Floral Baby Shower Decorated Cookies
This recipe provides instructions for making soft, buttery sugar cookies paired with stable royal icing. You can create delicate floral designs suitable for an elegant baby shower celebration.
Equipment
- Medium bowl
- Large bowl
- Baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Wire Rack
- Piping Bag
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the Royal Icing
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons meringue powder
- 5 tablespoons warm water Use 5-6 tablespoons total
- As needed Gel food coloring (soft pink, lavender, mint green, white)
- Optional Edible gold luster dust
Instructions
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set the dry mixture aside.
- Cream the softened butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl until the mixture is light and fluffy, which takes about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla extract, mixing until everything is combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients gradually, mixing on low speed until the dough forms. Divide the dough in half, wrap each half in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to a 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out shapes using baby-themed cookie cutters like onesies, bottles, or rattles.
- Place the cut cookies on parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving 2 inches of space between them. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the edges are just set. Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then move them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare the royal icing by beating the powdered sugar, meringue powder, and water on low speed for 7 to 10 minutes until stiff peaks form. Divide the icing into separate bowls and tint them with your gel food coloring.
- Thin some of the icing with water, adding a few drops at a time, until it reaches a flooding consistency for the base coats. Outline the cookies using thicker icing, then fill the centers with the thinned icing. Let the base layer dry for 4 to 6 hours.
- Use a piping bag with a fine tip to pipe delicate floral designs, such as small roses, daisies, leaves, and vines, onto the dried base icing using coordinating colors.
- Add small details like dots, swirls, and tiny blossoms to finish the floral arrangements. If desired, dust the cookies with edible gold luster for a shimmer.
- Allow the decorated cookies to dry completely overnight before you package them or serve them at your baby shower.
Notes
I developed this recipe after being asked to make cookies for my sister's garden-themed baby shower last spring. I wanted something that looked elegant and delicate but was not too complicated for home bakers to recreate. After testing various icing consistencies and floral designs, I landed on these soft, buttery sugar cookies paired with stable royal icing that holds intricate piped flowers well. They were the hit of the party, and now they are my standard for every baby celebration.