Vanilla Almond Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing

I made these cookies for my boyfriend's birthday last year! He is a huge Toronto Maple Leafs fan, so these went over very well!

Cookie Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 cup sugar

2 sticks butter

1 egg

1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. pure almond extract

Cookie Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and place rack in center of oven. Line 2-3 baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder, set aside.

In a separate bowl. cream together the sugar and butter with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the egg and vanilla and almond extracts and mix. Gradually add in the flour mixture and beat just until combined, scraping down the bowl, especially the bottom. If the dough is too crumbly, add in a little milk until it starts to come together.

Roll the dough onto a floured surface and cut into shapes. Place on the parchment lined baking sheets and refrigerate for 10-15 minutes. Bake for 9-11 minutes. Once out of the oven, let the cookies sit for a few minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack. Let the cookies cool completely before icing.

*Recipe adapted from Bake at 350

Royal Icing - This icing can be made using egg whites or meringue powder. I couldn't find any meringue powder so I used egg whites in my recipe. Both result in a stiff icing that works great for piping and hardens once it's completely dry. This makes these cookies perfect for packaging and mailing because the icing won't smear or run, and it also acts as a preservative to help the cookies stay fresher for longer. Just make sure you let the icing dry for about 6-8 hours or even overnight before packaging them.

Royal Icing Using Egg Whites Ingredients:

2 large egg whites

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon extract (vanilla, lemon, almond)

3 cups confectioners icing sugar, sifted

Directions: With a hand mixer, beat the egg whites with the lemon juice and extract until combined. Add the sifted icing sugar and beat on low speed until combined and smooth. Add food coloring if using. The icing needs to be used immediately or transferred to an airtight container as royal icing hardens when exposed to air. Cover with plastic wrap when not in use.

Royal Icing Using Meringue Powder Ingredients:

4 cups icing sugar

3 tablespoons meringue powder

1 teaspoon extract (vanilla, lemon, almond)

1/2 - 3/4 cup warm water

Directions: With a hand mixer, beat the icing sugar and meringue powder until combined. Add the water and beat on medium to high speed until very glossy and stiff peaks form (5 to 7 minutes). If necessary, to get the right consistency, add more powdered sugar or water. Add food coloring if using. The icing needs to be used immediately or transferred to an airtight container as royal icing hardens when exposed to air. Cover with plastic wrap when not in use.

*Recipe adapted from Joy of Baking
Note: To color my icing I use Wilton Gel Pastes as opposed to regular food coloring because they don’t thin the icing and it requires a lot less to color the icing. They also come in a large variety of colors and shades, which eliminates the guesswork of trying to create the color you want on your own. You can find gel pastes at craft or party stores (I get mine at Michaels), or order them online. They are a tad on the pricey side, but they will last way way longer and give you a better result than regular food coloring.

*Recipe from Bake at 350