Description
Buttery vanilla cut-out sugar cookies shaped like apples and finished with smooth red royal icing, green leaves, stems, glasses, eyes, and cheerful smiles.
Ingredients
3 cups (about 360 g) all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon fine salt
1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups (about 480 g) confectioners’ sugar
3 tablespoons meringue powder
About 5 tablespoons water, plus more by drops as needed
Red gel food coloring
Green gel food coloring
Brown gel food coloring
Black gel food coloring
Small amount of icing reserved white
Instructions
1. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
2. Beat the butter and granulated sugar for 2–3 minutes until smooth and slightly lighter.
3. Beat in the egg and vanilla.
4. Add the dry ingredients on low speed just until a dough forms.
5. Divide into two disks, wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
6. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment.
7. Roll the dough ¼ inch thick and cut into 18 apple shapes.
8. Transfer to prepared pans. Chill the cut cookies for 10 minutes if the dough feels soft.
9. Bake for 9–11 minutes, until set with only very light coloring around the edges.
10. Cool on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack and cool completely.
11. Beat confectioners’ sugar, meringue powder, and about 5 tablespoons water into royal icing. Adjust the consistency by adding water a few drops at a time.
12. Divide the icing and prepare red, green, brown, black, and white portions.
13. Outline and flood each cookie with red icing. Allow it to crust for 15–20 minutes.
14. Pipe the brown stem, green leaf, black glasses and smile, white eyes, and tiny black pupils.
15. Leave the cookies uncovered for about 4 hours, until the icing is completely firm.
Notes
Keep the dough cool for sharper apple shapes.
Do not overbake; the cookies continue firming as they cool.
Never taste raw cookie dough containing untreated flour or raw egg.
Keep royal icing covered whenever it is not being used.
Allow the red flood icing to crust before piping dark details.
Do not stack or package cookies until the icing is completely dry.
Storage: Store airtight at cool room temperature for up to 5 days with parchment between layers.
Freezing: Freeze undecorated baked cookies or wrapped dough for up to 2 months. Thaw before decorating.
Reheating: Not recommended because heat can soften or damage royal icing.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 decorated cookie
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 38g
- Sodium: 110mg
- Fat: 11g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 53g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 0