Elegant Snowflake Cookies with Royal Icing ❄️✨
Celebrate the winter season with these stunning snowflake cookies, delicately decorated with royal icing in shimmering shades of white, silver, and blue, and finished with a frosty sprinkle of edible glitter. Perfect for parties, gifts, or simply indulging in a festive treat! 🧁💙
Equipment
- Snowflake-shaped cookie cutters
- Piping bags with fine tips
- Mixing bowls
- Electric mixer
- Rolling Pin
- Baking sheets lined with parchment paper
- Cooling racks
Ingredients
For the Snowflake Cookies:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp almond extract (optional)
For the Royal Icing:
- 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 3 tbsp meringue powder
- 9 tbsp water
- Gel food coloring (white, silver, blue)
- Edible glitter or luster dust
Instructions
Prepare the Sugar Cookie Dough:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract (if using). Mix until fully combined.
- Gradually incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, mixing until a soft dough forms.
- Divide the dough into two portions, shape into disks, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Roll and Cut the Cookies:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll out one disk of dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4-inch thickness.
- Cut out snowflake shapes using cookie cutters and place them 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Repeat with the second disk of dough.
- Bake for 8–10 minutes or until edges are lightly golden.
- Allow cookies to cool for a few minutes on the baking sheets before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Prepare the Royal Icing:
- Combine the sifted powdered sugar and meringue powder in a mixing bowl.
- Add water and beat on low speed until combined, then increase to high speed and whip until stiff peaks form.
- Divide the icing into separate bowls and tint with white, silver, and blue gel food coloring.
- Adjust icing consistency as needed: thick for outlining, slightly thinner for flooding.
Decorate the Cookies:
- Transfer each icing color into separate piping bags with fine tips.
- Outline each snowflake with icing, then flood the center with the same or a contrasting color.
- While the icing is still wet, sprinkle with edible glitter or luster dust for a frosty, shimmering effect.
- Allow the cookies to dry completely at room temperature, ideally overnight.
Notes
Pro Tips:
- Icing Consistency: Achieve a toothpaste-like consistency for outlining and a syrup-like consistency for flooding. Add small amounts of water or powdered sugar to adjust as needed.
- Practice Piping: If you’re new to decorating, practice designs on parchment paper before working on the cookies.
- Storage: Store finished cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.