Easy Royal Iced Sugar Cookies
User Reviews
5
Easy Royal Iced Sugar Cookies
Description
This recipe starts by creaming softened unsalted butter with powdered sugar, then blending in egg, almond and vanilla extracts, salt, and sifted flour until the dough comes together. The dough is chilled until firm, rolled to a quarter-inch thick on a floured surface, cut into shapes, and baked at 375°F for 8 to 10 minutes until just set but not browned. Once cooled, the cookies are ready for decorating.
The royal icing is prepared by mixing powdered sugar, meringue powder, and water in a stand mixer until the sugary sheen disappears and the texture becomes matte. This results in a stiff consistency for detailed outlining and piping. Adding water gradually allows adjustment to the desired flow for flooding or other decoration methods. Colored gel icing colors are recommended for tinting.
Cookies baked in this way produce 2 to 4 dozen depending on shape size. The leftover icing can be stored in sealed containers in the refrigerator for up to four days. Proper handwashing and surface sanitizing are recommended before preparation to ensure food safety.
Ingredients
For the sugar cookies:
- 1 cup butter softened, unsalted
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 egg beaten
- 1 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour sifted
For the royal icing:
- 4 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 2 tablespoons meringue powder
- 5 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Wash hands with soap and water for 20 seconds. Sanitize your working surface before preparing cookies.
To make the cookies:
- Cream the butter in an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add powdered sugar and mix until thoroughly incorporated. Blend in egg, almond extract, vanilla, salt and flour. Mix until dough clumps around paddle attachment. Chill dough until firm. Roll out dough to 1/4" thickness on well-floured surface. Cut with cookie cutters and then place on greased cookie sheets. Bake at 375 degrees F for 8 to 10 minutes. Cookies should not brown. Let cool then frost and decorate.
To make the frosting:
- Combine all of the ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed about 8 to 10 minutes, until the sheen has disappeared and the icing has a matte appearance. At this point, you will have the stiffest consistency of the icing that is still too stiff to use for decorating. Add water a very small amount at a time and mix until fully incorporated. Continue until the icing has reached a consistency appropriate for piping. (If you are having any difficulty piping, it is still too thick. Add a little more liquid and try again.) Transfer the contents of the mixing bowl to an air-tight container. Using a pastry bag, pipe around the edges of each cookie. Let stand so the icing will set. Make sure to keep the leftover icing sealed in an airtight container at all times when not in use so that it does not begin to harden.
- Once all the cookies have been edged, transfer some of the remaining icing to a separate air-tight container. Thin out by adding a small amount of water at a time, and stir by hand until fully incorporated. The icing should drip off the spoon easily when lifted and then smooths in with that still in the bowl. If you go too far and the icing is too thin, add more sifted powdered sugar to thicken it again. Once the icing has reached the desired consistency, flood the area surrounded by the piping on each cookie. (You can use a squeeze bottle or plastic bag with a hole in the corner but I just like to use a spoon to flood the cookies.) If it does not completely spread to the edges, use a toothpick to help it along. Allow to set until completely dry.
Notes
- This recipe yields 2 to 4 dozen cookies depending on the cutout sizes.
- Gel food coloring works best for tinting royal icing without altering its texture.
- Store unused royal icing in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Sanitize preparation surfaces and wash hands thoroughly to maintain hygiene.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 48cookies
Amount Per Serving
Calories 84 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 0g | |
| Calories | 84kcal | 4% |
| Carbohydrates | 12g | 4% |
| Protein | 0g | 0% |
| Fat | 3g | 5% |
| Saturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Cholesterol | 13mg | 4% |
| Sodium | 83mg | 3% |
| Potassium | 2mg | 0% |
| Sugar | 12g | 24% |
| Vitamin A | 125IU | 3% |
| Calcium | 2mg | 0% |
| Iron | 0mg | 0% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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