Ingredients
Cookies
- 227 grams unsalted butter
- 150 grams granulated sugar
- 1/2 Tbsp vanilla
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 360 grams all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
Royal Icing
- 90 grams powdered sugar, spooned and leveled
- 1 Tbsp meringue powder
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 60 mL water
Method
Cookies
- Begin with browning the butter (preferably the night before so it can re-solidify) by placing the butter in a saucepan on medium heat, slowly stirring until small brown flakes begin to form and the smell turns 'nutty', about 5-10 minutes. Remove it from the heat and place it in a heat resistant bowl in the refrigerator or put it in the freezer for a little to help it cool off but don't chill completely.227 grams unsalted butter
- Once the butter is solid again and at room temperature (you want to be able to push it but you don't want it to be greasy looking), use a flat beater to mix the butter with the sugar until they are fully combined. Add in the vanilla and egg, and beat until combined.150 grams granulated sugar, 1/2 Tbsp vanilla, 1 large egg room temperature
- Mix the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together and then add them into the butter mixture, beating until fully combined.360 grams all-purpose flour spooned and leveled, 1 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp salt
- Split the dough in half, place each half between two sheets of wax/parchment paper, and roll them both out evenly to about 1/4" thick. Refrigerate them for at least 30 minutes. Remove the dough from the wax paper and cut out shapes for the cookies. Refold scraps of dough to make more (refrigerate again if it's too soft).
- Preheat the oven to 350F/177C. Once the cookie shapes are all cut out, flash freeze them for 10-15 minutes so they keep their shape while baking.
- Bake the cookies for 13-15 minutes, just until the edges are completely set. Let them cool on the cookie sheet for a couple of minutes until they can be moved without falling apart.
Icing
- Clean a mixing bowl and utensils with a little vinegar (don't skip this step).
- Using the whisk attachment, combine the powdered sugar, meringue powder, vanilla, and cinnamon in the mixing bowl. With the mixer on low speed, add in the water, a little at a time, just until the icing is fully wet and silky. Beat for 10 minutes on low speed, until the mixture holds a soft peak (if it's too soft, add more sugar).90 grams powdered sugar spooned and leveled, 1 Tbsp meringue powder, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 60 mL water
- Use an icing piper with a tiny tip to pipe all the borders of the cookies. The icing should be thin enough to pipe smoothly but thick enough to keep from running off the edge of the cookie.
- After all the borders are piped, add a little more water to the icing, 1 tsp at a time, until the consistency is soft and runny for 'flooding' the cookies.
- Use a small spoon or another icing piper to fill the centers of the cookies. The icing should be thin enough to spread throughout the cookie but not run past the border.
- Let them set for a few hours (preferably overnight) before stacking. Store them in an airtight container.
Notes
If you want to color your icing, do it after step 4.
Before your cookies are fully set, you can add sprinkles and such.
If you want to continue decorating your cookies after flooding the centers, make sure to save some of the thicker-consistency icing for this (or just add some extra icing sugar to the thin one).
Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 169kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 2gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 28mgSodium: 82mgFiber: 1gSugar: 10g