Ingredients
Sugar Cookie Dough
- 225 g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 200 g caster sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 375 g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp fine salt
Simple Royal Icing (for decorating)
- 2 large egg whites (or 4 tsp meringue powder + 60ml water)
- 320 g icing sugar, sifted
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- Gel food colouring (pink, white, lilac — whatever your daughter loves!)
- Sprinkles and decorations, to decorate
Method
Make the Dough
Beat the softened butter and caster sugar together in a stand mixer or with an electric hand mixer on medium speed for 3–4 minutes until pale and fluffy.
Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract. Beat until fully combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the plain flour, baking powder, and fine salt.
Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low speed until a soft dough just comes together. Don't overmix.
Divide the dough in half, flatten each into a disc, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or up to 2 days).
Roll & Cut
Preheat your oven to 180°C (fan-forced 160°C). Line baking trays with baking paper.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough to about 6mm thick. For crispier cookies, roll to 4mm; for thicker, softer cookies, roll to 8mm.
Cut out bunny shapes using your Easter cookie cutters. Place on the prepared trays about 3cm apart.
Re-roll any scraps and repeat. Chill the cut-out cookies on their trays in the fridge for 15 minutes — this is the secret to cookies that hold their shape.
Bake
Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the edges are just barely turning golden and the centres look set. Don't overbake — they firm up as they cool.
Cool on the tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.
Make the Royal Icing
Beat the egg whites (or the meringue powder mixed with 60ml water) with an electric mixer until foamy.
Add the sifted icing sugar and lemon juice. Beat on medium-high for 3–4 minutes until thick, glossy, and holding stiff peaks.
Divide the icing into separate bowls and tint with gel food colouring as desired.
For flooding (filling large areas), thin each colour with a few drops of water at a time until the icing slowly drizzles off a spoon and settles flat in about 10–15 seconds.
Transfer each colour to a piping bag or zip-lock bag with a tiny corner snipped off.
Decorate
Pipe an outline around the edge of each cookie first, then flood the centre with the thinned icing. Add sprinkles and decorations while the icing is still wet.
Allow cookies to dry for 2–4 hours (or overnight) until the royal icing is completely set and hard before stacking or packaging.
