Our Favorite Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing

We’ve been sharing this recipe for over 20 years—it’s still our favorite!

For the cookies:

1 cup (2 sticks) margarine

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 ½ cups flour

For the icing:

4 cups confectioners’ sugar

3 tablespoons meringue powder

½ - ¾ cup warm water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 

Cream margarine and sugar in your mixer bowl.  Beat in the egg and vanilla until well combined.  Add the flour and baking powder, one cup at a time, mixing after each addition.  Dough will be stiff. 

Roll out cookies on silicone mats or parchment paper. Cut desired shapes. Lift away scraps, never move the cookies. Slide the mat onto a cookie sheet.

Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are golden.  Remove from the oven and cool on a rack.

Prepare the icing:

In the bowl of your electric mixer stir the confectioners’ sugar and meringue powder with the flat beater until combined.  Add the water and beat on medium speed until very glossy and stiff peaks form (5 to 7 minutes). Color as desired using gel food color for best results.

Prep 30 min | Yield  48