To the mixing bowl, add the salt, meringue powder, water, and lemon juice. Use a wire whisk to combine, making sure there are no lumps of meringue powder in the bowl. The mixture will be frothy on top with liquid on the bottom, kind of like beer.

Add the powdered sugar to the bowl all at once. Attach the bowl to the mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low to combine into a thick, syrupy icing. Add the vanilla, lemon extract, and corn syrup. Mix again, raising the speed to medium (four on the Kitchen Aid) for three minutes. The icing will be thick, glossy, and fluffy.

If you are turning the entire batch pink, sift 50g of pulverized freeze dried strawberry powder into the bowl. Pour water over the powder 1/2 tsp at a time, stirring just the powder into the water (not mixing into the icing yet). Keep adding water until the powder is mostly hydrated and a bit jammy. Then you can put the bowl back on the stand mixer and mix on low until combined.

If you are NOT turning the entire batch pink, place the amount you would like to turn pink into a separate bowl. The ratio of strawberry powder to icing is 10g powder to 8 oz. icing. Mix it just as you would in the above instructions. 

Cover the icing with cling film immediately, touching the surface. You could also cover it with a moist towel draped over the bowl if you’re going to be using it immediately. If you’re making it ahead, store it in an airtight container.

The consistency of the icing will be a toothpaste/piping/detail consistency, although the texture of strawberry icing is a little different and more gluey or stretchy. It is not difficult to use, but I would steer away from using it to get very advanced, specific effects. Color it and thin it out as needed for decorating.