Easter Cookies (Embellished & Festive!) (Gentle & Festive!)

These festive Easter cookies are smooth and buttery with hints of vanilla and almond. Fairly in pastel shades, they’re topped with my favourite royal icing and adorned like Easter eggs, PEEPS-inspired bunnies with marshmallow tails, and easy carrots. For extra easy designs, like on the bunnies and carrots, you need to use my straightforward glaze cookie icing. Attractive on a plate and fast to vanish, these springtime treats are eggs-tra particular. See what I did there? 😉

For at this time’s Easter cookies, I exploit my traditional sugar cookies recipe. No shock there as a result of it’s probably the most common recipes on my web site! It’s liked by many, and definitely one to maintain in your again pocket together with my recipes for chocolate chip cookies and pie crust.

(For those who want a smooth and nearly creamier-style sugar cookie, you possibly can take at this time’s adorning inspiration and apply it to my cut-out cream cheese cookies.)

So A lot to Love About These Easter Cookies

• Texture: For those who hold the rolled-out dough thick sufficient, you’ll be rewarded with further smooth and thick sugar cookie facilities. The sides are good and crisp, and the royal icing on high provides a pleasant textural distinction as effectively.
• Taste: Candy, vanilla and almond-hinted, and irresistibly buttery.
• Ease: The dough is surprisingly straightforward to place collectively, however if you would like the cookies to appear like the photographs right here, you’ll want just a few adorning instruments. See the total checklist of Really useful Instruments under.
• Time: I like to recommend setting apart a day for making and adorning these Easter cookies. It’s sometimes 4 hours begin to end, relying on the extent of adorning element you need. There’s loads of hands-off time if you wish to make one other certainly one of my spring dessert recipes!

Overview: Tips on how to Make Easter Cookies

1. Make cookie dough. You want 7–8 components for the dough. With so few components, it’s necessary that you simply comply with the recipe intently. Creamed butter and sugar present the bottom of the cookie dough. Egg is the cookie’s construction and vanilla extract provides taste. I nearly at all times add a contact of almond extract for added taste. Flour is an apparent addition, baking powder provides raise, and salt balances the candy.
2. Divide in 2 items. Smaller sections of dough are simpler to roll out.
3. Roll out cookie dough. Roll it out to 1/4 inch thickness. If in case you have problem evenly rolling out dough, do that adjustable rolling pin. It’s actually useful!
4. Chill rolled-out cookie dough. With out chilling, these cookie cutter cookies gained’t maintain their form. Chill the rolled-out cookie dough for not less than 2 hours and as much as 2 days.
5. Minimize into shapes. For those who want strategies for cookie cutters, I really like Ann Clark model. (Not sponsored, only a real fan!) For the cookies pictured right here, I used an egg cookie cutter, bunny cookie cutters, and the carrot from this set. That set contains an egg and a bunny, plus different Easter and spring-themed shapes.
6. Bake & cool. Relying on measurement, the cookies take about 12 minutes.
7. Adorn. Extra on the icing under.

The Trick Is the Order of Steps

Discover how I roll out the dough BEFORE chilling it within the fridge?

Let me clarify why I do that. Similar to once you’re making, say, double chocolate chip cookies, to stop the them from over-spreading, the cookie dough should chill within the fridge. For at this time’s Easter cookies, roll out the dough proper after you put together it, then chill the rolled-out dough. (As a result of at this level the dough is simply too smooth to chop into shapes.) Don’t chill the cookie dough after which attempt to roll it out as a result of it will likely be too chilly. I divide the dough in half earlier than rolling it out and extremely suggest you do the identical. Smaller sections of dough are merely extra manageable.

Right here’s one other trick! Roll out the cookie dough immediately on silicone baking mats or parchment paper sheets so you possibly can simply switch it to the fridge. Choose the entire thing up, set it on a baking sheet, and place it within the fridge. For those who don’t have sufficient room for two baking sheets in your fridge, you possibly can stack the items of rolled-out dough on high of one another (with parchment or baking mat in between).

