Description
Delightfully soft and tender Easter Sugar Cookies decorated with colorful icing and festive sprinkles, perfect for celebrating the holiday season with friends and family. This recipe yields 30 delicious cookies with a classic sweet flavor and a light crispy edge, all baked to perfection and iced with vibrant pastel shades.
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 all-purpose 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’s at the perfect temperature for baking your cookies evenly.
- 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 texture.
- Add wet ingredients: Beat 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 ingredients. Mix until a dough forms with even consistency.
- Form cookie balls: Roll the dough into 1-inch balls and place them evenly spaced on the prepared baking sheet to promote uniform baking.
- Flatten cookies: Dip a glass in flour and gently press down each dough ball until about 1/2 inch thick, shaping the cookies.
- Bake cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for about 9 minutes, or until the tops just start to brown. Monitor closely to avoid over-baking.
- Cool cookies: Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool completely on a wire rack to set properly before icing.
- Prepare icing: In a bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Adjust the consistency by adding more powdered sugar or milk as necessary to get a spreadable icing.
- Color icing: Divide the icing evenly into four small bowls. Add 2 drops of each food coloring (green, pink, yellow, blue) into each bowl and mix well to create distinct pastel shades.
- Ice cookies: Dip each cooled cookie into the colored icing, coating the top surface completely for an even, glossy finish.
- Add sprinkles: Immediately sprinkle your choice of decorative sprinkles on top of the wet icing before it sets to add extra festive flair.
- Set and serve: Let the icing harden completely at room temperature before serving or storing the cookies to maintain their beautiful decoration and perfect texture.
Notes
- Ensure the butter is softened to room temperature for easier mixing and a smoother dough.
- Use parchment paper or a silicone baking mat to prevent sticking and promote even baking.
- Adjust icing consistency carefully to avoid it being too runny or too thick for dipping.
- Store baked and iced cookies in an airtight container at room temperature to keep them fresh for up to 5 days.
- For a firmer icing, allow cookies to set in a cool place or refrigerate briefly before serving.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 9 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
