| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 4 hr |
| Prep: | 3 hr 45 min |
| Cook: | 15 min |
| Yield: | 24 to 36 cookies |
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups cake flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1-pound box confectioners’ sugar (about 3 3/4 cups)
- 2 tablespoons meringue powder
- Nonpareils, for decorating (optional)
Instructions
- Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl.
- Beat the butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until incorporated. Reduce the mixer speed to low; add the flour mixture in 2 batches and beat until just incorporated. Divide the dough in half, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Working with 1 piece of dough at a time, lightly dust the dough with flour and roll out between 2 pieces of parchment paper until about 1/8 inch thick. Refrigerate until slightly firm, about 15 minutes. Cut out shapes using 2-to-4-inch cookie cutters and transfer to the prepared baking sheets. Gather the scraps and refrigerate until firm; reroll once to cut out more cookies. Refrigerate the cutouts until firm, about 30 minutes.
- Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees F. Bake the cookies, switching the position of the pans halfway through, until just golden, 13 to 15 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, make the icing: Sift the confectioners’ sugar and meringue powder into a large bowl. Beat in 6 tablespoons water with a mixer on medium speed until soft, glossy peaks form. Spread on the cookies and decorate with nonpareils. Let set, about 1 hour.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 30 servings |
| Calories | 178 |
| Total Fat | 6 g |
| Saturated Fat | 4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 29 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0 g |
| Sugar | 20 g |
| Protein | 1 g |
| Cholesterol | 22 mg |
| Sodium | 36 mg |
Reviews
It would be nice if you had correct instructions. You include baking powder and salt in the ingredients, but never mention again in the instructions. If that’s part of the flour “mix,” then please specify that. Most people don’t know that.
I love it so much
A friend made these cookies along with the icing recipe for the holidays. They were so incredibly tender and delicious. I’ve baked and tasted many iced sugar cookie recipes over the years and hands down the BEST sugar cookie I’ve ever tasted!
I made this with my grandson. they turned out very pretty anf tasted great! Will make these again soon! THanks!
So disappointed. Dough becomes mush in mere minutes out of the fridge. Flavor is nothing to write home about either. Wondering if something is missing.