How To Bake Quick & Easy Easter Sugar Cookies

Are you looking for a fun Easter dessert? Look no further, we’ve found the easiest yet best looking Easter sugar cookie recipe for you! The gorgeous plae tones, the intricate designs and the colorful variety makes for the perfect holiday treats. The following will include a list of ingredients and steps to achieve these sugar cookies.

The ingredients you will need to make these Easter Sugar Cookies include:

• Unsalted butter

• Granulated Sugar

• Egg

• Vanilla Extract

• Baking Powder

• Salt

• All-Purpose Flower

• Royal Icing

• This is easy to make with confectioners’ sugar, meringue powder, water and vanilla extract

• Gel food colouring - many colors

The kitchen equipment and tools you will need to make these Easter Sugar Cookies include:

• Measuring cups and spoons

• Mixing Bowls

• Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer

• Rolling Pin

• Egg-Shaped Cookie Cutter

• Half Sheet Baking Pan and Silicone Baking Mat (or parchment paper)

• Wire Coolings Rack

• Piping Bags

• Couplers

• This is for securing the tips to the piping bag

• No. 5 Round Tip For The Base Color and No. 1 Round Tip or No. 2 Round Tip For Piping The Patterns

HERE IS HOW TO MAKE THE BEST EASTER SUGAR COOKIES

Step 1: Make the dough

In a large mixing bowl, add cream butter and sugar together using a hand mixer (or stand mixer) on medium speed until fluffy and light. This should take about 2 minutes. Add egg and vanilla and beat until mixture is combined. Following this step, turn the mixer to low speed to add baking powder and salt. Gradually add flour and mix until combined. Once this is completed,

Form the dough into a ball and wrap tightly in plastic cling wrap. Freeze for 30 minutes or refrigerate until firm, (at least 1 hour, up to overnight).

Step 2: Cut Out The Cookies

Remove the dough from refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for about 5 to 10 minutes. As you wait, prepare your egg-shape cutter and half sheet baking pan with parchment paper or silicone making mat. On a lightly floured counter, use a rolling pin to roll the dough out until it is ¼-inch thick. Use the egg-shaped cookie cutter to cut out the egg shaped cookies. Using a 2-inch cookie cutter is useful. Once this is done, transfer the cookie cut outs onto the pan, placing them an inch apart. Re-roll any scraps and repart to cut out more cookies.

Step 3: Bake

Preheat the oven at 350 F / 176 C. Bake the cookie in the oven for about 8 to 10 minutes. Once the edges start to turn golden brown, the cookies are ready to take out. Let the cookies cool for a couple minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

HERE IS HOW TO MAKE THE BEST ROYAL ICING FOR EASTER SUGAR COOKIES

Note: Once the Easter Sugar Cookies are baked and have cooled completely, you can start making the royal icing. Traditionally, royal icing is made with raw egg whites, but you can actually use meringue powder in place of the egg whites, this is what you will be doing) and still get icing that hardens beautifully with the same taste, consistency and texture as traditional royal icing.

Step 1: Combine Ingredients

In a medium mixing bowl, combine confectioners’ sugar with meringue powder. Add water and vanilla extract and beat with hand mixter on medium-high speed, until smooth. If you find that the icing is too thick, add a little more water. Preferably a teaspoon at a time; if you come to find the icing is too thin, add a little more sugar.

Step 2: Add Color

To color the icing, add gel food coloring. You may also use liquid food coloring but keep in mind this will have a slight effect on the consistency of the icing. As mentioned before, you may need to add a little sugar to get the consistency right.

TIP: Once you have made the icing, I would suggest dividing it into smaller portions so that you can mix a few different colors. Also note, when you are not using the icing, cover the bowl with a wet kitchen towel to prevent it from drying out.

HERE IS HOW TO DECORATE YOUR EASTER SUGAR COOKIES WITH ROYAL ICING

Step 1: Icing The Base

Use a No. 5 Round Tip to outline the base color on the sugar cookie. Make sure to leave bout ⅛-inch from the edge, and fill in the inside. To get the ceiling completely to the edges, use the back of a spoon to spread the icing to the edge

Step 2: More Icing

Allow the base to dry enough so that when you add icing on top, it won’t smudge or blend into the base icing. It doesn’t have to be fully set, but set it for about 20 to 30 minutes.

Step 3: Thin Decorative Icing

Use a thin No. 1 Round Tip to decorate the Easter Sugar Cookies in cute patterns such as lines, dots, doodles, and anything our imagination desires.

SOME EXTRA TIPS!

Plan ahead. You need to plan ahead and give yourself enough time when making these Easter Sugar Cookies. The entire process spans over the course of several hours, up to a day:

• Firstly, the cookies need to completely cool before icing for at least a few hours. If this isn’t followed, the icing will get runny from the warmth of the cookies and won't set properly

• Secondly, when or if you are adding multiple layers of icing, you need to allow the bottom layer to dry first, for at least 30 minutes.

• Thirdly, the icing needs a few hours, even up to a day, to completely set and harden. If this is not followed, the icing can easily get smudged when storing, handing or transporting. This is the last thing you want when you are storing them or getting ready to package them up as gifts

How to store: Once the icing is completely set, store the Easter Sugar Cookies in a single layer or stacked up in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the refrigerator for up to one week.

How to freeze: These Easter Sugar Cookies also freeze really well. Place them in an airtight container, layered between pieces of parchment paper and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Credits: Easter Egg Sugar Cookies by: Sam & Dan