Spring Easter Cookies (Printable)

Light, buttery cookies decorated with colorful pastel icing, perfect for spring celebrations.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cookie Dough

01 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
03 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
04 - 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
05 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
06 - 1 large egg
07 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
08 - 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

→ Royal Icing

09 - 2 cups powdered sugar
10 - 1 1/2 tablespoons meringue powder
11 - 3-4 tablespoons water
12 - Pastel gel food coloring (pink, yellow, green, purple)
13 - Assorted Easter-themed sprinkles

# Directions:

01 - Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside for later use.
02 - Beat butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy, approximately 2-3 minutes.
03 - Mix in egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract until fully incorporated into the butter mixture.
04 - Gradually add dry ingredients to wet mixture, mixing until just combined. Avoid overmixing.
05 - Divide dough in half, form into disks, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
06 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
07 - Roll dough on floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into Easter shapes using cookie cutters.
08 - Arrange cookies 1 inch apart on prepared sheets. Bake for 9-11 minutes until edges begin to lightly brown.
09 - Transfer cookies to wire rack and allow to cool completely before decorating.
10 - Combine powdered sugar, meringue powder, and water in medium bowl. Mix until smooth and glossy, adjusting water for desired consistency.
11 - Divide icing into small bowls. Add gel food coloring to achieve pastel shades.
12 - Apply colored icing to cooled cookies. Add sprinkles while icing is wet. Allow icing to set completely before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The dough comes together in minutes but tastes like you spent all day on them
  • They hold their shape perfectly so your Easter bunnies actually look like bunnies
  • The royal icing dries smooth and professional without any fancy techniques
02 -
  • Chilling the dough is mandatory or your cookies will spread into unrecognizable blobs
  • The icing consistency should be like honey too thick and it will not spread too thin and it will run off the edges
  • Gel food coloring is worth the investment because liquid coloring will ruin your icing texture
03 -
  • Rotate your baking sheets halfway through baking for even browning
  • Let cookies cool completely on the sheet for 5 minutes before moving them to a rack
  • Invest in a set of squeeze bottles for piping icing they are easier than bags

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