Firework Sugar Cookies
Buttery and soft with slightly crisp edges, and not overly sweet. This soft cut-out sugar cookie recipe is the perfect cookie to pair with royal icing. Decorate with fun colors and sprinkles for any celebration!
Servings 24 3-4 inch cookies
Equipment
- Stand mixer with paddle attachment or hand held mixer
Ingredients
Sugar Cookies
- 1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature) (226 g)
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp granulated sugar (228 g)
- 1 egg (room temperature)
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (360 g)
Royal Icing
- 3 egg whites or 3.4 fl oz pasteurized liquid egg whites
- 4 cups powdered sugar (460 g)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract optional
Instructions
Sugar Cookies
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, equip the paddle attachment. If using a hand held mixer, equip beaters. Mix the butter on high speed for 30 seconds until creamy. Add the sugar and beat for 2 minutes on high speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature) , 1 cup + 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- Add the egg, vanilla extract, and pinch of salt and mix on medium until just combined.1 egg (room temperature), 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract, 1 pinch kosher salt
- Add in half of the flour and mix until incorporated, then add the other half. Stop mixing when there are no streaks of flour and the dough comes together.3 cups all-purpose flour
- Spread out a piece of plastic wrap onto the counter. Turn out the dough onto the plastic wrap. If the dough is slightly crumbly, gently knead it together. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Once chilled, preheat the oven to 350℉ (177℃). Prepare your baking trays with parchment paper.
- Divide the dough into two parts. Lightly flour a clean flat surface and place the dough on top. Gently knead the dough and press flat with your palm. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough, turning it as you roll for even thickness. If it's sticky, sprinkle flour on top of the dough. Roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thick.
- Cut out your shapes and place on a baking tray, 2 inches apart. Tip: bake the larger firework cookies on one pan, and the small stars on another pan. Because of the difference in size, the mini stars can burn if baked for as long as the larger fireworks cookies. Bake the firework cookies for 9-10 minutes. Bake the stars for 6-7 minutes.
- When the cookies look very light golden brown on the side and bottom, take them out of the oven and move them immediately onto a wire cooling rack. Don't let them sit on the hot pan or they will keep baking. Allow the cookies to cool completely before decorating.
Royal Icing
- Attach the whisk attachment to your stand mixer. If using liquid egg whites, measure out 3.4 fl oz. If using fresh eggs, separate your egg whites from the yolks. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add your egg whites.3 egg whites or 3.4 fl oz pasteurized liquid egg whites
- Beat the egg whites at low speed until frothy, about 30 seconds.
- Add powdered sugar one cup at a time and mix on low speed in-between additions. (Add optional vanilla extract)4 cups powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract
- After all the sugar is added, set the speed to medium-high and beat until stiff peaks form (5-8 minutes). When removing the whisk attachment, the peaks should stand up without running back into the bowl.
Decorating
- Divide the royal icing equally into bowls. Add 1 drop of food gel dye and mix, add more gel until your desired color. Transfer the icing into piping bags. Cut a small hole at the piping bag tip.
- Pour sprinkles into individual bowls, I find shallow bowls work the best.
- Fireworks: Lay a cookie on a flat surface. Pipe four slightly curved lines of royal icing. Dip the cookie into the sprinkles. (See images in the section "fireworks" in the post) Pipe the other four lines but don't dip into the sprinkles. Pipe the other four lines but don't dip into the sprinkles.
- Continue the same process with the other colors. Move the cookies to a wire cooling rack to dry.
- Mini Stars: Outline the star cookies and fill in with royal icing. Dip some stars into the sprinkles, and leave other stars plain. Move the cookies to a wire cooling rack to dry.
- Let the cookies dry overnight. Plain cookies or decorated cookies can last in an airtight container for 1 week at room temperature.
Notes
- Freezing: Cookie dough can be frozen up to 3 months. Let the dough thaw before rolling but not all the way until room temperature. Begin from step 5 above with slightly chilled dough. You can freeze undecorated cookies for 3 months. Let the cookies thaw before serving.
- Decorate: Ice cookies with royal icing. See my easy royal icing recipe with egg whites to answer all your royal icing questions. This royal icing recipe was made to pair with these sugar cookies. The cookies are buttery and not overly sweet, so the icing gives it a nice sweetness.
- Tools: The things that help me bake the perfect sugar cookies: Nordic Baking Pans 13 x 18 inches | Stand mixer or Hand held mixer | | Rubber spatula | Digital scale | Rolling pin
- Everything you need for decorating: AmeriColor soft gel paste food coloring 12 color kit | Piping bags | Sun shaped cookie cutter | Mini star cookie cutter | Edible gold glitter stars | Edible gold candy stars | Betty Crocker blue sugar | Wilton red sugar | Wilton pink sugar | Wilton pearlized gold sprinkles