Easy Sugar Cookie Icing Recipes

SUGAR COOKIE ICING

Steps:

• In a small bowl, stir together confectioners' sugar and milk until smooth. Beat in corn syrup and almond extract until icing is smooth and glossy. If icing is too thick, add more corn syrup.
• Divide into separate bowls, and add food colorings to each to desired intensity. Dip cookies, or paint them with a brush.

SUGAR COOKIE ICING

Steps:

• Stir together the sugar, 3 tablespoons milk, corn syrup, and vanilla in a medium-sized bowl until combined.(If icing is too thick, add the remaining tablespoon of milk, until the icing is thick but pipeable. If it's too thin, add a little more powdered sugar until desired texture is reached. If you drizzle a little of the icing with a whisk, the ribbon of icing will hold for a few seconds before melting back into the icing. That is when you know it's the right consistency and is ready to use.)
• If coloring the icing with different colors, divide into bowls and color as desired at this point.
• Transfer icing to a piping bag with a piping tip (I use Wilton 5.)
• Pipe icing onto cookies and decorate, as desired. (If using sanding sugar or sprinkles, they need to be added before the icing starts to set.)
• Allow icing to completely harden at room temperature before enjoying (this can take anywhere from 3 hours to overnight depending on the consistency and thickness of your icing.)
• NOTE: Don't miss all the coloring and decorating tips in the full article!
• NOTE: This recipe makes enough to decorate 40, 3-inch cookies. Calories calculated are for the icing only and do not include cookies.

SUGAR COOKIES WITH ROYAL ICING

Steps:

• Sift the cake flour, baking powder and salt onto a piece of parchment paper or into a medium bowl; set aside. Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until incorporated. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the flour mixture in 2 batches until just incorporated. Divide between 2 pieces of plastic wrap; shape into disks. Wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour. (The dough can be frozen for up to 1 month; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling.)
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Working with 1 disk at a time, roll out the dough on a floured surface, dusting with flour as needed, until about 1/8 inch thick. Cut out shapes with 2-to-4-inch cookie cutters; arrange 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. (If the dough becomes too soft as you work, return to the refrigerator until firm.) Gather the scraps and refrigerate until firm; reroll once to cut out more cookies. Chill the cutouts 30 minutes.
• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until the cookies are slightly puffed and just golden, 13 to 15 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely before icing.
• Whisk one 1-pound box confectioners' sugar and 2 tablespoons meringue powder in a large bowl. Add 5 tablespoons water and beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until soft glossy peaks form, adding up to 1 more tablespoon water if necessary. Cover the bowl with a damp paper towel and plastic wrap until ready to use to prevent the icing from drying out.

SOFT FROSTED SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Beat vegetable shortening, white sugar, 1/4 cup milk, eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract together in a bowl. Whisk flour, salt, and baking soda in a separate bowl. Slowly beat flour mixture into shortening mixture to make a smooth dough.
• Roll dough out 1/4-inch thick on a floured work surface and cut into shapes. Arrange cookies on baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cookies are firm, about 10 minutes. Let cool.
• Beat butter, confectioners' sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 2 tablespoons milk in a bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until frosting is spreadable and slightly fluffy. Frost cooled cookies.

BUTTER ICING FOR SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Combine confectioners' sugar butter, vanilla and milk, beating until creamy. Thin with a few more drops of milk (if necessary) to reach desired spreading consistency. Stir in optional food coloring. Spread frosting over cooled cookies and decorate with colored sugar, if desired.

EASY SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Gradually blend in the dry ingredients. Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls, and place onto ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden. Let stand on cookie sheet two minutes before removing to cool on wire racks.

SUGAR COOKIE FROSTING

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream together the confectioners' sugar and shortening until smooth. Gradually mix in the milk and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth and stiff, about 5 minutes. Color with food coloring if desired.

SUGAR COOKIE ICING

Steps:

• Stir the powdered sugar and the milk until smooth.
• Beat in corn syrup and vanilla until icing is smooth and glossy.
• If it's too thick, add more corn syrup.
• Divide icing into separate bowls and stir in food coloring as desired.
• You can dip the cookies, paint them with a paint brush or spread them using a knife or the back of a spoon.

EASY SUGAR COOKIE ICING

Steps:

• Beat all ingredients together until the icing becomes thick, shiny and smooth. 5-8 minutes at low speed with a heavy-duty mixer, 8-10 minutes at high speed with a handheld mixer.
• Use medium consistency icing to make outlines. Add 1/8 tsp water for every 1/2 cup of stiff icing base. Use a flat utensil such as a small silicone spatula, angled spatula or straight spatula to mix. Stir slowly using a figure 8 motion until reaching soft or medium peaks. Avoid beating or mixing vigorously. Ice the outline of each cookie using a piping bag. This consistency is also great for detailed cookie decorating.
• Use thin consistency icing for covering a cookie. Add 1/2 teaspoon of water for every 1/2 cup of base icing. Use the same mixing instructions for a medium consistency. Flood the inside of each cookie using a piping bag.
• To check for correct thin consistency, take some icing on a spatula and drop it back down into the bowl. If it sinks after a full count of 10, then the thin consistency icing is correct. If not, add a couple drops of water at a time to your icing until reaching the proper consistency.
• Add food coloring using a toothpick. It's best to color your icing before diluting it to flooding consistency, as liquid coloring may contribute to watering down the consistency.
• Add additional flavor with liquid flavorings like vanilla extract or almond extract with 1/4 teaspoon at a time. Taste as you go until you reach the desired flavor. Like coloring, add these flavors before thinning the icing.

EASY SUGAR COOKIE ICING

Steps:

• Add the powdered sugar, corn syrup, vanilla extract and 3 tablespoons cream to a medium-sized bowl. Whisk together until well combined. It may seem dry at first, but it'll come together.
• Add additional milk or cream to get the right consistency.
• Divide the icing into as many bowls as you need for the colors you want. Stir in gel icing color, a little bit at a time, until it reaches your desired shade.
• Add the icing to squeeze bottles or piping bags with small round tips for piping, or use a knife or offset spatula to spread the icing onto your cookies.
• Allow the icing to dry. For it to be fully hard and able to be stacked on, give it 4-5 hours or overnight.

SUGAR COOKIE ICING

Steps:

• Decorate the cookies and enjoy!