Easter Sugar Cookies with Pastel Royal Icing

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the cookie dough

   Whisk 3 cups flour, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, and 1/4 tsp salt together. In a large bowl, beat 1 cup softened butter and 1 cup sugar on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until fluffy. Add 1 egg, 1 1/2 tsp vanilla, and 1/2 tsp almond extract. Beat until combined. Add the flour mixture in two additions, mixing on low until just incorporated. The dough will be thick. Divide in half, flatten each into a disc, wrap in plastic, and chill at least 1 hour.

2. 2

   Roll, cut, and chill again

   Roll one disc on a floured surface to 1/4 inch thick. Cut Easter shapes: eggs, bunnies, carrots, chicks, crosses, whatever you have. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets. Here's the key: put the baking sheets back in the fridge for 15 minutes before baking. Cold dough into hot oven = zero spread. Your eggs stay egg-shaped and your bunnies keep their ears.

3. 3

   Bake

   Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 8-10 minutes until the edges are barely golden. The tops should look matte and pale. Don't wait for them to brown. Let cool completely on the baking sheets. They must be 100% room temperature before decorating.

4. 4

   Make the royal icing

   Beat 4 cups powdered sugar, 3 tbsp meringue powder, and 5 tbsp warm water on low speed until combined, then increase to medium-high and beat for 5-7 minutes until thick and glossy. This is your outline consistency. It should hold a stiff peak when you lift the beater. To make flood consistency (for filling in), take portions of the icing and thin with water, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, until it flows like honey. Test by drizzling a line. It should sink back into itself within 10 seconds.

5. 5

   Color and decorate

   Divide the icing into small bowls and tint each with a tiny amount of gel food coloring. Gel colors are way more concentrated than liquid food coloring and won't thin out your icing. For Easter, think pastel: soft pink, lavender, mint green, baby blue, sunny yellow. Use squeeze bottles or piping bags with small round tips. Outline each cookie first with the thick icing. Wait 5 minutes for the outline to set. Then flood the inside with the thinned icing, using a toothpick to spread it into corners and pop any air bubbles. Add sprinkles or sanding sugar while the icing is still wet. Let the cookies dry completely, at least 2-3 hours, ideally overnight before stacking or packaging.

6. 6

   Design ideas

   Eggs: Flood with one color, let set 20 minutes, then pipe stripes, dots, zigzags, or flowers on top with contrasting colors. Bunnies: Flood with white, let set, then pipe a pink inner ear and a small dot for the eye. Carrots: Flood with orange, let set, then pipe green icing leaves at the top. Keep it simple. The pastel colors do most of the heavy lifting and even basic flooding looks professional.

Nutrition

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