Perfect Star-Spangled Sugar Cookies Recipe Easy Patriotic Royal Icing Tutorial
These star-shaped sugar cookies are tender yet crisp, decorated with vibrant red, white, and blue royal icing, perfect for patriotic celebrations like the Fourth of July.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Yield: 24 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 ¾ cups (345g) all-purpose flour (sifted)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ½ cups (300g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract (optional)
- 3 tablespoons meringue powder
- 4 cups (480g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 5–6 tablespoons warm water
- Gel food coloring in red and blue
- Optional: ½ teaspoon vanilla extract or lemon juice for flavor
Instructions
- Mix dry ingredients: whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar: beat softened butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add egg and extracts: beat in egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract if using until combined.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients: gradually add dry ingredients to wet, mixing on low until just incorporated.
- Chill dough: wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill in fridge for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
- Roll and cut: preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Lightly flour surface and rolling pin, roll dough to ¼-inch thickness, cut with star-shaped cookie cutters, and place on parchment-lined baking sheet 1 inch apart.
- Bake: bake for 8-10 minutes until edges start to turn golden; centers will look soft but will firm as they cool.
- Cool: let cookies cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely before decorating.
- Prepare royal icing: combine meringue powder and powdered sugar in a bowl, add 5 tablespoons warm water, beat on medium-high until stiff peaks form (about 5 minutes). Adjust consistency with water or sugar as needed.
- Color and decorate: divide icing into bowls for red, blue, and white; tint with gel food coloring. Use piping bags or squeeze bottles to outline cookies with thick icing, flood inside with thinned icing, smooth with toothpicks. Let dry at room temperature for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Notes
Sift powdered sugar to avoid lumps in icing. Chill dough well for clean cookie edges. If dough warms while rolling, chill again for 10-15 minutes. Cover icing bowls with damp cloths to keep workable. Let royal icing dry overnight for best results. Practice piping on parchment paper before decorating cookies.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 star-shaped cookie
- Calories: 165
- Sugar: 18
- Sodium: 80
- Fat: 7
- Saturated Fat: 4
- Carbohydrates: 25
- Protein: 1
Keywords: sugar cookies, royal icing, patriotic cookies, Fourth of July, star-shaped cookies, easy sugar cookies, holiday baking