The Best Rolled Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing: A Sweet Art

• 1 cup (200g) white sugar
• 3/4 cup (170g) butter (that's 1.5 sticks), softened to room temperature
• 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 2.5 cups (312g) all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp (5 ml) baking powder
• 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) fine salt
• 2 cups (240 ml) powdered sugar
• 1.5 tbsp (22 ml) meringue powder
• 3 tbsp (45 ml) water

Instructions

1. 1

   Beat the sugar and softened butter with a paddle attachment until soft and fluffy, about 4–5 minutes. Lower the speed and beat in the vanilla. Stop the mixer to scrape the sides of the bowl. On low speed, add the eggs, one at a time. You may need to use a rubber spatula to mix them in well—you do not want to beat the eggs in aggressively, just stir them in.

2. 2

   Place a fine mesh sieve on top of the butter and sugar bowl. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in the sieve and sift it into the bowl with the butter and sugar. Stir it in gently with a wooden spoon. Do not mix aggressively or the cookies will be tough. Just gently fold everything in with a wooden spoon and sometimes your hands. Form the dough into a disk, cover, and chill for at least six hours in the fridge (overnight is fine). If you only chill the dough for an hour, the cookies won't be as tender and they will spread. So be patient and chill it for a while!

3. 3

   Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Dust your work surface with flour (in addition, I often roll these cookies out on top of a large parchment sheet). Knead the dough gently by pressing down on it with your fingers to soften it (it will be pretty stiff straight from the fridge). Roll the dough out to no less than 1/4 inch (6mm) thick. I sometimes go as thick as 1/3 inch (8mm) myself. Cut out into shapes. Place cookies about 1 inch (2.5cm) apart on top of a parchment-lined baking sheet.

4. 4

   Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for about 6–7.5 minutes. Not overbaking them is key. Remember, cookies always look a bit raw when ready, but they harden a lot as they set. I suggest baking a test cookie alongside the rest of your cookies. I would say that for me, just about 7 minutes is right for thicker cookies; if you rolled them out thinner, I aim for just under 7 minutes. Remove and very carefully transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely before decorating.

5. 5

   For the Royal Icing: Use a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed. Beat the powdered sugar, meringue powder, and water together for 7–10 minutes until the icing forms stiff peaks and is smooth and glossy. Voilà, your icing is done. Keep it covered at all times to prevent it from drying out (transfer to sealed piping bags right away). Divide the icing into bowls if using multiple colours. Add gel food colouring sparingly to achieve the desired shades.

6. 6

   Tips on Adjusting Consistency: For piping, use the icing as is or add a tiny amount of water (1 tsp/5ml at a time) until it reaches a toothpaste-like consistency. For flooding, add more water (1 tsp/5ml at a time) to achieve a thinner, smooth consistency that spreads easily but doesn't run off the edge of the cookies. I add a bit more water into each separate bowl with food colour, a few drops at a time.