My Favorite Royal Icing

My twin sons' 8th birthday is coming up and as I was trying to figure out what to make to send in to school for them to share with their classmates, I realized I only have 2 birthdays left of them being in single digits so I should use these number cookie cutters again that I bought and used when they turned 5.

I used this sugar cookie recipe (it's easy and great because it doesn't need refrigerated like some do), this royal icing recipe and these dye-free sprinkles (I used the entire bottle of sprinkles for these). For the cookies I use a Cookie Rolling pin, which makes rolling out the cookie dough so easy. It makes 1/4" thick cookies but they also have a thicker 5/16" rolling pin. I got 54 "8" shaped cookies out of a double recipe.

I like the make the cookies one day, freeze them, and then make the icing another day. One recipe of this icing is enough for two to three recipes of the sugar cookies that I make, depending on how thick the icing is. The cookies are a little soft and I like to dip them in the icing rather than pipe it on, so doing that when they are frozen and less likely to break works well. I find it easiest to dip the cookies in the icing, let the excess run off, then turn the cookie right side up and lightly shake it so the icing will even out. I use a toothpick to pop air bubbles and smooth out the icing, then I top with sprinkles (note that sprinkle colors might run on the white icing) and let them set for at least 2 hours (longer if it the icing is thick) before putting the cookies back in the freezer.

For the icing I use Wilton Meringue Powder, which you can find in the baking aisle of your grocery store. If they don't have it, Amazon does although it likely costs more there. This should stay good for about 2 year after opening it. Watch this video to give you an idea of what the final icing consistency should be. 

This recipe is very simple, only requires 3 ingredients and makes the cookies look really nice. If you like making sugar cookies, give it a try!

My Favorite Royal Icing

Recipe courtesy Sally’s Baking Addiction website

 

Here is my classic easy royal icing made with meringue powder. It’s easy to work with, sets quickly, and won’t break your teeth when it dries. It has the most delicious taste and texture and makes decorating sugar cookies fun and simple. Use this traditional royal icing recipe for both flooding and outlining your sugar cookies.

 

4 cups (480g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted, plus more as needed

3 Tablespoons Wilton meringue powder (not plain egg white powder)

9 Tablespoons room-temperature water, plus more as needed

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or ½ teaspoon of your favorite flavored extract, such as lemon, coconut, or peppermint (optional)

Gel food coloring (optional for decorating)

 

In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, mix the confectioners’ sugar and meringue powder.

 

Add the water and a flavoring (if using), and whip on high speed for 1.5–2 minutes. When lifting the whisk up off the icing, the icing should drizzle down and smooth out within 5–10 seconds. If it’s too thick, whip in more water, 1 Tablespoon at a time. I usually need 10 Tablespoons, but on particularly dry days, I use up to 12–14 Tablespoons. Keep in mind that the longer you whip the royal icing, the thicker it becomes. If your royal icing is too thin, just keep whipping it to introduce more air, or you can add more sifted confectioners’ sugar.

 

If you’d like to tint the icing, divide it into separate bowls for each color, or tint the entire batch one color. A little gel food coloring goes a long way, so use a toothpick to dot the gel into the icing. Stir it in and then add more to deepen the color if desired. Keep in mind that the more you stir, the thicker the icing becomes. If needed, stir in a few drops of water to maintain the target consistency.

 

When applied to cookies or confections in a thin layer, icing completely dries in about 2 hours at room temperature. If the icing consistency is too thin and runny, it will take longer to dry. If the icing is applied very thickly, it will also take longer to dry. If you’re layering royal icing onto cookies for specific designs and need it to set quickly, place cookies in the refrigerator to help speed up the setting.

 

NOTES:

You can prepare this royal icing 2-3 days ahead of time. I recommend transferring it to a smaller bowl or container and tightly sealing for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to use it, let it come to room temperature, then mix it up with a whisk a few times as it may have separated. Whisking in a few drops of water is helpful if it thickened.

 

When you’re not working directly with the royal icing (for example, you are decorating cookies but you still have some icing left in the bowl that you intend to use next), place a damp paper towel directly on the surface of the royal icing. This prevents it from hardening.

 

Sugar cookies decorated with royal icing freeze well up to 3 months. Wait for the icing to set completely before layering between sheets of parchment paper in a freezer-friendly container. To thaw, thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature.

