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Perfect Pastel Marbled Sugar Cookies Recipe Easy Homemade Royal Icing Tutorial

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These pastel marbled sugar cookies feature a tender, flavorful base with a unique marbling technique and a smooth royal icing finish, perfect for any occasion and easy enough for casual bakers.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 ¾ cups (345g) all-purpose flour (sifted)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 ½ cups (300g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • Gel food coloring in pastel shades (soft pink, baby blue, mint green, lavender)
  • 3 cups (360g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 2 large egg whites (or 4 tablespoons meringue powder mixed with 6 tablespoons water)
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice or vanilla extract
  • Water (to thin icing as needed)

Instructions

  1. Prepare the Cookie Dough: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In your mixer bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar on medium speed until fluffy and pale—about 3-4 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract, mixing until combined.
  2. Create the Pastel Dough Colors: Divide the dough evenly into 4 bowls. Add a small amount of gel food coloring to each—start with about 2 drops and knead gently until the color spreads evenly.
  3. Marble the Dough: On a clean surface, place small dollops of each colored dough next to one another. Fold and gently twist the dough a few times to create swirls without fully blending colors. Shape into a ball and roll out to about ¼-inch (6mm) thickness.
  4. Cut and Bake: Use cookie cutters to stamp shapes from the marbled dough. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets about 1 inch apart. Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for 12-15 minutes or until edges are just turning golden. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
  5. Make the Royal Icing: In a clean bowl, beat egg whites (or meringue powder mixture) and lemon juice until foamy. Gradually add sifted powdered sugar, beating until the icing holds stiff peaks but is still smooth. Thin with a teaspoon of water at a time to reach flooding consistency.
  6. Color and Marble the Icing: Divide icing into 4 bowls. Tint each with a drop or two of pastel gel colors. Spoon small amounts of each colored icing side-by-side into a piping bag or squeeze bottle to create a marbled effect.
  7. Decorate the Cookies: Pipe the marbled royal icing onto cooled cookies. Use a toothpick or skewer to gently swirl the colors if desired. Let cookies sit at room temperature until the icing hardens, about 2-3 hours.

Notes

Do not overmix the dough to keep cookies tender. Chill dough for at least 30 minutes if kitchen is warm to prevent spreading. Use gel food coloring to avoid thinning dough or icing. Practice steady piping pressure for smooth royal icing. Sift flour and powdered sugar to avoid lumps. Let royal icing dry naturally for best results; avoid freezing iced cookies. If icing thickens during decorating, add a few drops of water to loosen.

Nutrition

Keywords: pastel marbled sugar cookies, royal icing, sugar cookies, marbled cookies, easy sugar cookie recipe, homemade royal icing, pastel cookies, baking, cookie decorating

Find it online: https://breezybake.com/perfect-pastel-marbled-sugar-cookies-recipe-easy-homemade-royal-icing-tutorial/