Description
Celebrate the holiday season with these festive Christmas Lights Royal Icing Sugar Cookies. Soft, buttery sugar cookies are topped with vibrant royal icing shaped like colorful Christmas lights strung on a black icing wire, perfect for cookie exchanges, parties, or gift-giving. Easy to make and decorate, these classic treats bring cheerful holiday spirit to any gathering.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Sugar Cookies:
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
For the Royal Icing:
- 3 tablespoons meringue powder
- 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 6 tablespoons water (more as needed)
- Gel food coloring (black and assorted bright colors)
- Small round piping tips or squeeze bottles
Instructions
- Make the Sugar Cookies: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large mixing bowl, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, milk, vanilla, and almond extract if using. Gradually add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined.
- Shape and Bake: Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4-inch thickness. Use cookie cutters shaped like light bulbs, circles, or favorite holiday shapes to cut the dough. Transfer the shapes onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the edges just begin to turn golden. Remove from oven and let cookies cool completely on a wire rack before decorating.
- Make the Royal Icing: In a large bowl, combine meringue powder, sifted powdered sugar, and water. Beat on low speed for 7 to 10 minutes until stiff peaks form. Divide the icing into smaller bowls, tint with gel food coloring—using black for the wire and bright colors for the lights. Adjust icing consistency by adding a few drops of water for outlining or flooding as needed.
- Decorate the Cookies: Outline and flood each cookie with white royal icing to create the base layer. Allow this base coat to dry completely for several hours or overnight to prevent color bleeding. Use black icing to pipe a string of wire across the cookies. Dot along the wire with the colored icings to mimic glowing Christmas lights. Let the decorated cookies dry fully before stacking or storing in an airtight container.
Notes
- Allow each layer of icing to dry completely before adding additional colors to avoid bleeding.
- Store decorated cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
- Perfect for holiday cookie exchanges, gift giving, or festive party treats.