 

Many royal icing recipes, including this one, yield a lot of icing. Any leftover royal icing can be frozen for up to 2 months. Place leftover royal icing into zipped-top freezer bags. If you have more than 1 color, each color should have its own bag. Before sealing, squeeze as much air out of the bag as possible. Freeze on a flat shelf surface in your freezer. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before using again.

Photo of police officer retirement party cookies from April 2022:

Photo of Easter cookies from April 2022:

Photo of Christmas cookies from December 2022:

Photos of 5th Birthday cookies from January 2023:

Photos of 8th Birthday cookies from January 2026:

Cowboy Cookies

When I was looking up the Silo Cookies recipe, I came across a few comments from people saying it reminded them of Laura Bush's Cowboy Cookies, which remind me of Ranger Cookies that my Aunt Barbara's mother used to make. Cowboy Cookies have rolled oats and cinnamon and Ranger cookies have Wheaties. I don't like buying a box of Wheaties just to make the cookies since you only need 2 cups, and then the rest of it goes to waste in my house. I'm much more likely to have rolled oats on hand, so I wanted to give these a try.

The original recipe makes a lot of cookies, so I only made a half recipe. In order to do this, I had to split 3 eggs to get 1.5 eggs. I took 2 eggs, beat them together and then removed 2 Tablespoons. You could also weigh an egg and split it according to weight.

Like the Silo cookie recipe, I mixed the chocolate chips, rolled oats, coconut and pecans together in a bowl first before adding them all to the cookie batter, to ensure they were mixed in well.

I used my large cookie scoop (that I usually use for muffin batter) and got 25 cookies out of this recipe. I put 8 on a cookie sheet at a time to give them room to spread since they are big cookies. This dough does not say it needs refrigerated, but while the first tray was in the oven, I put the other 2 trays in the fridge until it was time to bake them. If you have the time, I suggest letting each tray chill in the fridge for 30 minutes before baking, as it helps prevent the batter from spreading like it did on the first tray that I did not refrigerate.

I baked them for 15 minutes, until they were a little brown around the edges but still looked undercooked on top. I took them out of the oven and then let them sit in the pans for about 10 minutes before touching them. They finished baking that way and then looked perfect! These cookies were really good and I'm glad I gave them a try.

Cowboy Cookies

Adapted from the Washington Post's version of Laura Bush's Cowboy Cookie Recipe

 

This recipe is a half recipe of the original, which calls for 3 eggs. To get half of 3 eggs, you can either just use only one egg, or beat two eggs and remove about 2 tablespoons.

The bigger the cookie, the more chewy it can be. So if you like chewy cookies, make them big.  If you want a chewy cookie, cook them until the edges are browned, but not the whole cookie. If you cook the cookie until it is all nicely browned, it will be more crisp.

 

1½ cups all-purpose flour

1½ teaspoons baking powder

1½ teaspoons baking soda

1½ teaspoons cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

12 tablespoons (6 ounces) butter, at room temperature

¾ cup white sugar

¾ cup brown sugar

1½ large eggs, beaten (See Recipe Note)

1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

1½ cups semisweet chocolate chips

1½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1 cup sweetened flaked coconut (we used shredded)

1 cup chopped pecans

 

Preheat the oven to 350°F: Place racks in upper and lower third of oven. Line two large baking sheets with Silpat or parchment paper.

 

Whisk the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, vigorously whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.

 

Make the cookie dough: Place butter in a standing electric mixer and beat on medium speed until smooth and light, about 1 minute. Slowly add in the white sugar and brown sugar, and beat to combine, about 2 more minutes. Add half the eggs, beat, and then add the other half and beat again. Add the vanilla extract and beat again. Reduce the speed of the mixer to low and slowly add the flour mixture, until just combined. Add the chocolate chips, oats, coconut, and pecans, mixing until just combined.

 

Scoop out the cookies: If you want large cookies, drop about ¼ cup lumps of the dough onto the prepared cookie sheets, separated by 3 inches to allow for enough room for the cookies to spread as they cook. For smaller cookies, use about 2 tablespoons of the cookie dough per cookie.

 

Bake the cookies: Bake at 350°F for 14 to 18 minutes for large cookies, or 13 to 16 minutes for small cookies. Rotate the pan halfway through baking, front to bake and top to bottom.

 

Simple Tip! If you are using a dark baking sheet, it will absorb more heat, and you won't need as much baking time. Also, the top rack will bake more quickly because heat rises.

