Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing
Upgrading your holiday cookie game has never been more delicious thanks to this classic sugar cookie and royal icing recipe. Recipe developed by Food Network Kitchen.
Equipment
- 1 Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer Essential for creaming butter and sugar, and incorporating ingredients thoroughly.
- 1 Sifter For sifting dry ingredients, ensuring a lump-free mixture and lighter cookies.
- 1 Rolling Pin For evenly rolling out the cookie dough to the specified thickness.
- 1 Cookie Cutters (2-to-4-inch) For shaping the cookies cleanly and consistently.
- 2 Baking Sheets For baking multiple batches of cookies simultaneously.
Ingredients
Main
- 2 1/2 cups cake flour not self-rising, plus more for dusting
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Royal icing for decorating, recipe follows
Instructions
- Sift the cake flour, baking powder and salt onto a piece of parchment paper or into a medium bowl; set aside. Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until incorporated. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the flour mixture in 2 batches until just incorporated. Divide between 2 pieces of plastic wrap; shape into disks. Wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour. (The dough can be frozen for up to 1 month; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling.)
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Working with 1 disk at a time, roll out the dough on a floured surface, dusting with flour as needed, until about 1/8 inch thick. Cut out shapes with 2-to-4-inch cookie cutters; arrange 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. (If the dough becomes too soft as you work, return to the refrigerator until firm.) Gather the scraps and refrigerate until firm; reroll once to cut out more cookies. Chill the cutouts 30 minutes.
- Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until the cookies are slightly puffed and just golden, 13 to 15 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely before icing.
Notes
To achieve perfectly tender sugar cookies, avoid overworking the dough once the flour is added; mix until just incorporated to prevent gluten development. The extended chilling time is crucial: it not only makes the dough easier to handle and cut but also helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much in the oven, maintaining crisp, defined shapes. Ensure your butter is at room temperature for optimal creaming, which creates air pockets for a light texture. When rolling, use minimal flour to dust your surface and dough to avoid incorporating too much extra flour, which can lead to dry cookies. Bake until just set and barely golden at the edges; overbaking will result in a hard, less tender cookie. Cooling completely on racks is key before icing to prevent the icing from melting or smudging.