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Perfect American Flag Sugar Cookies

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Crisp, buttery sugar cookies decorated with vibrant red and blue royal icing to resemble the American flag. Perfect for patriotic holidays and festive gatherings.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 4 cups (480 g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 3 tablespoons meringue powder or pasteurized egg whites
  • 6–8 tablespoons water
  • Red gel food coloring, a few drops
  • Blue gel food coloring, a few drops
  • Optional: 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Instructions

  1. Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  2. Cream butter and sugar: Using an electric mixer, beat softened butter with granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
  3. Add eggs and vanilla: Beat in eggs one at a time, then add vanilla extract. Mixture may look slightly curdled.
  4. Combine dry and wet: Gradually add dry ingredients to wet mixture, mixing on low speed until just combined. Avoid overmixing.
  5. Chill dough: Shape dough into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
  6. Roll and cut: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Roll dough to ¼-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut into 3×2 inch flag shapes using a rectangular cutter or knife.
  7. Bake: Place cookies 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake 10-12 minutes until edges start to turn golden. Avoid overbaking.
  8. Cool completely: Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool before decorating.
  9. Make royal icing: In a clean bowl, combine powdered sugar, meringue powder, and water. Beat on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 5-7 minutes. Adjust water for pipeable consistency.
  10. Color icing: Divide icing into three bowls. Leave one white, tint one red, and one blue with gel food coloring.
  11. Decorate: Outline each cookie with white icing and flood with the same color. After drying about 30 minutes, pipe blue rectangle in top left corner with white dots as stars, then add red stripes. Let icing dry completely, ideally overnight.

Notes

Use gel food coloring for vibrant colors without thinning icing. Chill dough to prevent spreading. Let royal icing dry slowly in a cool, dry place to avoid cracking. Practice piping on parchment paper if new to royal icing. Store decorated cookies in a single layer to prevent smudging.

Nutrition

Keywords: American flag sugar cookies, patriotic cookies, royal icing cookies, Fourth of July dessert, easy sugar cookies, festive cookies

Find it online: https://twinkletaste.com/perfect-american-flag-sugar-cookies-recipe-easy-red-blue-royal-icing-tutorial/