The Best Royal Icing Ever
These Perfect No-Spread Sugar Cookies bake up with sharp edges, soft centers, and flawless surfaces—ideal for decorating with royal icing. After more than nine test batches, Sofie perfected the ultimate cut-out cookie that keeps its shape every time. Paired with an easy meringue-based royal icing, these cookies taste as incredible as they look—crisp, buttery, and beautifully decorated for any holiday or celebration.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes (plus 1 hour chill)
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Yield: 30 cookies
- Category: Dessert, Holiday Cookies, Christmas Recipes
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
### For the No-Spread Sugar Cookies
1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
### For the Royal Icing
4 cups (480g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
3 tablespoons meringue powder
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
6–8 tablespoons warm water
1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract (optional)
Gel food coloring, as desired
Instructions
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar on medium-high speed for 3–4 minutes until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until combined.
4. Reduce mixer to low and add the dry ingredients in three parts, mixing just until no streaks of flour remain.
5. Divide dough into two disks, wrap tightly, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
6. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
7. Roll out one chilled dough disk on a lightly floured surface to ¼-inch thickness. Cut desired shapes and place on prepared sheets.
8. Bake 8–10 minutes, until edges are lightly golden and centers are set.
9. Cool cookies on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.
10.
11. ### Make the Royal Icing
12. In a clean bowl, whisk warm water and meringue powder until dissolved.
13. Add cream of tartar and optional clear vanilla.
14. Add confectioners’ sugar all at once and beat on low speed for 10 minutes until thick, smooth, and glossy.
15. Divide icing, color as desired, and thin with small amounts of water to reach outlining or flooding consistency.
16. Decorate completely cooled cookies. Allow icing to dry 6–8 hours or overnight before stacking or storing.
Notes
**Storage & Make-Ahead**
• Dough disks keep refrigerated 3 days or frozen up to 3 months.
• Baked undecorated cookies last 1 week at room temperature or 3 months frozen.
• Decorated cookies keep 1 week at room temperature once icing is fully dry.
**Sofie’s Pro Tips**
• Chill the dough—cold dough means no spreading.
• Spoon-and-level flour for accuracy.
• Butter should be soft but not greasy; over-soft butter causes spreading.
• Use gel food coloring for vivid hues without watering down the icing.
• For the perfect “flood” consistency, use the 10-second knife test.
Find it online: https://pinchofwarmthbakes.com/the-best-royal-icing-ever/