 

Cool the cookies: Remove from oven and let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. Then remove the cookies to a rack to cool completely.

 

You'll likely need to work in batches, depending on the size of your oven and your baking sheets.

 

Yield: 25-36 cookies.

Credit: White House Archives

Silo Cookies

I recently saw a reel on the Magnolia Network Instagram page about Silo Cookies. I've been wanting to make them and finally did today. I followed the recipe exactly, other than using a 1.5-ounce cookie scoop since that's the biggest size I have (it was plenty big - I usually use it for muffin batter). The recipe says this makes 18 cookies but I got 28 cookies out of 1 recipe, and they took a few minutes longer to bake (15-16 minutes or so).

Note that the cookies need to be refrigerated for at least 30 minutes before baking. I originally put 12 cookies on each baking sheet, but then realized how much they might spread, so I ended up baking only 8 on a cookie sheet at a time, which worked well.

These cookies were really good and I love that they have so many different things in them. Even my picky eater who usually only likes chocolate chips in his cookies loved them! The only things I might try different next time is using Crisco in place of butter (like I do when I make chocolate chip cookies), or using half Crisco and half butter, and maybe increasing the walnuts to 1 cup.

Silo Cookies

Recipe courtesy Joanna Gaines

 

“The credit for this recipe really belongs to Chip and the kids. They each have a different favorite cookie, so one day, I dumped in everyone's must-have ingredient: nuts for Chip, peanut butter for the girls, and chocolate for the boys. It was a complete win across the board. So it became our family's signature cookie, and the first item on the menu when we opened Silos Baking Co.”—Joanna Gaines, Magnolia Table, Volume 2

 

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature 

1 cup packed light brown sugar

¾ cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1½ cups rolled oats

1½ cups semisweet chocolate chips

1½ cups peanut butter chips

½ cup chopped walnuts

 

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. 

 

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium-low and add the eggs one at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Add the vanilla and beat until well incorporated. 

 

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Slowly add the flour mixture to the mixer and beat until incorporated. Reduce the speed to low, add the oats, chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, and walnuts and beat until incorporated, 15 to 20 seconds.

 

Using a 2-ounce cookie scoop, scoop the dough onto one of the prepared baking sheets, placing the scoops side by side. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. 

 

Baking in batches, and leaving the dough balls in the refrigerator until needed, set the dough balls 3 inches apart on the second prepared baking sheet and bake until browned, 13 to 15 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes. Repeat with the remaining cookies. 

 

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.

 

Yield: 18-28 cookies.

Easiest Chocolate Chip Cookies

I recently made a new chocolate chip cookie recipe from my sister Maria that my sister Diana makes as well. My sisters have made these for a few family parties and they are so good. There is no mixer required which means they are quick and easy! The recipes doesn't make that many compared to some cookie recipes, but it is easy to double the recipe, if needed. My kids love these so I have a feeling I will be making them often so they can take a little homemade treat in their school lunches!

I made a double recipe of these and used chocolate chunks instead of chocolate chips for my husband's promotion ceremony earlier this month. The cake I bought from Costco was hardly touched because everyone loved the homemade cookies so much!

Easiest Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipe courtesy “I Heart Eating” Website

 

Easiest Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe is a simple chocolate chip cookie recipe that makes super soft chocolate, super yummy chip cookies – no mixer necessary, no chilling needed.

 

½ cup butter

½ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup brown sugar, packed

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 large egg

1¾ cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon kosher salt or ¼ teaspoon table salt

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

 

Preheat the oven to 350°.

 

Microwave the butter for about 40 seconds. Butter should be completely melted but shouldn't be hot.

 

In a large bowl, mix butter with the sugars until well-combined.

 

Stir in vanilla and egg until incorporated.

 

Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Please read the recipe note about properly measuring flour. 

 

Mix dough until just combined. Dough should be soft and a little sticky but not overly sticky.

 

Stir in chocolate chips.

 

Scoop out 1.5 tablespoons of dough (medium cookie scoop) and place 2 inches apart on baking sheet.

 

Bake for 7-10 minutes, or until cookies are set. They will be puffy and still look a little underbaked in the middle.

 

Yield: 2 dozen.

 

NOTES:

Be sure to fluff and then scoop and sweep to measure the flour. Too much flour will result in a dry or crumbly cookie. For the ingredient measurements by weight, please click "metric" directly underneath the ingredients.

