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Perfect Soft-Baked Sugar Cookies Recipe Easy American Flag Decorations

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Soft, melt-in-your-mouth sugar cookies with a tender crumb and buttery flavor, decorated as American flags. Perfect for patriotic occasions and easy enough for bakers of all skill levels.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 ¾ cups (345 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons milk (whole milk preferred)
  • Royal icing or store-bought white icing (for decoration)
  • Red gel food coloring (for decoration)
  • Blue gel food coloring (for decoration)
  • Small star-shaped sprinkles or white nonpareils (for decoration)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar using an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
  4. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla extract until fully combined.
  5. Gradually add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk, starting and ending with flour. Mix on low speed until just combined; dough should be soft but not sticky.
  6. Shape the dough into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
  7. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to about ¼ inch (6 mm) thickness. Use rectangular or square cookie cutters to create flag shapes. Place cookies about 2 inches (5 cm) apart on prepared baking sheets.
  8. Bake for 9-11 minutes, until edges just start to turn golden but centers remain soft. Rotate pans halfway through baking.
  9. Let cookies cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
  10. Decorate cooled cookies using royal or store-bought white icing as a base. Tint small portions with red and blue gel food coloring. Spread blue in the top left corner, add red and white stripes with a small offset spatula or butter knife, and finish with star sprinkles or white nonpareils over the blue area. Let icing set at room temperature for at least 2 hours.

Notes

Do not overmix after adding dry ingredients to avoid tough cookies. Chill dough for at least 30 minutes (preferably 1 hour) to prevent spreading and make rolling easier. Pull cookies out when edges are barely golden to keep them soft. Decorate only after cookies have completely cooled to prevent icing from melting. Use a plastic sandwich bag with a snipped corner as a budget-friendly piping bag alternative. Keep baking sheets cool between batches to prevent spreading.

Nutrition

Keywords: soft sugar cookies, patriotic cookies, American flag cookies, Fourth of July dessert, easy sugar cookies, soft-baked cookies, kid-friendly cookies

Find it online: https://sparklechew.com/perfect-soft-baked-sugar-cookies-recipe-easy-american-flag-decorations/