Blend all the ingredients (starting with ¼ cup warm water), except for the gel color, on low speed.
Evenly divide the prepared royal icing into small bowls, depending on how many colors you've chosen to use.
Add a small amount of gel food color to each bowl, and stir well to combine. If a darker hue is preferred, add a touch more gel color, and stir.
If a thinner consistency is needed, add a touch more warm water, a tiny bit at a time, until you reach the consistency of pancake batter.
Add the colored icings to individual piping bags and snip off a small corner for piping.
Pipe small dollops of colored icing onto the parchment paper strips, in straight lines, changing colors as desired.
*Note- A fingertip wet with water is a good way to tap down any undesirable sharp points after piping.
Allow the dots to dry completely (24 hours) at room temperature before eating or serving.