure if I should just buy black decorator icing in a can and call it a day...? 

26summer

I always use AmeriColor red and black gel paste and it makes a deep red color and dark black.  It's so much better then the stuff you can buy in the market.  I bought my red and black bottles 2 years ago and have only used about 1/4 of them and I use them a lot.  A few drops goes a long way.  I've found them cheapest on Amazon.

noyomoco

Ditto the pp - Americolor super black will give you the best deep, dark black. I've used Wilton in a pinch, but you will probably have to use a lot of it. If you're only using it to highlight features, you could use a food writer instead (basically a food coloring pen). I use them on a regular basis, especially if I don't feel like mixing any more icing!

lovethebeach16

I really need to order the Americolor ones. I have Wilton in black and to make 1 1/2-2 cups of royal icing black, it took almost 2 pea sized drops of the coloring.

PoliticsChick

Ditto to everyone else, AmeriColor is where it's at. Makes all the difference!

thatgirlang

AmeriColor is great as everyone has said.  I get it at a local cake supply store. But Wilton will work for a SMALL amount of icing for detailing if you don't have time to get/find AmeriColor. How many cookies are you making?

ETA: Wilton "works" for any amount of course, I just meant without using a TON of it.

clevebride2006

Not many cookies- may less than a dozen. I do have americolor super black so I'll use that one. Thanks!