The perfect blank canvas cookie — a crisp, buttery, vanilla-scented sugar cookie with a clean snap, cut into any shape and decorated with glossy royal icing in any design you choose.
About This Recipe
Sugar cookies are the most democratic bake in this collection. They can be as simple as plain rounds eaten warm from the oven or as elaborate as hand-painted works of art decorated over several sessions with multiple colours and techniques. The cookie itself — buttery, vanilla-scented, with a clean, satisfying snap — is excellent in both versions, and the basic recipe is the same regardless of what you do with it afterwards.
The key to a sugar cookie that holds its shape during baking and does not puff or spread is chilling the cut-out dough before it goes into the oven. The cold dough maintains the clean edges of whatever cutter you have used and bakes into a precise, flat cookie rather than a soft, rounded one. This step is non-negotiable if you want sharp edges for decorating. The dough must be genuinely cold — at least 30 minutes in the fridge after cutting, not merely cool.
Royal icing is the decorating medium that produces the glossy, hard finish associated with professional cookie decorating. It is made from egg whites and icing sugar and dries to a firm, smooth surface that can be coloured, layered, and detailed. It requires no special skill to apply a simple, beautiful design — a base coat flooded onto the cookie and left to dry, then simple details piped over the top once set, is achievable by any home baker and produces results that look genuinely impressive.
History & Origins
Sugar cookies have been made in North America since the 18th century, with the Nazareth, Pennsylvania variety of the 1700s often cited as one of the earliest documented American sugar cookie recipes. The practice of cutting cookie dough into shapes and decorating them is centuries older, with European gingerbread men and springerle molds dating to the medieval period. The modern royal icing decorated sugar cookie became a feature of holiday baking in the United States in the 20th century and has been transformed by social media into an art form practised by a global community of cookie decorators.
Why It’s Easy To Make
Standard pantry ingredients. Royal icing requires only egg whites and icing sugar. Shapes limited only by available cutters.
Classic Sugar Cookies With Royal Icing
24
servings25
minutes10
minutes2880
kcalIngredients
•t225g unsalted butter, softened
•t200g white sugar
•t2 large eggs
•t1.5 tsp vanilla extract
•t0.5 tsp almond extract
•t400g plain flour
•t1 tsp baking powder
•t0.5 tsp salt
•tFor royal icing: 2 large egg whites
•tFor royal icing: 400g icing sugar, sifted
•tFor royal icing: food colouring gels
Directions
- Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla and almond extract.
- Mix in flour, baking powder and salt until a smooth dough forms.
- Divide into two discs, wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 180°C. Line trays with baking paper.
- Roll dough on a floured surface to 0.5cm thickness. Cut into shapes.
- Transfer to trays. Refrigerate cut shapes for 15 to 30 minutes.
- Bake for 9 to 11 minutes until just set with no browning on top.
- Cool completely before icing.
- For royal icing: beat egg whites until foamy. Gradually beat in icing sugar until thick and glossy. Divide and colour. Use immediately.
Notes
- The second chill after cutting is essential for sharp edges. Do not skip it.
These cookies should not brown on top. Pale and just set is correct.
Royal icing dries out very quickly — keep bowls covered with a damp cloth while working.
Gel food colouring produces much more vibrant colours than liquid colouring without affecting the icing consistency.
Make Ahead Tips
Dough keeps refrigerated for 3 days or frozen for 3 months. Baked uniced cookies keep in an airtight container for 1 week. Iced cookies keep for 1 to 2 weeks in an airtight container making them ideal for advance holiday baking.
Storage & Serving
Uniced cookies keep in an airtight container for 1 week. Iced cookies keep for 1 to 2 weeks once the icing has fully dried. Layer with baking paper between cookies to prevent the icing from marking. Freeze uniced cookies for 3 months. These are among the best gifting cookies as they keep well, travel without crumbling, and can be made to suit any occasion through the choice of cutter shape and icing design.
Variations & Substitutions
Replace vanilla and almond extract with lemon or orange zest for a citrus sugar cookie. Add 1 tsp of cinnamon to the dough for a spiced version. Decorate with simple sprinkles instead of royal icing for a quicker, child-friendly version. Press coloured sugar into the surface before baking instead of icing for a glittering, simple finish.
