Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing

I love a good sugar cookie with royal icing! When I found this coffee mug cookie cutter, I knew I could make some cute and delicious cookies.

Sugar cookies have always been one of my favorite cookies. My second favorite is a snickerdoodle which is basically a sugar cookie rolled in cinnamon and sugar. Even better is when you don’t have to make the sugar cookies by hand. I mean if Pillsbury has perfected, there’s no need to create more work for myself.

Here’s what you need to make your own Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing.:

• Cookie cutter – Here is the one I used.
• Icing bottles
• Mixing bowls
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Rolling pin
• Parchment paper
• Baking sheets
• Wire cooling rack
• Toothpick

Cookies

• 1 package Pillsbury refrigerated sugar cookie dough
• ¼ cup all purpose flour

Royal Icing

• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons meringue powder – meringue powder is typically found by the baking supplies. At Walmart it is in the craft section where the Wilton supplies are.
• 8-12 tablespoons room temperature water
• Gel food coloring

Combine dough and flour. Chill for one hour in the fridge.  Dust your surface with flour, roll dough to ¼” thickness. Cut out cookie shapes.  Bake at 350 for 8 minutes or until the edges start to brown.

In a stand mixer combine sugar and meringue powder.  Add 8 tablespoons of water, using the whisk attachment, beat for 1 minute on low.  Continue to add water one tablespoon at a time until the icing slowly drizzles from the whisk when lifted.

Once prepared – if the icing is too hard, add more water.  Too runny, add more powdered (icing) sugar.

Separate the icing into small mixing bowls and add desired food coloring. Mix well. Scoop the icing into piping bags or icing bottles.

Line around the edge of the design with icing and fill the middle.  Use a toothpick to poke bubbles or direct icing into holes. Allow each design area to dry before moving on. The icing should completely dry, at room temperature for at least four hours, before adding piping details to the top.

Additional designs you can add on the mug:

Polka Dots: before the flooded area dries, add dots of different colored icing.

Hearts: before the flooded area dries, add dots of different colored icing, drag a toothpick through each dot, creating a heart.

Zig zag design: before the flooded area dries, add stripes of different colored icing and then drag a toothpick through the stripes.

Sprinkles: before the flooded area dries, add sprinkles.

Candy: glue to the cookie with a drop of icing.

Edible marker: before using on the icing, allow the icing to completely harden for at least four hours.

Once your base is dry, add your white topper. While the royal icing is still wet, you can add some sprinkles to it.

Have you ever made Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing? I know it can be a little intimidating but once you do it you will be obssessed.

If you’re looking for an EASIER way to do royal icing, check out this hack that I shared!