Description
Celebrate Easter with these delightful Easter Sugar Cookies topped with smooth royal icing. Soft, buttery cookies paired with beautifully decorated, hard-drying icing make these treats perfect for holiday gatherings and festive gifting.
Ingredients
Scale
For the cookies:
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter (softened)
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp almond extract (optional)
For the royal icing:
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp meringue powder
- 4–5 tbsp warm water
- gel food coloring (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt to evenly combine the leavening and seasoning elements.
- Cream butter and sugar: In a large bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, approximately 2 to 3 minutes, ensuring a tender cookie texture.
- Add wet ingredients: Incorporate the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract (if using) into the butter-sugar mixture, mixing until fully combined to enhance flavor and binding.
- Form the dough: Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing just until a dough forms, avoiding overmixing for a tender crumb.
- Chill the dough: Divide the dough in half, shape each half into a disk, then wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to firm up for easier rolling and cutting.
- Roll and cut shapes: On a lightly floured surface, roll each dough disk out to a 1/4-inch thickness. Use Easter-themed cookie cutters to cut shapes, then transfer them to a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them evenly.
- Bake the cookies: Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 8 to 10 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden, indicating they are cooked through without being overdone.
- Cool the cookies: Remove from oven and allow the cookies to cool completely on a wire rack to ensure the royal icing adheres properly during decorating.
- Make royal icing: In a mixing bowl, beat powdered sugar, meringue powder, and 4 tablespoons warm water on low speed for 5 to 7 minutes until the icing is smooth and glossy. Adjust consistency with additional water as needed for outlining or flooding.
- Color and decorate: Divide the icing into portions and add gel food coloring as desired. Use piping bags or squeeze bottles to decorate the cooled cookies with detailed designs.
- Set the icing: Allow the decorated cookies to dry at room temperature for several hours or overnight until the icing is fully set and hard.
- Store properly: Once icing has hardened, store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
Notes
- Royal icing dries hard and shiny, making it perfect for intricate designs and stacking cookies without smudging.
- Keep cookies stored in an airtight container at room temperature; avoid refrigeration to prevent icing from softening.
- For easier decorating, prepare different consistencies of icing: thicker for outlines and details, thinner for flooding large areas.
- Optional almond extract adds a subtle nutty flavor that complements the vanilla but can be omitted for allergies or preference.
