Print

Cozy Thanksgiving Sugar Cookies with Easy Royal Icing Leaves

Thanksgiving sugar cookies - featured image
Print Recipe

These tender, buttery sugar cookies are decorated with glossy royal icing leaves, making them the perfect Thanksgiving treat. The recipe is forgiving and fun, ideal for bakers of all skill levels.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (2 sticks, 226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 and ¾ cups (345g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 4 cups (480g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 3 tablespoons meringue powder
  • 5–6 tablespoons warm water
  • Gel food coloring in autumn colors (leaf green, warm brown, orange)
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

Instructions

  1. Make the cookie dough. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides, then add the egg and vanilla extract. Beat until combined, about 30 seconds.
  2. Add the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix just until the dough comes together.
  3. Chill the dough. Divide the dough in half, flatten each half into a disk, and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
  4. Preheat and prep. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Take one disk of dough out of the fridge and let it sit for 5 minutes.
  5. Roll and cut. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to about ¼-inch thickness. Cut out leaf shapes and place on prepared baking sheets, spacing about 1 inch apart. Gather scraps, re-roll, and cut again.
  6. Bake. Bake for 8-10 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Edges should be just barely golden. Let cookies sit on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  7. Make the royal icing. In a large bowl, combine sifted powdered sugar and meringue powder. Add 5 tablespoons warm water and vanilla (if using). Beat on low speed until combined, then increase to medium-high and beat for 5-7 minutes until thick, glossy, and forming stiff peaks.
  8. Color and thin the icing. Divide icing into separate bowls for each color. Add gel food coloring a tiny drop at a time. For flood consistency, add water a few drops at a time until icing flows like honey and smooths out within 10 seconds. Reserve thicker icing for outlines and veins.
  9. Pipe the leaves. Fit piping bag with #2 tip and fill with thicker outline icing. Outline each leaf cookie, let outlines dry for 10 minutes. Then thin same color icing for flooding and fill in each leaf. Use a toothpick to spread icing into corners and pop air bubbles. Let flooded icing dry for at least 2 hours.
  10. Add leaf veins. Once base icing is completely dry, use thicker icing to pipe small veins down the center of each leaf. Let cookies dry completely, about 4-6 hours or overnight.

Notes

For best results, chill the dough overnight. Royal icing needs 4-6 hours to dry completely. If you don’t have meringue powder, you can substitute with 3 large egg whites and skip the water, but the texture won’t be as stable for detailed piping. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks, or frozen for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Keywords: Thanksgiving cookies, sugar cookies, royal icing, leaf cookies, fall baking, holiday cookies

Find it online: https://sparklechew.com/cozy-thanksgiving-sugar-cookies-with-easy-royal-icing-leaves/