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Easy Thanksgiving Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing Leaves

Thanksgiving sugar cookies with royal icing leaves - featured image
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Soft, buttery sugar cookies with a slightly crisp edge, decorated with beautiful royal icing leaves. Perfect for Thanksgiving dessert tables, cookie swaps, or a fun family baking activity.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 ¾ cups (345g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract (optional)
  • 3 cups (360g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 2 large egg whites, room temperature (or 3 tablespoons meringue powder mixed with 4 tablespoons water)
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice or vanilla extract
  • Gel food coloring (warm brown, burnt orange, golden yellow, deep red)
  • Leaf-shaped cookie cutters (set of 3 sizes)
  • Piping bags or zip-top bags
  • Piping tips (#2 or #3)
  • Edible glitter or sanding sugar (optional)

Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, beat softened butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down sides.
  3. Add egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract (if using). Beat until combined, about 1 minute.
  4. Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mixing on low speed just until dough comes together. Do not overmix.
  5. Lightly flour work surface and rolling pin. Divide dough in half. Roll one half to ¼-inch thickness.
  6. Use leaf-shaped cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Press straight down and lift straight up. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing 1 inch apart.
  7. Gather scraps, gently press together, and re-roll once. Repeat with second half of dough.
  8. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes, until edges are just barely golden.
  9. Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.
  10. For royal icing: In a clean bowl, beat egg whites (or meringue powder mixture) with lemon juice until frothy. Gradually add sifted powdered sugar, beating on low until combined. Increase speed to medium-high and beat 5-7 minutes until thick, glossy, and holds stiff peaks.
  11. Divide icing into bowls for each color. Add gel food coloring a tiny drop at a time. Cover bowls with damp paper towel.
  12. For flooding, thin a portion of each color with water a few drops at a time until icing flows like honey. For piping details, leave some icing thick.
  13. Fit piping bag with #2 tip for outlining and #3 tip for flooding. Outline each cookie with thick icing, then fill with thin flooding icing. Use toothpick to guide icing and pop air bubbles.
  14. Let flooded cookies sit 10 minutes, then pipe leaf veins with thick icing in contrasting color. Add edible glitter if desired.
  15. Let decorated cookies dry at room temperature for at least 4 hours or overnight until icing is hard.

Notes

Room temperature ingredients are crucial for best results. Do not overmix dough. Chill cutouts for 15 minutes if dough becomes too soft. Keep royal icing covered with damp paper towel to prevent drying. Practice piping on parchment paper first. Cookies taste even better on day three as flavors deepen.

Nutrition

Keywords: Thanksgiving sugar cookies, royal icing leaves, leaf cookies, fall cookies, decorated sugar cookies, holiday baking, easy sugar cookies

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