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decorated sugar cookies with royal

Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing

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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Resting Time 5 hours
Total Time 5 hours 35 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 28 cookies (3-inch)

Equipment

  • 2 Mixing bowl
  • 1 stand mixer or hand mixer
  • 1 Rubber spatula
  • 1 Whisk
  • 2 Baking sheet
  • 2 silicone baking mat or parchment paper
  • 1 Rolling Pin
  • 2 cookie cutter (3-inch round or shapes)
  • 1 Cooling rack
  • 3 piping bag
  • 3 piping tip (round #2 or #3)
  • 1 scribe tool or toothpick
  • 1 Measuring cups set
  • 1 Measuring spoons set
  • 1 plastic wrap roll

Ingredients
  

  • 3 cup all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg room temperature
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract optional
  • 4 cup powdered sugar sifted
  • 3–5 tablespoon water room temperature
  • 2 tablespoon meringue powder
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract for icing
  • gel food coloring optional
  • sprinkles optional

Instructions
 

  • Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl and set aside.
  • Beat butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.
  • Mix in egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract until combined, scraping the bowl as needed.
  • Add dry ingredients to the mixer on low speed and mix just until a soft dough forms.
  • Divide dough in half, flatten into discs, wrap in plastic, and chill for 1 hour.
  • Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with silicone mats or parchment.
  • Roll one dough disc to 1/4 inch thickness on a lightly floured surface.
  • Cut shapes with cookie cutters and transfer to prepared baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart.
  • Reroll scraps once and continue cutting, then chill cutouts 10 minutes for sharp edges.
  • Bake cookies 8–11 minutes until set and just barely golden on the edges.
  • Cool on the sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
  • For royal icing, whisk powdered sugar and meringue powder, then add water and vanilla to reach 15–20 second consistency.
  • Divide icing into bowls, tint with gel colors as desired, and transfer to piping bags fitted with round tips.
  • Outline cookies with slightly thicker icing, then flood with thinner icing, using a scribe to smooth and pop bubbles.
  • Add sprinkles or details immediately and let cookies dry uncovered at room temperature for at least 4 hours or until set.

Notes

Keep dough cold for crisp, clean edges and avoid overmixing once flour is added to prevent spreading. If the dough cracks when rolling, let it warm for 5 minutes; if it sticks, dust lightly with flour or roll between parchment sheets. For icing, a 15–20 second line test means a drizzle disappears into the surface in that time; thicken with more powdered sugar or thin with drops of water until it behaves. Work in small batches to prevent icing crusting in the bags, and cover any unused icing with plastic touching the surface. Store decorated cookies in an airtight container once fully dry; they keep soft for 4–5 days or freeze undecorated cookies for 2 months.
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