Description
Delight in these classic Easter Sugar Cookies, perfect for celebrating the holiday with festive colors and sprinkles. This recipe yields tender, buttery cookies coated with vibrant, sweet icing that is easy to prepare and fun to decorate. Ideal for family gatherings or cookie exchanges, these sugar cookies combine simple ingredients and straightforward steps to create a seasonal treat everyone will enjoy.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2/3 cup butter, softened
- 2 eggs
- 2 Tbsp milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 1/4 cups flour
- 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
Icing
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3-4 tbsp milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Green, pink, yellow, and blue food coloring
- Sprinkles of your choice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 350ºF (175ºC) to ensure it reaches the appropriate temperature for even baking once the cookies are ready.
- Prepare baking sheet: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prevent the cookies from sticking and to make cleanup easier.
- Cream butter and sugar: In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to cream together the softened butter and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, incorporating air for a tender cookie texture.
- Add wet ingredients: Mix in the eggs, milk, and vanilla extract until the batter is smooth and well combined, providing moisture and flavor.
- Incorporate dry ingredients: Gradually add the flour, baking powder, and salt to the wet mixture. Mix until a dough forms, ensuring even distribution of the rising agents and seasoning.
- Form cookie balls: Roll the dough into 1-inch diameter balls and arrange them spaced apart on the prepared baking sheet to allow room for spreading.
- Flatten cookies: Dip a glass in flour and gently press each dough ball down to about 1/2-inch thickness, creating the classic sugar cookie shape and uniform thickness for even baking.
- Bake cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for about 9 minutes or until the tops start to show light browning. Watch carefully to avoid over-baking, which can dry them out.
- Cool cookies: Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let them cool completely before applying icing to prevent melting and sliding.
- Prepare icing: In a mixing bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. Adjust the consistency by adding more milk to thin or powdered sugar to thicken the icing as needed.
- Color icing: Divide the icing evenly into four small bowls. Add 2 drops of green, pink, yellow, and blue food coloring to each bowl respectively, mixing well to achieve vibrant pastel shades.
- Ice cookies: Dip each cooled cookie into the colored icing, evenly coating the surface. Alternatively, spread the icing over each cookie with a spoon or spatula if preferred.
- Add sprinkles: Immediately decorate the iced cookies with your choice of sprinkles before the icing sets to ensure they adhere properly.
- Set and serve: Allow the icing to harden completely at room temperature before serving or storing the cookies to preserve the decoration and prevent smudging.
Notes
- Ensure butter is softened to room temperature to achieve the best creaming results.
- Use parchment paper or a silicone baking mat for easy cookie release and cleanup.
- Adjust milk quantity in the icing to get your preferred consistency—thicker for piping, thinner for dipping.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week to maintain freshness.
- For a gluten-free version, substitute the all-purpose flour with a 1-to-1 gluten-free baking flour blend.
