Spring Easter Sugar Cookies (Printable version)

Light, buttery sugar cookies with pastel royal icing perfect for Easter and spring celebrations.

# What you'll need:

→ Cookie Dough

01 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
03 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
04 - 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
05 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
06 - 1 large egg
07 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
08 - 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

→ Royal Icing

09 - 2 cups powdered sugar
10 - 1 1/2 tablespoons meringue powder
11 - 3–4 tablespoons water
12 - Pastel food coloring: pink, yellow, green, purple (gel preferred)
13 - Assorted Easter-themed sprinkles

# Directions:

01 - Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside for later use.
02 - Beat butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy, approximately 2–3 minutes.
03 - Mix in egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract until fully incorporated.
04 - Gradually add dry ingredients to wet mixture, mixing until just combined. Avoid overmixing.
05 - Divide dough in half, form into disks, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
06 - Heat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
07 - On floured surface, roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into Easter shapes using cookie cutters.
08 - Place cookies 1 inch apart on prepared sheets. Bake for 9–11 minutes until edges begin to lightly brown.
09 - Transfer cookies to wire rack and allow to cool completely before decorating.
10 - Combine powdered sugar, meringue powder, and water in medium bowl. Mix until smooth and glossy, adjusting water as needed.
11 - Divide icing into small bowls. Add food coloring to each bowl to create pastel shades.
12 - Apply colored icing to cooled cookies and add sprinkles if desired. Allow icing to set completely before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The dough is incredibly forgiving and rolls out smoothly without sticking
  • These cookies stay soft for days, unlike other sugar cookies that turn rock-hard
  • The almond extract creates this subtle bakery flavor that makes people think you bought them
02 -
  • Warm dough spreads into puddles in the oven, so if it gets too soft while rolling, pop it back in the fridge for ten minutes
  • Overbaked sugar cookies become hard crackers, so pull them out when edges just barely start turning golden
03 -
  • Rotate your baking sheets halfway through baking time for even browning
  • Use gel food coloring instead of liquid to avoid thinning out your royal icing

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