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Soft Chewy Back-to-School Sugar Cookies with Pencil Royal Icing Recipe

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These soft, chewy sugar cookies feature a playful back-to-school pencil theme with detailed royal icing decorations. Perfect for bake sales, classroom parties, or a fun snack.

Ingredients

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  • 2 ¾ cups (345 g) all-purpose flour, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • ¼ cup (60 ml) whole milk (or almond milk for dairy-free)
  • 3 cups (360 g) powdered sugar, sifted (for royal icing)
  • 2 large egg whites (pasteurized if preferred, for royal icing)
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (for royal icing)
  • Food coloring gel in yellow, pink, brown, and black (for royal icing)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  3. Using an electric mixer, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
  4. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until fully combined.
  5. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, alternating with milk. Start and end with the flour mixture. Mix just until combined.
  6. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
  7. Lightly flour your work surface and roll the dough to about ¼ inch (6 mm) thickness. Use pencil-shaped cookie cutters or cut rectangles and triangles for the pencil tip. Transfer shapes to baking sheets with a spatula.
  8. Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes, or until edges are just starting to turn golden. Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
  9. Prepare royal icing: In a clean bowl, beat egg whites and lemon juice until foamy. Gradually add powdered sugar and beat on low speed until mixture holds stiff peaks, about 5-7 minutes.
  10. Divide icing into separate bowls and tint with food coloring gels: yellow for the pencil body, pink for the eraser, brown for the wood tip, and black for the graphite line.
  11. Using piping bags and fine tips, outline and fill the pencil shapes. Start with the yellow body, add the pink eraser on one end, brown wood tip on the other, and a thin black line to mimic the graphite.
  12. Let icing dry completely, ideally overnight, before stacking or packaging.

Notes

Chill dough for at least 30 minutes to prevent spreading and help cookies hold shape. Use room temperature butter and eggs for best texture. Beat butter and sugar well to trap air for softness. For royal icing, beat until stiff peaks form to hold shape. Practice piping on parchment before decorating cookies. Let icing dry fully, ideally overnight, to avoid smudging. Dough can be refrigerated up to 48 hours before baking. Store decorated cookies in airtight container up to 5 days; freeze un-iced dough up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Keywords: sugar cookies, back-to-school cookies, royal icing, pencil cookies, soft chewy cookies, bake sale, classroom party

Find it online: https://dahliadishes.com/soft-chewy-back-to-school-sugar-cookies-with-pencil-royal-icing-recipe/