Do you use the whisk or paddle attachment?

[SugarDotCookies]

Whisker here. Ha ha.

I never see any air bubbles until I start mixing by hand with the coloring and extra water.

[Chumuklasmom]

I am an odd bird - I use glaze mostly, but will add RI to it or layer RI on top if I need the texture or "lift" for an element or design. I have found that the whisk works better for RI... haven't tried it with glaze because it's just not necessary. It does seem that the whisk would make more bubbles, but it actually decreases them and gives the icing a finer texture. I think it also finishes the long whip time faster than the paddle because there is more stirring due to the structure of the whisk.

My 2 cents....

[Sugar Boy]

I am an odd bird....

I guess I'm the odd bird too. I use a Royal Glaze recipe I learned here on this forum and altered it a bit. (So sorry - I don't know who to give credit to for the original recipe.)

I use a beater blade to make the icing and the cookie dough and just about everything else (except bread dough, which requires a hook). I LOVE my beater blade. I bought two - one for icing and one for dough.

The best thing about the beater blade - I don't have to scrape down the bowl. In the past I have used the other paddle or whisk and have forgotten to scrape down the bowl. Messed up more than one recipe because of it.

Air bubbles? I find that if I let the icing rest a few minutes the bubbles come up to the surface. It is so satisfying to see so many little bubbles - and then getting to pop them with a light swipe across the top. (I also like to make sound effects as I swipe the top of the icing. Usually it's a screaming sound effect, LOL!)

[Pam]

Well...I might be the oddest of all...I use a 25 year old Oster stand mixer that my Mom donated to the cookie cause until I can get a nicer mixer. It has beaters....they do well by my royal icing. No problems with mixing or bubbles.