The cookies keep smooth for days, so if you wish to save time, these are a wonderful make forward Easter dessert choice since you gained’t lose any deliciousness. Hold them in an hermetic container at room temperature till prepared to brighten.

Select Your Icing

I hyperlink to 2 icing choices within the written recipe under. You should use both icing on at this time’s Easter cookies, and it simply depends upon the look you’re going for. (And the way a lot effort you need to put in!)

1. Select royal icing if you would like clear, crisp, ornamental element in your cookies, notably the Easter egg cookies in these photographs. It’s truly my most well-liked sugar cookie icing as a result of it’s straightforward to make use of, dries in a pair hours, and doesn’t have a texture akin to hardened cement. It’s truly on the softer aspect! It requires meringue powder, which is a specialty ingredient however is extra available lately. Yow will discover it in some baking aisles, most craft shops which have a baking part, or store for meringue powder on-line.
2. Select straightforward cookie icing in case you’re going for a extra easy design such because the pictured bunnies and carrots. You may *in all probability* use this for the element on the Easter egg sugar cookies, however the element gained’t be as sharp. I normally go for this icing if I’m adorning with younger bakers, or if I don’t really feel like utilizing my electrical mixer. It has a glaze consistency, and takes longer to dry than the royal icing: about 24 hours.

On at this time’s pictured cookies, I used royal icing.

Once more, use royal icing for clear particulars on the Easter egg-shaped cookies. Divide the batch of royal icing up into just a few bowls, and use gel meals coloring to tint the icing totally different colours. I exploit Wilton spherical icing tip #4 for outlining and flooding, then let that layer dry utterly. I normally place the adorned cookies on a baking sheet (or I adorn them immediately on the baking sheet), make some room within the fridge, and stick the pan inside. The icing will set in about half-hour.

Then I exploit Wilton icing tip #2 or icing tip #1 for the strains and dots.

Or use glaze-style cookie icing for a easy ornament. This works on merely adorned cookies comparable to these Christmas sugar cookies and would work splendidly on the bunnies and carrots in at this time’s photographs. (You may, in fact, use royal icing for the bunnies and carrots as a substitute.)

For the bunnies, I saved the icing white and added sanding sugar sprinkles on high whereas the icing was moist, then lower a marshmallow in half for the tail. For the carrots, I saved the icing white for the stems and added inexperienced sanding sugar. Then I tinted a number of the icing orange for the carrot itself.

For the bunnies, you may even skip the marshmallow tails and use some melted chocolate or brown icing so as to add eyes and a nostril. So cute!

Stack, wrap, present, and/or retailer: As soon as the icing layers have set, you possibly can stack, wrap, present, and/or retailer these Easter cookies for per week. Are you able to imagine that a number of the cookies in these photos are 3 weeks outdated? I froze them, allow them to thaw on the counter, and snapped an image earlier than I set them out for serving. There’s a bit little bit of a texture distinction between frozen and thawed icing and freshly-made icing (each icings style a *bit* tougher after freezing), however nobody ever appears to thoughts… or discover.

