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Perfect Halloween Sugar Cookies: Easy Royal Icing Recipe

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These Perfect Halloween Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing are the ultimate spooky season treat. With a no-spread dough and foolproof royal icing, they hold their shape beautifully and taste amazing.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 4 cups (480g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 3 tablespoons meringue powder
  • 6–8 tablespoons warm water
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Gel food coloring

Instructions

  1. Cream the butter and sugar: In your mixer bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together on medium speed for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides halfway through.
  2. Add the wet ingredients: Beat in the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract until fully combined, about 1 minute.
  3. Mix the dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add this to the wet mixture in two additions, mixing on low speed until just combined.
  4. Chill the dough: Divide the dough into two discs, wrap each tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (overnight is even better).
  5. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line your baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
  6. Roll out the dough: On a lightly floured surface, roll one disc to ¼-inch thickness. Rotate the dough frequently to prevent sticking.
  7. Cut your shapes: Dip your cookie cutters in flour before each cut to prevent sticking. Place shapes about 1 inch apart on your prepared baking sheets.
  8. Chill again: Pop the cut cookies into the freezer for 10 minutes before baking.
  9. Bake for 8-10 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. The edges should be just barely golden.
  10. Cool completely: Let cookies rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  11. Prepare the royal icing: In your mixer bowl, combine the sifted powdered sugar and meringue powder. Add 6 tablespoons of warm water and the vanilla extract.
  12. Beat on low for 4 minutes until the icing is smooth and glossy. It should be thick enough to hold a stiff peak.
  13. Check consistency: For outlining, use stiff icing. For flooding, add water one teaspoon at a time until the icing flows like honey.
  14. Color your icing: Divide into separate bowls and add gel food coloring a tiny bit at a time.
  15. Fill your piping bags: Fit bags with #2 tips for outlining. For flooding, snip a tiny corner off a disposable bag or use squeeze bottles.
  16. Outline each cookie: Pipe a border around the edge of your cookie with stiff icing. Let it dry for 5-10 minutes.
  17. Flood the center: Fill the outlined area with your thinner icing, using a toothpick to guide it into corners and pop any air bubbles.
  18. Add details: While the flood icing is still wet, pipe dots, stripes, or patterns with contrasting colors.
  19. Let dry completely: Leave decorated cookies uncovered at room temperature for 6-8 hours, or overnight.

Notes

Don’t skip the chill times. Warm dough is the enemy of sharp cookie shapes. For royal icing consistency: lift your spatula and let the icing drizzle back into the bowl. A ribbon should sit on the surface for about 10 seconds before disappearing. Keep a damp paper towel over your icing bowls when not in use to prevent drying. Use a scribe tool or toothpick for details. Work in an assembly line: outline all cookies first, let them dry, then flood them all at once.

Nutrition

Keywords: Halloween sugar cookies, royal icing, no-spread cookie dough, decorated cookies, holiday baking

Find it online: https://lucastable.com/perfect-halloween-sugar-cookies-easy-royal-icing-recipe/