Easy Royal Icing Christmas Cookies: Your Guide to Festive Decorations
A comprehensive guide to baking festive Christmas cookies and decorating them with royal icing. This recipe provides two methods for preparing royal icing, allowing for creative and beautiful holiday treats.
Equipment
- whisk
- Mixing bowls
- Spatula
- Plastic wrap
- Rolling Pin
- Cookie cutters
- Thin Metal Spatula
- Non-Stick Baking Tray
- Oven
- Sieve or Colander
- Piping bag
- Small Nozzle
- Toothpick
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 110 g unsalted butter soft, at room temperature
- 150 g granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ginger powder
- 0.5 tsp ground cinnamon
- 0.125 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp salt
- 1.5 tsp baking powder
- 250 g all-purpose flour + more to dust the surface for rolling
Royal Icing (Egg White Method)
- 1 egg white or 30g pasteurized egg whites
- 400 g icing sugar + more to adjust the consistency
- Water
Royal Icing (Meringue Powder Method)
- 150 g icing sugar
- 1 tbsp meringue powder
- Water
- liquid or gel food colouring
Instructions
Cookie Preparation
- Cream soft butter, granulated sugar, and salt together until the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Incorporate the egg into the creamed mixture until it is fully blended.
- Add the vanilla extract and all the ground spices, then mix until combined.
- Gradually add the flour and baking powder, mixing with a spatula, then gently knead with hands until a dough forms.
- Cover the cookie dough and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to firm up.
- On a floured surface, roll the chilled dough to 2-3mm thickness and cut out shapes using cookie cutters.
- Carefully transfer the cut cookies from the surface to a non-stick or parchment-lined baking tray using a thin metal spatula.
- Bake the cookies in a preheated oven at 180°C/350°F for 8-12 minutes, or until lightly golden.
- Allow the baked cookies to cool completely on the tray before attempting any decoration to prevent the icing from melting.
Royal Icing Preparation
- Sieve egg whites and 400g icing sugar into a bowl, then beat until combined and the texture is suitable for piping without spreading. Adjust consistency with water or lemon juice if too hard, or more sieved icing sugar if too soft.
- Sieve 150g icing sugar and meringue powder into a bowl, then gradually add water and mix until a paste forms with the desired consistency for decorating. Adjust consistency as needed by adding more water or sieved icing sugar.
- If not using the icing immediately, cover its surface with two layers of damp kitchen paper to prevent drying.
- Before use, re-assess the icing's thickness and adjust, remembering that food coloring will thin it out.
Decorating the Cookies
- Transfer the royal icing to a piping bag fitted with a small nozzle for precise decoration.
- To decorate, hold the nozzle about 3mm above the cookie and slowly squeeze the piping bag, allowing the string of icing to drop onto the cookie. Use a toothpick to smooth lines if necessary.
- For multi-layered designs, allow initial icing layers to dry for 5-10 minutes to prevent them from merging before adding more details. For a solid background, outline, fill, and then let dry before adding further decorations.
Notes
Ensure butter is at room temperature for optimal creaming. Chilling the dough is essential for easier handling and to maintain cookie shape during baking. Always allow cookies to cool completely before decorating, as warm cookies will melt the royal icing. Carefully adjust royal icing consistency by adding small amounts of water or extra icing sugar until it is suitable for piping. For best decorating results, use a piping bag fitted with a small nozzle. When creating layered designs, allow each layer of royal icing to partially dry for 5-10 minutes to prevent colors from bleeding or merging.