Airplane Sugar Cookies With Royal Icing Recipes

Steps:

• Sift the cake flour, baking powder and salt onto a piece of parchment paper or into a medium bowl; set aside. Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until incorporated. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the flour mixture in 2 batches until just incorporated. Divide between 2 pieces of plastic wrap; shape into disks. Wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour. (The dough can be frozen for up to 1 month; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before rolling.)
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Working with 1 disk at a time, roll out the dough on a floured surface, dusting with flour as needed, until about 1/8 inch thick. Cut out shapes with 2-to-4-inch cookie cutters; arrange 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. (If the dough becomes too soft as you work, return to the refrigerator until firm.) Gather the scraps and refrigerate until firm; reroll once to cut out more cookies. Chill the cutouts 30 minutes.
• Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Bake, switching the pans halfway through, until the cookies are slightly puffed and just golden, 13 to 15 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to racks to cool completely before icing.
• Whisk one 1-pound box confectioners' sugar and 2 tablespoons meringue powder in a large bowl. Add 5 tablespoons water and beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until soft glossy peaks form, adding up to 1 more tablespoon water if necessary. Cover the bowl with a damp paper towel and plastic wrap until ready to use to prevent the icing from drying out.

Steps:

• For the sugar cookies: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together just until combined, about 5 minutes. Add the vanilla and salt and beat a moment more, just to bring together.
• With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour. Beat just until it comes together. Form the dough into equal-sized balls (about 24). Cover in plastic and chill for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• On a lightly floured work surface, use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll the dough balls out to a 1/4-inch thickness. With a lightly floured cookie cutter, cut the cookies out in desired shapes and transfer them to a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Bake until the cookies are very light golden brown around the edges, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely before decorating with royal icing.
• For the royal icing: Combine the confectioner's sugar, meringue powder and vanilla in a large bowl. With an electric hand mixer running on low speed, very gradually beat in 1/2 cup water, checking the consistency once most of the water has been added. Beat until the icing holds a ribbon, adding more water as needed. If too loose, add more sugar.
• If coloring the royal icing, add a few drops of food coloring to the finished icing and slowly mix until completely incorporated.

Steps:

• Traditional Icing:.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, vanilla, salt and enough milk until you get an icing that is smooth yet not too thick but not too runny. Add a teaspoon of milk at a time if needed to create the right consistency. Divide between bowls and tint with food coloring, if desired. This makes about 1 ½ cups of icing.
• You can spread this icing onto cooled sugar cookies, or use the dip method, which is what I prefer. Carefully dunk each cookie, one at a time, into the icing and allow any excess to drip off before turning right side up and placing on a baking sheet to set. If you plan on decorating with sprinkles, you want to do that right away while the icing is still wet so that they stick. Continue dipping each cookie until all are decorated. Allow the icing to set for at least 10 minutes before storing or eating.
• Buttercream Icing:.
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter and shortening until creamy. Add the powdered sugar vanilla, salt and enough of the half and half as needed to create a smooth and creamy frosting. This should be on the thicker side and not runny at all. If the icing is too thick, you can add more half and half, a teaspoon at a time until the correct consistency is reached. Divide between bowls and tint with food coloring, if desired. This makes about 2 ½ cups of icing.
• To decorate, you can spread the frosting onto cooled sugar cookies with a small spatula or use piping bags with various decorating tips to create a more professional or intricate design. If you plan on decorating with sprinkles as well, you want to place them right after decorating with the icing before it sets.
• Royal Icing:.
• In a large bowl, beat together the powdered sugar, meringue powder, and enough water to create a thick and glossy icing. Divide between different bowls and tint with food coloring, if desired. Cover each bowl with plastic wrap or a damp paper towel to prevent them from drying out. This makes about 4 cups of icing.
• Royal icing usually has two different applications to it. One is the outline which is slightly thicker icing that you use to outline the designs on your sugar cookies. To achieve this, uncover one of the bowls of icing and whisk in ¼ teaspoon of water at a time until you reach the correct consistency. It should be thick but still pourable. Transfer to a piping bag with a small circle decorating tip. Create an outline of frosting around the edge of your cooled sugar cookies and then let set for about 5 minutes.
• The second royal icing application is referred to as flooding. To achieve this, uncover one of the bowls of icing and whisk in ¼ teaspoon of water at a time until you reach the correct consistency. It should be thinner than the first and pourable. If you lift up the beater the icing should fall and disappear in a matter of seconds. Transfer to a piping bag with a medium circle decorating tip. Then quickly pipe the icing into the center of each outlined cookie, tilting the cookie so that the icing spread out towards the outline. Use a long skewer or toothpick to help spread the icing a bit if needed or to remove any air bubbles. Allow the icing to set for about 10 to 15 minutes before storing or eating.

Steps:

• Mix sugar, water, and meringue powder with a mixer on low speed until smooth, about 7 minutes. Icing should be the consistency of glue. (If icing is too thick, mix in a little more water. If icing is too thin, add more confectioners' sugar.) Add food coloring, 1 drop at a time, until desired color is achieved; if making more than 1 color, divide icing and work in batches. Use immediately, or refrigerate for up to 1 week. Stir before using.