Description
Celebrate the holidays with these festive Christmas Lights Royal Icing Sugar Cookies—classic sugar cookies topped with vibrant royal icing to resemble colorful Christmas light strings. Perfect for holiday gatherings and gifting, these cookies combine buttery, tender dough with smooth, glossy icing that hardens beautifully for detailed decoration.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Royal Icing
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons meringue powder
- 6 tablespoons water (plus more as needed)
- Black gel food coloring
- Assorted gel food colorings (red, green, blue, yellow, etc.) for the lights
Instructions
- Prepare Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt ensuring an even distribution of leaveners and seasoning throughout the flour.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: Using a large bowl, cream the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy. This process should take about 2–3 minutes using a mixer on medium speed, which helps incorporate air for tender cookies.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Beat in the large egg, vanilla extract, and if using, almond extract. Mix until fully combined which enhances flavor and structure.
- Combine Dry and Wet Mixtures: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix just until the dough starts to come together to avoid overworking, which could make the cookies tough.
- Chill Dough: Divide the dough into two halves and shape each into a flat disc. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for one hour to firm up the dough for easier rolling and cleaner cookie cuts.
- Roll and Cut Cookies: On a floured surface, roll out each disc of dough to approximately 1/4 inch thickness. Use your favorite cookie cutters, such as round or holiday shapes, to cut out shapes and place them on parchment-lined baking sheets.
- Bake Cookies: Bake in a preheated oven at 375°F (190°C) for 8–10 minutes or until the edges begin to turn a light golden color. Remove from the oven and let cookies cool completely on wire racks before decorating.
- Make Royal Icing: In a large bowl, combine powdered sugar, meringue powder, and water. Beat on medium-high speed with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form, about 5–7 minutes. Adjust consistency with additional water if necessary for piping.
- Color Icing and Decorate: Divide the icing into multiple bowls and tint using black gel food coloring for the string and assorted gel colors for bulbs. Pipe a black icing line to create the ‘string’ on each cookie, then pipe small multicolored ‘lights’ along the line.
- Dry and Store: Allow the decorated cookies to dry completely at room temperature so the royal icing hardens. Store in a single layer or separated with parchment paper to maintain decoration quality.
Notes
- Cookies can be prepared ahead of time and frozen unbaked or baked and frozen before decorating.
- Royal icing dries to a hard finish; store cookies in layers separated by parchment paper to prevent sticking or damage.
- Add edible glitter or sanding sugar to icing for extra sparkle and festive touch.
