Easter Sugar Cookies

Whimsical and playful, these Easter Sugar Cookies are a springtime delight! Easy to prepare and fun to make, they are great for giving as a gift to that favourite teacher or daycare provider – that is if you can avoid saving them all for yourself! They are just a delicious as they are pretty!

Every year, I try to add a new recipe or two to each of my holiday recipe collections. My loyal readers will already know that I have enough Christmas recipes to fill a cookbook. But, I do need to up my game with recipes for other holidays, such as these Easter Sugar Cookies!

I had a good stash of Wilton Candy Melts on hand from my Valentine Candy Melt Cookies post, and since I needed to use them up anyway, I toyed with the idea of using the candy melts as a drizzle. And, can we call a cookie an Easter-themed cookie if it has no sprinkles? I don’t think so!

WHAT ARE CANDY MELTS?

Candy melts are a small, round disc that is made to emulate white chocolate. They come in a wide range of colours and are usually melted down and used in confections such as the coating on cake pops. I think the term candy melts is owned by Wilton, which is the only type I’ll use.

This is a not a plug for Wilton. I do not receive any compensation from the company. I use Wilton’s because I have used the brand many times before and have never been disappointed, but also because they have a lot of different colours to choose from. Oh, and the price is always good too!

If you cannot find Wilton candy melts, you can use generic brands that can be found at your local baking supply store. The generic brands and sometimes called melting wafers.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare these Easter Shortbread Cookies. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Flour – No need for anything special. Just use regular all-purpose flour. I have not tried this recipe with any other type of flour.
• Baking Powder
• Salt
• Butter – Make sure your butter is at room temperature! If you only have salted butter, omit the added half teaspoon of salt from the list of ingredients.
• Sugar
• Eggs – Make sure your eggs are at room temperature.
• Vanilla Extract
• Candy Melts
• Candy Sprinkles – Easter themed colours.

HOW TO MAKE EASTER SUGAR COOKIES

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until creamy and light yellow in colour. (About 4-5 minutes.) Add the eggs one at a time and beat into the butter and sugar mixture. Beat in the vanilla extract. Sift in the flour, salt, and baking powder. Beat into the wet mixture until well combined.

Portion the cookie dough into heaping tablepoons. Roll into a ball and place onto the prepared baking sheet. Press down on each ball until ball is flattened to just over 1/4 inch thick. (I used the bottom of a drinking glass.) Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 2-3 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.

Once completely cooled, melt the candy melts and drizzle over the cookies. Top each cookie with sprinkles and allow the candy melts to firm up. Enjoy!

HOW TO THIN THE DRIZZLE

There’s just one issue that I have run into with candy melts. I find that even though I check the expiry dates, some of the colours do not melt well enough to pour or drizzle. But, don’t worry, I have an easy fix for that!

If you’re melting the candy melts using a microwave, then you might not have any issues. The package has clear instructions on how to melt them. But, I don’t own a microwave. Yes, it’s true! We had one, but I broke it by means of stupidity. But, that’s a story for another time!

I melted the candy melts using a double boiler. If you use this method, keep the heat really low. In the case that the heat is too high, candy melts will seize and you won’t be able to work with it.

If you find your melted candy melts are not as thin as you’d like, you can add about 1/2 teaspoon of coconut oil and stir it into the mixture. It will keep the melts from seizing and will thin it out as well.

STORING, PACKAGING, AND FREEZING

These Easter Sugar Cookies will stay fresh for about 3-5 days in a covered container and in a cool place. But, if you plan to freeze these cookies, use a food-safe container that can be frozen. You’ll want to ensure a very tight-fitting lid too. (I use these quite often when freezing baked goods.) I like to place a sheet of plastic wrap over the top of the container before pushing the lid on. This helps to create a better seal. The goal is to keep all of that cookie freshness locked in!

You can freeze these cookies for up to three months. They will come out of the freezer looking just like they did when you put them in there. Once you thaw them, they will taste just as fresh, and be just as soft, as the day you first baked them.

When ready to thaw, remove them from the freezer and take out as many as you need at that time. It’s never a good idea to thaw all of them and put them back in the freezer again. Set aside for 20 minutes or so. These look great in cellophane bags with a festive ribbon. They make great gifts for friends and neighbours! Don’t package them in cellophane until the day you are giving them as a gift.

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down below the recipe card to find my Follow Me on Social Media box and never miss another recipe!