Butter Icing for Sugar Cookies Recipe

Aidan and I finally did something fun today! I knew he was feeling better because he did something besides sit on the couch or be a touch crazy. 

Last night we made cookie cutouts and today we iced them. Too many witches hats and not enough pumpkin faces. I wasn't nuts about the cookie recipe I used but I was too lazy to look in my recipe bin (yes, sadly I have a bin) to look up a tried and true one. However, I did like the icing recipe so I thought I would share.

Look who same to help eat the cookies. Why its Mucha!

White and Chocolate Icing for Sugar Cookies

Tips

This icing gives a nice glossy sheen when dry, sort of like a royal icing without the fuss or salmonella.

The recipe called for a tablespoon of vanilla. Hey, if you want brown icing, that will be just fine. I halved the vanilla and still had brown icing. If you want white icing, either don't use any extract or use a little almond or lemon.

Also, I have a little tip for using butter. If you forget to soften your butter as I often do, just beat the heck out of it in the mixer while its on its own. Then add your sugar to cream it. Do not use the microwave to soften it.

Want to color your icing black? Use chocolate icing and then add your black coloring.

I enjoy gel coloring.

White Butter Icing for Sugar Cookies
modified from All Recipes

3 cups confectioners' sugar
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 tablespoon lemon or almond extract (optional)
1 tablespoon milk

Cream butter in your mixer. Add extract (optional). Alternately add confectioner's sugar and milk. Add more milk if you want a little thinner icing. Divide into smaller containers and add coloring. Mix with a spoon.

Chocolate Butter Icing for Sugar Cookies
modified from All Recipes

3 cups confectioners' sugar
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract (optional)
1-2 tablespoons baking cocoa
1 tablespoon milk

Cream butter in your mixer. Add extract (optional). Add baking cocoa to confectioner's sugar. Alternately add confectioner's sugar and milk. Add more milk if you want a little thinner icing. Divide into smaller containers and add coloring. Mix with a spoon.

Comments

[Sassy Priscilla]

Hi Andrew, It certainly can have something to do with weight differences or humidity. I'm glad this recipe works for you, too! I love AllRecipes!

[Andrew Cole]

This recipe is great! It's my new goto. I really don't like using raw egg whites so this was right up my ally. I only made a half batch though and it was more than enough for 32 cookies.

I've made this recipe twice and both times I've found that I needed an extra tablespoon of milk just to get it to even come together. I weighed my sugar (222g) according to the package so maybe I'm using more sugar than you were.

Thanks.