Really useful Instruments for Your Easter Cookies

1. Handheld or Stand Mixer
2. Rolling Pin or this Adjustable Rolling Pin
3. Baking Sheets
4. Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Sheets
5. Cookie Cutters: I used an egg cookie cutter, bunny cookie cutters, and the carrot from this set. That set contains an egg and a bunny, plus different Easter and spring-themed shapes.
6. Americolor Gentle Gel Paste Shade Equipment: In my expertise, that is the BEST coloring for royal icing and easy glaze cookie icing. The colours are at all times so wealthy and vivid. You solely want a teeny drip for the pastel colours in at this time’s cookies. So these colours will final you a really very long time! I used the sky blue, lemon yellow, violet, and fuchsia. And I used the orange for the carrots.
7. Piping Suggestions/Squeeze Bottle: For those who’re utilizing piping baggage and icing suggestions, I like to recommend Wilton icing tip #4 for outlining and flooding your cookies. For exact element, such because the dots and contours on the Easter egg cookies, use icing tip #2 or icing tip #1. For those who’re not piping intricate particulars in your cookies, you need to use a squeeze bottle as a substitute of piping baggage and icing suggestions. A bottle is much less intimidating than piping suggestions, and really straightforward for younger bakers to make use of. I don’t suggest a squeeze bottle if you would like sharp icing element, although.
8. Disposable or reusable piping baggage: You should use these for both icing, alongside together with your icing suggestions.
9. Coupler(s): For those who solely have 1 piping tip and need to adorn with a number of colours of icing, hold the tip on the skin of the bag through the use of a coupler so you possibly can simply switch the piping tip to different baggage of coloured icing.
10. Sanding Sugar Sprinkles – These are offered in most grocery shops within the baking aisle. You too can organize them on-line. I like Wilton or CK Merchandise manufacturers. I exploit these on the pictured bunnies and carrot cookies.

You’ll additionally take pleasure in my buttercream egg candies or peanut butter eggs. And hop on over to my Easter recipes part or my Easter brunch recipes put up in case you want extra festive concepts. 🙂

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Easter Cookies (Embellished & Festive)

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  Creator: Sally
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  Prep Time: 2 hours, half-hour
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  Cook dinner Time: 12 minutes
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  Complete Time: 4 hours, 45 minutes (contains cooling)
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  Yield: 24 3-4 inch cookies
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  Class: Cookies
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  Methodology: Baking
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  Delicacies: American

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Description

These festive Easter cookies are smooth and buttery with hints of vanilla and almond. Fairly in pastel shades, they’re topped with my favourite royal icing and adorned like Easter eggs, PEEPS-inspired bunnies with marshmallow tails, and easy carrots. For extra easy designs, like on the bunnies and carrots, you need to use my straightforward glaze cookie icing.

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Directions

1. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt collectively in a medium bowl. Put aside.
2. In a big bowl utilizing a handheld or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar collectively on excessive pace till utterly easy and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla, and almond extract (if utilizing) and beat on excessive pace till mixed, about 1 minute. Scrape down the edges and up the underside of the bowl and beat once more as wanted to mix.
3. Add the dry components to the moist components and blend on low till mixed. Dough will likely be a bit smooth. If the dough appears too smooth and sticky for rolling, add 1 extra Tablespoon of flour.
4. Divide the dough into 2 equal elements. Place every portion onto a bit of calmly floured parchment paper or a calmly floured silicone baking mat. With a calmly floured rolling pin, roll the dough out to about 1/4-inch thickness. Use extra flour if the dough appears too sticky. The rolled-out dough may be any form, so long as it’s evenly 1/4-inch thick.
5. Flippantly mud one of many rolled-out doughs with flour. Place a bit of parchment on high. (This prevents sticking.) Place the 2nd rolled-out dough on high. Cowl with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, then refrigerate for not less than 1-2 hours and as much as 2 days.
6. As soon as chilled, preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line 2-3 massive baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Rigorously take away the highest dough piece from the fridge. If it’s sticking to the underside, run your hand below it to assist take away it. Utilizing a cookie cutter, lower the dough into shapes. I used an egg cookie cutter, bunny cookie cutters, and the carrot from this set. That set contains an egg and a bunny, plus different Easter and spring-themed shapes.
7. Re-roll the remaining dough and proceed slicing till all is used. Repeat with 2nd piece of dough. (Observe: It doesn’t look like plenty of dough, however you get plenty of cookies from the dough scraps you re-roll.)
8. Prepare cookies on baking sheets 3 inches aside. Bake for 11-12 minutes or till calmly browned across the edges. In case your oven has scorching spots, rotate the baking sheet midway via bake time. Permit cookies to chill on the baking sheet for five minutes then switch to a wire rack to chill utterly earlier than adorning.
9. Adorn: Put together royal icing or cookie glaze icing. For those who’re utilizing royal icing, it’s greatest to make use of piping baggage and suggestions. For those who’re utilizing the cookie glaze icing, you need to use a squeeze bottle or piping baggage/suggestions. Understand that if you would like sharp design element on the Easter eggs, it’s greatest to make use of royal icing and piping baggage/suggestions.
10. For the carrots and bunnies: Hold a lot of the icing white for the bunnies and carrot tops, and tint some orange for the carrots. Utilizing icing tip #4 or a squeeze bottle, define and flood the bunnies and the carrot stems. Instantly high with sanding sugar sprinkles. And, for the bunnies, add a halved marshmallow “tail” whereas the icing continues to be moist. If making the carrot cookies, define and flood the orange icing after making use of the inexperienced sprinkles on the stems. Permit icing to set. No have to cowl the adorned cookies as you look ahead to the icing to set. If it’s useful, adorn the cookies immediately on a baking sheet so you possibly can stick all the baking sheet within the fridge to assist pace up the icing setting. Royal icing units inside about 2 hours, and cookie glaze icing units in about 24 hours. 
11. For the Easter eggs: Divide icing up between just a few bowls. I used 4 colours: sky blue, lemon yellow, violet, and fuchsia. I left some icing white. Utilizing icing tip #4, define and flood together with your base colour(s). Permit icing to set (I place the cookies within the fridge so the icing units in about half-hour). Utilizing piping tip #2 or piping tip #1, add ornamental designs in numerous colours like polka dots, squiggles, plaid, or stripes. Permit icing to set. No have to cowl the adorned cookies as you look ahead to the icing to set. If it’s useful, adorn the cookies immediately on a baking sheet so you possibly can stick all the baking sheet within the fridge to assist pace up the icing setting. Royal icing units inside about 2 hours.
12. Take pleasure in cookies instantly or wait till the icing units to serve them. As soon as the icing has set, these cookies are nice for gifting or for sending. Plain or adorned cookies keep smooth for about 5 days when coated tightly at room temperature. For longer storage, cowl and refrigerate for as much as 10 days.

