Baby in Bloom Flower Cookies (Printable)

Buttery flower-shaped cookies with soft pastel icing, perfect for festive occasions and gatherings.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cookie Dough

01 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
03 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
04 - 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
06 - 1 large egg
07 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

→ Royal Icing

08 - 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
09 - 2 tablespoons meringue powder
10 - 4 to 5 tablespoons water
11 - Food coloring gels in pastel shades: pink, yellow, green, blue, lavender

# How to Make It:

01 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
02 - In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.
03 - Beat in egg and vanilla extract until well combined.
04 - Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing just until incorporated.
05 - Divide dough in half, flatten into discs, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
06 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
07 - On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disc of dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut flower shapes using a cookie cutter.
08 - Place cookies 1 inch apart on prepared sheets. Re-roll scraps as needed.
09 - Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until edges are just golden. Let cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
10 - Combine powdered sugar and meringue powder in a bowl. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing until smooth and thick but spreadable.
11 - Divide icing into small bowls and tint each with a different pastel gel color.
12 - Spread or pipe icing onto cooled cookies. Decorate as desired. Allow icing to set completely before serving or packaging.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • These cookies look impossibly elegant but honestly come together faster than most people expect, especially once you realize the dough practically makes itself.
  • The royal icing can be any color your heart desires, turning a simple cookie into an edible reflection of whatever mood or season you're celebrating.
  • They taste like pure butter and vanilla with just enough structure to hold decoration without tasting stuffy or over-frosted.
02 -
  • Cold dough is non-negotiable—rushing the chilling step means watching your carefully cut flowers turn into abstract blobs in the oven, a mistake I've made and learned to never repeat.
  • Royal icing consistency is everything, and it's worth taking two minutes to get it right rather than spending 20 minutes fighting icing that's either concrete or soup.
  • The exact moment your cookies turn golden is the difference between tender and crunchy, so set a timer and check at 10 minutes rather than guessing.
03 -
  • If your icing seems grainy after coloring, add just a touch more water and let it sit undisturbed for a minute—sometimes it settles into smoothness on its own.
  • Keep leftover icing covered with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface so it doesn't dry out, and you can thin it slightly with water if needed when you want to use it later.
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