Pure Vanilla Sugar Cookies (Printable)

Classic vanilla sugar cookies topped with decorative royal icing for festive occasions and parties.

# Ingredient List:

→ Sugar Cookie Dough

01 - 2.5 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 0.5 teaspoon baking powder
03 - 0.25 teaspoon salt
04 - 0.75 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 1 cup granulated sugar
06 - 1 large egg
07 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
08 - 1 tablespoon milk

→ Royal Icing

09 - 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
10 - 2 tablespoons meringue powder
11 - 4 to 5 tablespoons warm water
12 - 0.5 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
13 - Gel food coloring in blue, yellow, and white for decoration

# How to Make:

01 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
02 - In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.
03 - Add the egg, vanilla extract, and milk to the butter mixture. Mix until combined.
04 - Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing just until the dough comes together.
05 - Divide the dough in half, flatten into disks, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
06 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
07 - On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 0.25 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters.
08 - Transfer cookies to prepared baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart.
09 - Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until edges are just beginning to turn golden. Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
10 - In a large bowl, combine powdered sugar, meringue powder, vanilla, and 4 tablespoons water. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until smooth and glossy, adding more water 1 teaspoon at a time for desired consistency.
11 - Divide icing into separate bowls and tint with gel food coloring as desired.
12 - Decorate fully cooled cookies with royal icing using piping bags or squeeze bottles. Allow icing to set completely before serving or storing.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The dough is forgiving enough for beginners but rewarding enough to make you feel like a pastry chef when they turn out perfect.
  • Royal icing transforms ordinary cookies into gallery-worthy decorations that people actually want to keep as keepsakes.
  • You can make a double batch and freeze the dough for spontaneous cookie emergencies up to three months later.
02 -
  • Room temperature ingredients are not a suggestion, they're the difference between cookies that look professionally made and ones that look homemade in the tired sense of the word.
  • Don't skip the chilling step or rush it, cold dough is what separates thick, tender cookies from thin, crispy ones that taste like disappointment.
  • Sift your powdered sugar for the icing or accept tiny lumps that will clog your piping bag at the worst possible moment when you're almost finished decorating.
03 -
  • Invest in gel food coloring instead of liquid, it's more vibrant, uses less product, and doesn't thin out your royal icing like water-based food coloring does.
  • A bench scraper or offset spatula makes transferring delicate cut-out cookies from the rolling surface to the baking sheet infinitely easier and prevents broken pieces.
  • If your royal icing is too thick and cracks when you try to pipe it, warm it for just five seconds in the microwave and it becomes workable again without losing its structure.
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