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Notes

1. Freezing Directions: Plain or adorned sugar cookies freeze effectively as much as 3 months. Anticipate the icing to set utterly earlier than layering between sheets of parchment paper in a freezer-friendly container. To thaw, thaw within the fridge or at room temperature. You too can freeze the cookie dough for as much as 3 months earlier than rolling it out. Put together the dough via step 3, divide in half, flatten each halves right into a disk as we do with pie crust, wrap every in plastic wrap, then freeze. To thaw, thaw the disks within the fridge, then convey to room temperature for about 1 hour. Roll out the dough as directed in step 4, then chill rolled out dough within the fridge for 45 minutes – 1 hour earlier than slicing into shapes and baking.
2. Particular Instruments (affiliate hyperlinks): Electrical Mixer (Handheld or Stand Mixer) | Baking Sheets | Silicone Baking Mats or Parchment Sheets | Cookie Cutters (I used an egg cookie cutter, bunny cookie cutters, and the carrot from this set.) | Americolor Gentle Gel Paste Shade Equipment | Wilton Icing Tip #4 for outlining and flooding| Wilton Icing Tip #2 or Wilton Icing Tip #1 for Easter egg element | Squeeze Bottle |Disposable or Reusable Piping Baggage | Couplers
3. Room Temperature: Room temperature butter is crucial. If the dough is simply too sticky, your butter might have been too smooth. Room temperature butter is definitely cool to the contact. Room temperature egg is most well-liked so it’s rapidly and evenly blended into the cookie dough.
4. Flavors: I really like flavoring this cookie dough with 1/2 teaspoon almond extract as listed within the components above. For lighter taste, use 1/4 teaspoon. As a substitute of the almond extract, strive utilizing 1 teaspoon of maple extract, coconut extract, lemon extract, or peppermint extract. Or add 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or floor cinnamon. If utilizing lemon extract, you too can add 1 Tablespoon lemon zest.
5. Make sure you take a look at my high 5 cookie baking suggestions AND these are my 10 must-have cookie baking instruments.