Perfect Royal Icing Star Cookies Recipe Easy Edible Glitter Holiday Treats
These festive star-shaped cookies feature a buttery base topped with smooth royal icing and edible glitter, perfect for holiday celebrations and easy enough for last-minute baking.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 44 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 54 minutes
- Yield: About 24 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
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 (180 g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 large egg whites (pasteurized if preferred)
- 4 cups (480 g) powdered sugar, sifted
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract (optional)
- Edible glitter (silver or gold recommended)
- Food coloring gels (optional)
Instructions
- Mix the dry ingredients: whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. (5 minutes)
- Cream butter and sugar: beat softened butter and powdered sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. (4 minutes)
- Add egg and vanilla: beat in egg and vanilla extract until combined, do not overmix. (2 minutes)
- Combine wet and dry ingredients: gradually add dry ingredients to wet mixture on low speed until just combined. Chill dough 15 minutes if too sticky. (3 minutes)
- Chill the dough: wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight. (60 minutes)
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and prepare baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. (10 minutes)
- Roll and cut: roll dough to ¼ inch thickness on lightly floured surface, cut with star-shaped cookie cutters, transfer to baking sheets. (15 minutes)
- Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes until edges just start to turn golden. Cool on baking sheets 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. (10 minutes baking + 10 minutes cooling)
- Make royal icing: beat egg whites and cream of tartar until frothy, gradually add powdered sugar, beat until stiff peaks form (7-10 minutes). Stir in vanilla if desired. (15 minutes)
- Decorate: divide icing for coloring if desired, pipe outlines then flood centers on cookies. Sprinkle edible glitter while icing is wet. Let dry completely, ideally overnight. (20-30 minutes decorating + drying time)
Notes
Use pasteurized egg whites or meringue powder for safety. Chill dough well to prevent spreading. Keep icing covered with a damp towel between uses to prevent crusting. Let icing dry overnight for best results. Use gel food coloring sparingly to avoid thinning icing. For gluten-free, substitute flour 1:1 with gluten-free blend. For vegan, substitute egg whites with aquafaba.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie (3-inch dia
- Calories: 150
- Fat: 7
- Carbohydrates: 22
- Protein: 1
Keywords: royal icing cookies, star cookies, holiday cookies, edible glitter, Christmas cookies, easy cookie recipe, festive treats