 

Don't over-bake the cookies, or you won't end up with soft cookies. Several people have said that they've needed to bake the cookies for longer. Since oven temps can vary, I suggest starting with the listed baking time and increasing the time as needed.

Soft-Baked M&M Cookie Bars

I made a few different kinds of cookies for Christmas this year and I've been trying to figure out if I should make any more or not. I had a bag of red and green mini M&Ms but have never really loved the cookie recipe that is on the bag, so I wasn't sure what to make with them. Usually I would make a skillet cookie but that is a better dessert to take to a small gathering where you will cut and serve it there (like after having dinner at someone's house). I saw this Soft-Baked M&M Cookie Bars recipe and decided to give it a try because it looked easy and I could cut them up and bring them to my sons' Preschool Christmas party on a tray, and freeze any remaining bars.

This recipe is super simple to make and takes no time at all. I love recipes that don't require a mixer and use melted butter (rather than having to plan ahead to soften butter).

I only used mini M&Ms in this recipe - I did not add chocolate chips. One 11-ounce bag of mini M&Ms was not quite 2 cups, so it was the perfect amount. I mixed most of them into the dough but reserved a few which I put on top before baking the bars in the oven.

Do not let these bars over-bake! Mine were a bit overdone when I checked them at 25 minutes the second time I made them (for Easter), so next time hopefully I'll remember to check them earlier.

If you use parchment paper and let the bars cool for an hour, it is very easy to lift them out of the pan and cut them up. I cut all 4 edges off and then cut the rest into little bars.

These are delicious and come together so quickly - give them a try the next time you have M&Ms that you aren't quite sure what to do with!

Soft-Baked M&M Cookie Bars

Recipe courtesy “Sally’s Baking Addiction” Website

 

Think of these bars as no-chilling, no-rolling EASY M&M cookies! Using melted butter, more brown sugar than white sugar, and a touch of cornstarch guarantee the absolute softest, chewiest M&M cookie bar texture.

2¾ cups all-purpose flour

1½ teaspoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted & cooled for just 5 minutes*

1 cup packed light or dark brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1¼ cups mini or regular-size M&Ms

¾ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

 

Preheat the oven to 350°. Adjust oven rack to the center rack position. Line the bottom and sides of a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides to easily lift the bars out of the pan. Set aside.

 

Whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Set aside.

 

In a medium bowl, whisk the melted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until no brown sugar lumps remain. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract. Pour this into the flour mixture and mix together with a large spoon or rubber spatula. The dough will be very soft, slick, and thick. Fold in the M&Ms and chocolate chips. The M&Ms and chips may not stick to the dough because of the melted butter, but do your best to combine them.

 

Transfer dough to the prepared baking pan and press/smooth into an even layer. Bake for 26–30 minutes or until lightly browned on the sides and top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist (not wet) crumbs. Do not over-bake. If you notice the bars browning too much before 25 minutes, tent the pan with foil. Bars puff up in the oven, but settle as they cool.

 

Allow the bars to cool in the pan set on a wire rack for at least an hour. While they’re still warm, I like to press a few more M&Ms and chocolate chips into the tops, just for looks (optional!). Once relatively cool, lift the bars out of the pan using the overhang on the sides and cut into squares.

 

Cover leftover bars and store at room temperature for up to 1 week.

 

NOTES:

Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Allow to come to room temperature and continue with step 4. Baked cookie bars freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw bars overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.

 

Cornstarch: If you don’t have cornstarch, you can leave it out. The cookie bars will still be soft.

 

Butter: Avoid letting the melted butter cool for too long, otherwise your dough will be crumbly instead of soft (and your cookie bars can end up cakey). You want it still warm, but not hot enough to begin cooking the eggs.

 

M&Ms: You can use regular-size, mini, or a mix of both. I like to crush some of them, too, to sprinkle on the top before baking. Totally optional!

 

Do I have to add chocolate chips? You can skip the chocolate chips. If you skip them, increase M&Ms to 1½ cups. You could also replace the chocolate chips with white chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, or peanut butter chips.

Edit April 2023: I made these again with regular size M&Ms for Easter. I prefer baking with the mini M&Ms and wish they made them more often in seasonal colors. I've only ever seen them in Christmas colors and in Red, White & Blue over the summer. These were slightly over-baked so next time I will be sure to set my timer for less than 25 minutes and check them earlier.