Spring Easter Sugar Cookies (Printable Version)
Light, buttery cookies topped with colorful royal icing and festive sprinkles.
# What You'll Need:
→ Cookie Dough
01 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
03 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
04 - 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
05 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
06 - 1 large egg
07 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
08 - 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
→ Royal Icing
09 - 2 cups powdered sugar
10 - 1 1/2 tablespoons meringue powder
11 - 3-4 tablespoons water
12 - Pastel gel food coloring (pink, yellow, green, purple)
13 - Assorted Easter-themed sprinkles
# How to Make It:
01 - Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside for later use.
02 - Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy, approximately 2-3 minutes.
03 - Mix in egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract until fully incorporated.
04 - Gradually add dry ingredients to wet mixture, mixing until just combined. Avoid overmixing.
05 - Divide dough in half, form into disks, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for minimum 1 hour.
06 - Heat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
07 - Roll chilled dough on floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into Easter shapes using cookie cutters.
08 - Arrange cutouts 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake for 9-11 minutes until edges begin to brown. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
09 - Combine powdered sugar, meringue powder, and water in medium bowl. Mix until smooth and glossy, adjusting water for desired consistency.
10 - Divide icing into small bowls. Tint each portion with food coloring. Decorate cooled cookies with colored icing and sprinkles. Allow icing to set completely before serving.
# Expert Insights:
01 -
- The dough is incredibly forgiving, which matters when you've got eager little hands helping
- That hint of almond extract makes people ask what your secret ingredient is
- These actually taste as good as they look, unlike some decorated cookies that are basically edible art projects
02 -
- Chilling the dough isn't optional, it prevents the cookies from spreading into unrecognizable blobs
- Rolling between two sheets of parchment paper instead of on a floured counter keeps the dough from getting tough
- Let the icing set completely before stacking cookies or you'll have a beautiful sticky mess
03 -
- Rotate your baking sheets halfway through for even browning
- Use a cookie scoop to portion dough before rolling if you want uniformly sized cookies
- Keep a damp paper towel over your icing bowls while working so they don't crust over