Sugar Cookies and Royal Icing

Sugar cookies with Royal Icing  

Yield: 50 small to medium cookies

Ingredients for Sugar Cookie:

• 1 ⅞ cup or 425g Butter 
• 1 ¾ cup or 185g Icing sugar 
• 1 Tablespoon Vanilla 
• 1 Egg 
• 4 ½ cups or 560g All purpose flour 

Instructions for Sugar Cookies:

1. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
2. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until combined.
3. Add flour in 2-3 rounds for easier mixing. Dough is done when flour is fully incorporated.
4. Form dough in a round disc, wrap with plastic/saran wrap and chill in the fridge overnight or in the freezer for at least half an hour before using.
5. Roll cookies out to about ½ cm in thickness and cut out shapes with desired cookie cutters.
6. Place on a cookie tray and bake for 8-12 mins at 325F.
7. Let the cookies cool on the tray before decorating with royal icing. 

Ingredients for Royal Icing:

• 2 cups or 200g Icing Sugar 
• 4 ½ tsp Meringue Powder
• 4-5 Tablespoons of Room Temperature Water

Instructions for Royal icing:

1. Combine all ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Mix until light and fluffy, this should take about 1-2 minutes.
2. Once the icing is nice and thick take out what you will need for dipping and add it to a bowl. Add enough water to make the mixture runny and dipable. Add food colouring if you would like at this time.
3. Dip sugar cookies one at a time and decorate with sprinkles. Let cookies dry 2-3 hours before storing in an airtight container. Alternatively you can put icing in a piping bag and decorate. 
4. Leave on the counter and enjoy cookies for up to 1 week.