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Perfect Hand-Decorated Floral Sugar Cookies Easy Royal Icing Tutorial

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A simple and delightful recipe for buttery sugar cookies decorated with smooth royal icing, perfect for hand-decorated floral designs that make beautiful gifts and treats.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 ¾ cups (345 g) all-purpose flour, sifted
  • 1 tsp (4 g) baking powder
  • ½ tsp (3 g) salt
  • 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, softened (room temperature)
  • 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 tsp (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
  • 4 cups (480 g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 3 tbsp (21 g) meringue powder
  • 6 tbsp (90 ml) warm water, adjust for consistency
  • 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract or lemon juice
  • Gel food coloring in pastel shades (optional)

Instructions

  1. Make the Cookie Dough (15 minutes): In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate large bowl, cream softened butter with granulated sugar using an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy (about 3-4 minutes). Beat in egg and vanilla extract until combined.
  2. Combine and Chill (1 hour): Gradually add dry ingredients to wet, mixing on low speed until just combined. Wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to firm up.
  3. Roll and Cut (20 minutes): Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Roll dough on a lightly floured surface to about ¼ inch (6 mm) thickness. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters and place 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets.
  4. Bake and Cool (12-15 minutes): Bake cookies until edges just begin to turn golden. Transfer to cooling racks and cool completely before decorating.
  5. Prepare Royal Icing (10 minutes): Combine powdered sugar and meringue powder in a clean bowl. Add warm water and vanilla extract. Beat on low until combined, then on high for about 5 minutes until stiff peaks form. Adjust consistency as needed.
  6. Color and Fill Piping Bags (10 minutes): Divide icing into small bowls and tint with gel food coloring to pastel shades. Fill piping bags fitted with small round and leaf tips.
  7. Decorate (30-45 minutes): Pipe outlines on cookies, flood centers with thinned icing using a toothpick to spread evenly. Pipe floral details on top while base icing is wet. Let dry uncovered at room temperature for 6-8 hours or overnight.

Notes

Sift powdered sugar to avoid lumps. Adjust icing consistency for outlining and flooding. Cool cookies completely before decorating to prevent melting icing. Use a toothpick to fix small icing mistakes. Let decorated cookies dry for 6-8 hours or overnight for best results. Dough can be refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen up to 3 months. For vegan icing, substitute meringue powder with aquafaba powder and use dairy-free vanilla extract.

Nutrition

Keywords: sugar cookies, royal icing, floral cookies, hand-decorated cookies, easy sugar cookies, cookie decorating, baking tutorial

Find it online: https://avabowls.com/perfect-hand-decorated-floral-sugar-cookies-easy-royal-icing-tutorial/