Easter Sugar Cookies
Delight in the sweetness of Easter with these charming sugar cookies, perfect for celebrating the holiday. Adorned with whimsical shapes like bunnies, carrots, and eggs, they add a festive touch to any gathering.
These cookies are not only visually appealing but also offer a tender, buttery bite that melts in your mouth. Paired with a vibrant royal icing, they become delightful canvases for creative decorations, making baking a joyous activity for all ages.
Whether you’re planning an Easter egg hunt or simply looking to brighten your dessert table, these sugar cookies are a delicious and playful treat. Gather your loved ones and enjoy the fun of shaping, decorating, and indulging in these festive delights!
Easter Sugar Cookies Ingredients
Granulated Sugar: The cornerstone of sweetness, granulated sugar not only flavors the cookies but also contributes to their delightful texture.
Unsalted Butter: This creamy essential enriches the dough, ensuring a tender crumb and a rich buttery flavor that elevates every bite.
Egg: Acting as a binding agent, the egg adds moisture and structure, helping the cookies rise to perfection while providing a lovely richness.
Vanilla Extract: A splash of vanilla introduces a warm, aromatic quality, enhancing the overall flavor profile with its sweet and comforting essence.
All-Purpose Flour: The backbone of the cookie dough, all-purpose flour provides the necessary structure, allowing the cookies to hold their shape while remaining soft.
Baking Powder: This leavening agent ensures the cookies rise just right, creating a light and airy texture that makes each bite irresistible.
Kosher Salt: A pinch of salt balances the sweetness, enhancing the flavors and bringing out the best in each ingredient.
Powdered Sugar: Essential for the royal icing, powdered sugar adds a silky sweetness that transforms the cookies into beautifully decorated delights.
Meringue Powder: This ingredient stabilizes the royal icing, ensuring it dries with a perfect glossy finish, ideal for intricate designs.
Gel Food Coloring: Adding vibrant hues, gel food coloring transforms simple icing into a festive canvas, making your Easter treats as colorful as they are delicious.
Enhancing Your Easter Sugar Cookies Recipe
Easter sugar cookies are a delightful way to celebrate the holiday, adding a touch of sweetness and fun to your festivities. To ensure your baking experience is as enjoyable as possible, here are some helpful tips, serving suggestions, and answers to frequently asked questions.
Recipe Tips
- Chill the Dough: Chilling the cookie dough is crucial for preventing the cookies from spreading too much while baking. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least one hour (or up to one day) to allow the flavors to meld and the texture to firm up.
- Roll Evenly: When rolling out your dough, aim for a uniform thickness of about 1/4 inch. This ensures that the cookies bake evenly. Use a rolling pin with guides if you have one, or simply keep an eye on the thickness as you roll.
- Perfect Royal Icing Consistency: Achieving the right consistency for royal icing is key to beautiful decorations. The icing should be thick enough to hold its shape but thin enough to spread easily. Test it by drawing a figure eight with the icing; it should hold its shape for a second before sinking back in. Adjust with additional powdered sugar or water as needed.
What to Serve with Easter Sugar Cookies
- Easter-themed Fruit Salad: Brighten your dessert table with a refreshing fruit salad featuring seasonal fruits like strawberries, blueberries, and melon, cut into fun shapes. This colorful side complements the sweet cookies while adding a healthy touch.
- Spring Lemonade: Pair your cookies with a glass of homemade lemonade infused with fresh herbs like mint or basil. The bright, tangy flavors will balance the sweetness of the cookies and provide a refreshing beverage option for your guests.
- Chocolate Dipped Pretzels: For an additional treat, serve chocolate-dipped pretzels alongside your sugar cookies. The salty crunch of the pretzels contrasts beautifully with the sweetness of the cookies, creating a delightful combination of flavors and textures.
FAQ
- Can I make the dough in advance?
Yes, you can prepare the dough ahead of time and refrigerate it for up to one day. This allows the flavors to develop and saves you time on the day of baking. - How do I store the baked cookies?
Once cooled, store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They will stay fresh for up to one week. For longer storage, consider freezing them in a single layer and then transferring to a container. - Can I use different cookie cutters?
Absolutely! While bunny, carrot, and egg shapes are festive for Easter, feel free to use any cookie cutter shapes you like. The dough can easily be adapted for different occasions throughout the year. - What can I substitute for meringue powder in the royal icing?
If you don’t have meringue powder, you can use egg whites as a substitute. One large egg white replaces about two tablespoons of meringue powder, but keep in mind that using raw egg whites carries a risk of foodborne illness.
Easter Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- Cookies:
- Granulated sugar
- Unsalted butter softened
- Large egg
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Kosher salt
- Royal Icing:
- Powdered sugar with extra as necessary
- Meringue powder
- Water at room temperature, plus additional as needed
- Vanilla extract
- Assorted gel food coloring such as blue, green, pink, yellow, purple, black
Instructions
- Begin by gathering all necessary ingredients for the cookies and royal icing.
- In a stand mixer equipped with a paddle attachment, combine the granulated sugar and softened butter. Beat on medium speed until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, which should take approximately 2 to 3 minutes. Incorporate the egg and vanilla extract, continuing to mix on medium speed until fully combined, around 15 to 30 seconds.
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and kosher salt until well combined.
- Gradually introduce the flour mixture to the sugar and butter mixture while keeping the mixer on low speed. Mix until the ingredients are just combined, taking about 1 minute.
- Divide the dough into two discs, wrap each disc securely with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for a minimum of one hour or up to one day.
- When ready to bake, take the dough from the refrigerator and allow it to rest for at least 10 minutes before rolling. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius) and line two large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- On a lightly floured surface, unwrap one dough disc and roll it out to a thickness of 1/4 inch. Use your preferred cookie cutters (bunny, carrot, or egg shapes) to cut out cookies.
- Arrange the cut-out cookies on the prepared baking sheets. Repeat the process with the remaining dough, re-rolling any scraps once or twice as needed.
- Bake the cookies in the preheated oven until they are slightly golden, which should take between 8 to 10 minutes. After removing them from the oven, let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes.
- Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely, which will take approximately 30 minutes.
- For the royal icing, place the powdered sugar and meringue powder into a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Begin mixing on low speed until combined, which should take about 15 seconds. While the mixer is still running on low, add the water and vanilla extract. Gradually increase the speed to medium-high and continue beating until the icing reaches a smooth consistency, approximately 15 seconds. Alternatively, combine the ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth. The icing should form a ribbon that retains its shape for 1 to 2 seconds before sinking back in. Adjust the consistency by adding water if it is too thick or powdered sugar if it is too thin.
- Separate 1/4 cup of the icing into small bowls for each color you wish to use (like pink, blue, yellow, and green). To prevent the icing from drying out while not in use, cover it with moist paper towels or clean tea towels.
- Once the colors are prepared, transfer the icing into individual piping bags, cutting a small hole (1/8-inch) at the end or fitting with small round piping tips.
- Pipe royal icing along the perimeter of each cookie to create a decorative border.
- Fill in the center of each cookie with the remaining royal icing, using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to spread the icing to the edges. Allow the cookies to stand until the icing is completely dry and set, which will take about 1 hour.
- If desired, further decorate the cookies with secondary colors and designs. Allow them to set completely for an additional 30 minutes.
