Baby Bloom Flower Cookies (Printable Version)

Buttery flower-shaped cookies topped with soft pastel royal icing ideal for festive occasions.

# 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)

# Steps to Follow:

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 wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
06 - Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 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.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • They're stunning enough to impress but forgiving enough that a few imperfect cookies disappear first anyway.
  • The dough is buttery and tender without being finicky, and the pastel icing lets you play with color in the most satisfying way.
  • Honestly, they're the kind of cookies people ask for by name at the next gathering.
02 -
  • Don't skip chilling the dough—room temperature dough spreads instead of holding the flower shape, and you'll end up with sad blobs instead of elegant blooms.
  • Wait until the cookies are completely cool before icing them, because warm cookies melt the icing and it slides right off like you're decorating a puddle.
03 -
  • If your icing seems too thick, add water one tiny teaspoon at a time rather than in full tablespoons—the difference between gorgeous and disaster is honestly just a few drops.
  • Invest in gel food coloring instead of liquid because it won't thin your icing or turn the pastel shades muddy, and one bottle lasts through dozens of batches.
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