Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing

Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing

These soft and chewy sugar cookies are perfect for any occasion. The royal icing is simple to make and can be decorated in any way you like.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the royal icing:

• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 4 large egg whites
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Gel food coloring, optional

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Cream together the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in the vanilla extract.
4. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt.
5. Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes.
6. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness.
7. Cut out the cookies with desired shapes.
8. Place the cookies on ungreased baking sheets.
9. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are just golden brown.
10. Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheets.

For the royal icing:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and egg whites until smooth.
2. Stir in the vanilla extract.
3. Add food coloring, if desired.
4. Use a piping bag or a spoon to decorate the cookies.
5. Let the icing dry completely before serving.

Tips:

• For soft and chewy sugar cookies, chill the dough for at least 30 minutes before baking.
• If you don’t have a piping bag, you can use a zip-top bag with the corner snipped off to decorate the cookies.
• Royal icing will dry hard, so be sure to decorate the cookies before they are completely dry.
• Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Enjoy!

How to decorate sugar cookies with royal icing for beginners?

here are some tips on how to decorate sugar cookies with royal icing for beginners in an informative tone of voice:

• Start with simple designs. If you’re new to decorating sugar cookies, it’s best to start with simple designs. You can use a piping bag with a small tip to pipe basic shapes, such as stars, hearts, or circles.
• Use gel food coloring. Gel food coloring is more concentrated than liquid food coloring, so you’ll need less of it to get a vibrant color. This is especially important for beginners, as it can be difficult to control the amount of liquid food coloring you add.
• Thin your icing. Royal icing should be thin enough to pipe easily, but not so thin that it drips. You can thin your icing by adding a few drops of water at a time, until it reaches the desired consistency.
• Let the icing dry completely. Royal icing will dry hard, so it’s important to let it dry completely before serving. This can take several hours, so be patient.

Here are some additional tips:

• Use a piping bag with a variety of tips to create different designs.
• You can also use a spoon to apply the royal icing.
• If you make a mistake, you can always add more icing to cover it up.
• Have fun experimenting with different colors and designs.

With a little practice, you’ll be decorating sugar cookies like a pro in no time!

Here are some examples of simple designs you can try:

• Stars: Use a star tip to pipe stars on your cookies. www.epicurious.comStars sugar cookies with royal icing
• Hearts: Use a heart tip to pipe hearts on your cookies. www.seededatthetable.com Hearts sugar cookies with royal icing
• Circles: Use a round tip to pipe circles on your cookies. www.julieseatsandtreats.com Circles sugar cookies with royal icing
• Lines: Use a straight tip to pipe lines on your cookies. sweetopia.net Lines sugar cookies with royal icing
• Dots: Use a small round tip to pipe dots on your cookies. www.kudoskitchenbyrenee.com Dots sugar cookies with royal icing

Here are some tips for thinning your royal icing:

• Start with a small amount of water and add more as needed.
• Stir the icing constantly as you add water, so that it doesn’t get lumpy.
• Test the consistency of the icing by piping a small amount onto a piece of paper. If the icing is too thick, it will be difficult to pipe. If the icing is too thin, it will drip.

Here are some tips for letting your royal icing dry completely:

• Place the cookies on a wire rack to allow the icing to dry evenly.
• Avoid placing the cookies in direct sunlight or near a heat source, as this can cause the icing to dry too quickly.
• Allow the cookies to dry for at least 24 hours before serving.

I hope these tips help you decorate your sugar cookies like a pro!

What is needed for royal icing cookies?

Here are the ingredients you need to make royal icing cookies:

• Powdered sugar: This is the main ingredient in royal icing. It gives the icing its structure and sweetness. www.loveandlemons.comPowdered sugar
• Egg whites: Egg whites give royal icing its shine and help it to set. www.theanthonykitchen.com Egg whites
• Water: Water is used to thin the royal icing to the desired consistency. www.health.harvard.eduWater
• Gel food coloring: Gel food coloring is used to add color to the royal icing. www.walmart.com Gel food coloring

Here are the steps on how to make royal icing cookies:

1. Whisk together the powdered sugar and egg whites until smooth.
2. Add water, a few drops at a time, until the icing reaches the desired consistency.
3. Add gel food coloring, if desired.
4. Transfer the icing to a piping bag or a zip-top bag with the corner snipped off.
5. Pipe the icing onto the cookies.
6. Let the icing dry completely before serving.

Here are some tips for making royal icing cookies:

• Use a kitchen scale to measure the powdered sugar and egg whites. This will help to ensure that the icing turns out correctly.
• Use gel food coloring, not liquid food coloring. Gel food coloring is more concentrated, so you’ll need less of it to get a vibrant color.
• Thin the icing gradually, adding a few drops of water at a time. If you add too much water, the icing will be too thin and will drip.
• Let the icing dry completely before serving. This can take several hours, so be patient.

With a little practice, you’ll be decorating sugar cookies like a pro in no time!

How do you put royal icing on cookies?

There are a few different ways to put royal icing on cookies. Here are two popular methods:

Using a piping bag: This is the most common method. Simply transfer the royal icing to a piping bag fitted with a desired tip. Then, pipe the icing onto the cookies in whatever design you like.

Piping bag for royal icing

Using a spoon: This is a more simple method, but it can be more difficult to control the amount of icing that you apply. Simply scoop the royal icing onto the cookies with a spoon and spread it out with your finger.

Here are some tips for putting royal icing on cookies:

• Start with a small amount of icing and add more as needed. This will help to prevent the icing from dripping.
• If you are using a piping bag, make sure that the tip is not clogged. This will help to ensure that the icing flows smoothly.
• If you are using a spoon, be careful not to overfill the cookies with icing. This can make it difficult for the icing to dry completely.
• Let the icing dry completely before serving. This can take several hours, so be patient.

With a little practice, you’ll be decorating sugar cookies like a pro in no time!

Here are some additional tips:

• If you want to add details to your cookies, you can use a toothpick or a fine-tip brush to apply the icing.
• You can also use royal icing to create borders around your cookies.
• If you want to add a glossy finish to your cookies, you can brush them with a thin layer of clear glaze.

Have fun experimenting with different colors and designs!

How long should sugar cookies cool before royal icing?

Sugar cookies should cool completely before royal icing. This will help to prevent the icing from melting or becoming runny.

Here is a general guideline for how long sugar cookies should cool before royal icing:

• Thick cookies: 30 minutes to 1 hour www.ladybehindthecurtain.com Thick sugar cookies
• Thin cookies: 15-20 minutes www.tasteofhome.com Thin sugar cookies

If you are in a hurry, you can speed up the cooling process by placing the cookies on a wire rack. This will allow the heat to escape from the cookies more quickly.

Once the cookies are cool, you can start decorating them with royal icing. Just be sure to let the icing dry completely before serving.

Here are some additional tips for decorating sugar cookies with royal icing:

• Use a piping bag with a variety of tips to create different designs.
• You can also use a spoon to apply the royal icing.
• If you make a mistake, you can always add more icing to cover it up.
• Have fun experimenting with different colors and designs.

With a little practice, you’ll be decorating sugar cookies like a pro in no time!