Description
Buttery, melt-in-your-mouth sugar cookies that hold their shape for cutters—and a foolproof royal icing for crisp, festive designs.
Ingredients
- 2 ¾ cups (330 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp fine salt
- 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temp
- 1 ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
- ½ tsp almond extract (optional)
- 2–3 Tbsp milk, as needed for dough cohesion
- 4 cups (480 g) powdered sugar, sifted (for royal icing)
- 3 Tbsp meringue powder (for royal icing)
- 6–8 Tbsp cool water (for royal icing), plus more to thin
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or ½ tsp almond extract (for royal icing)
- Gel food coloring (optional)
- Sprinkles, sanding sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat & prep: Heat oven to 350°F/175°C. Line two baking sheets with parchment.
- Whisk dry: In a bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Cream butter & sugar: In a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium until light and fluffy, 2–3 minutes. Scrape bowl.
- Add egg & flavor: Beat in egg, vanilla, and almond extract until smooth.
- Bring dough together: Mix in dry ingredients on low just until a few flour streaks remain. Add milk 1 Tbsp at a time until dough holds when pressed—soft but not sticky.
- Roll: Dust the counter lightly with flour. Roll dough to ¼ in (6 mm) thickness. For clean edges, roll between two sheets of parchment.
- Cut & bake: Cut shapes; transfer to sheets, spacing 1 in apart. Bake 9–11 minutes, until edges are set but not browned. Cool 2 minutes on the sheet, then move to a rack to cool completely.
- Make royal icing: In a bowl, whisk powdered sugar and meringue powder. Add 6 Tbsp water and vanilla; beat 2–3 minutes until glossy with soft peaks. Adjust: add ½–1 tsp water at a time for “outline” consistency (thick ribbons). For flooding, thin small portions with more water to slow-moving ribbons.
- Decorate: Pipe outlines, then flood. Use a toothpick to pop bubbles and nudge icing. Add sprinkles while icing is wet. Let dry at room temperature 6–8 hours before stacking.
Notes
A 20-minute fridge rest makes transferring intricate shapes easier if your kitchen is warm. Baked cookies keep 3–4 days airtight at room temp. Decorated cookies keep 7–10 days. Undecorated cookies and dough freeze up to 2 months.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 11 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American