Description
These festive decorated sugar cookies are perfect for any celebration and can be customized with a variety of toppings.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup White Sugar
- 14 oz Butter (Softened; use margarine for dairy-free)
- 2 pieces Eggs (Can substitute with flax eggs for vegan)
- 2 tsp Vanilla Extract (Replace with other extracts if desired)
- 1 tsp Almond Extract (Omit for nut allergies or replace with vanilla)
- 1 Orange Zest (Can substitute with lemon zest)
- 6 cups Plain Flour (Can use gluten-free flour for gluten-free version)
- 6 tbsp Meringue Powder (Use powdered egg whites as substitute)
- 8 tbsp Water (No substitute)
- 2 tsp Lemon Juice (Apple cider vinegar can be used if needed)
- 7 cups Powdered Sugar (No direct substitute)
- Gel Food Coloring (Replace with natural food dyes for healthier option)
- Sprinkles (Optional toppings for decoration)
- Edible glitter (Optional toppings for decoration)
- Crushed candy canes (Optional toppings for decoration)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line 2-3 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Cream the softened butter with white sugar until light and fluffy for about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the eggs, vanilla extract, almond extract, and orange zest; mix until well combined and smooth.
- Gradually incorporate the flour until a dough forms; add a tablespoon of milk if it’s too dry.
- Roll the dough out to ¼-inch thickness and cut with cookie cutters into festive shapes.
- Chill the cut cookies on the baking sheets for 10-15 minutes.
- Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden, then cool completely on a wire rack.
- Whisk together the meringue powder, lemon juice, and water until smooth.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar until the icing is glossy and thick.
- Divide the icing into bowls and tint with gel food coloring.
- Decorate the cooled cookies with icing and toppings, then allow to set before serving.
Notes
- The cookies can be made dairy-free and vegan with suitable substitutes.
- Chilling the dough helps the cookies maintain their shape while baking.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 30mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 40mg