Some mornings you plan a healthy, productive start. Other mornings you decide to embrace indulgence — and that’s perfectly fine. Today was one of those days: sugar cookies all the way.
As part of this month’s #psfoodcrush contest, I asked Anissa to bake a batch of iced sugar cookies in a few specific shapes so I could have fun creating patterns and designs. She happily obliged, and before long we were playing with food on a Wednesday morning.
This post isn’t just about playing around — it includes the homemade sugar cookie and icing recipes, so you can recreate these cookies at home.
Sugar Cookie Ingredients
(Makes roughly 30 cookies, depending on size)
- 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cookie Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
In a mixer, cream the softened butter and sugar together until light and combined. Add the egg and vanilla, mixing until incorporated. Gradually add the flour and mix on low speed until the dough comes together.
Form the dough into a ball and chill it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. You can also freeze the dough to use later.
After chilling, let the dough sit at room temperature for 5–10 minutes to make it easier to roll.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to about 1/4 inch thickness and cut shapes with your chosen cookie cutters.
Notes on shapes: For a horseshoe shape, use an upside-down U cutter and trim the bottom. For long linear shapes, use a narrow rectangular cutter. Large circles come from round cutters; half-circles are made by cutting circles in half with a knife before baking. Small circles, squares, and triangles can be made with a small cutter set. Hand-shaped cookies can be made with a hand-shaped cutter.
Bake the cookies for 8–12 minutes, depending on size. Allow them to cool completely before frosting.
Frosting Ingredients
(Frosts about 10 cookies, depending on size)
- 3 egg whites
- 2 1/2 cups powdered (confectioners’) sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Gel food coloring
Frosting Instructions
Prepare two consistencies of royal-style icing: one for outlining and one for flooding (fill icing).
For the fill icing: combine 2 egg whites, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and about 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar in a mixer. Beat on low speed for 2–4 minutes until smooth. Add gel food coloring to achieve the desired color. Cover with a damp towel to prevent drying.
For the outline icing: combine 1 egg white, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1 cup powdered sugar. Mix on low speed for 2–4 minutes until smooth. Add the same gel food coloring so the outline matches the fill color. Cover with a damp towel.
Important: Make sure the fill and outline icings are the same color. Note the color ratios you use for the fill so you can match them for the outline (or vice versa).
Transfer the icings to squeeze bottles or piping bags. For outlining, cut a small hole in the piping bag or bottle tip and trace the cookie edge. For filling, cut a slightly larger hole and pipe the fill icing into the outlined area. Use a toothpick to help spread the icing and remove any air bubbles.
Allow the cookies to dry for at least 5 hours or until the icing is fully set.
Recipe by Anissa Saxton
Photography by Brittni Mehlhoff
Are you a sugar cookie fan? Which cookie is your favorite?