Frosted Easter Egg Cookies

Frosted Easter Egg Cookies are prepared with a light and airy shortbread cookie base consisting of only three ingredients! Once cooled, they are frosted with an easy-to-make royal icing, which hardens and crisps when dried. Topped with sprinkles or simply frosted with whimsical patterns, it’s hard to eat only one of these cookies!

A good shortbread recipe is hard to come by, even though there are many different varieties out there.  What I mean by a good shortbread recipe is one that is not too difficult to master, takes very little time, is inexpensive, and holds its shape when baked – just like these Frosted Easter Egg Cookies!

This recipe has all of that, plus one added bonus – it’s adaptable!  You can omit the sprinkles if you want. You can top the baked cookies with royal icing as I did if you’d prefer. There are so many options, for example, you can tint the cookie dough with food colouring and make a shortbread cookie with more colour and more pizzazz! Additionally, you can roll them out and use your favourite cookie cutter shapes or cut them into squares with a knife.

Have you ever tried seasoning your shortbread cookies? I do it all the time! It’s so easy to add a little bit of cinnamon to the flour and beat it into the butter and sugar mixture. One of my favourite flavours in shortbread cookies is anise. I use that one quite often! The only thing you cannot do with this recipe is adding extracts. Use spices only, because extracts add moisture, which will likely result in a cookie with not so defined shapes.

COOKIE CUTTERS

I couldn’t wait to share these Frosted Easter Egg Cookies with you. In fact, I wanted to share them last year but refused to do it, because I didn’t have Easter-themed cookie cutters. The same thing happened a few years ago when I shared my Cookie Cutter Rice Krispy Treats recipe. I wanted them to be Easter-y but ended up using a heart-shaped cookie cutter.

Since making those Rice Krispy Treats, John.e was able to source a set of spring/Easter-themed cookie cutters, some of which include a butterfly, a bunny, an umbrella, a bird, and a flower. I couldn’t wait to put them to use. And, of all of those cookie-cutter shapes, the one that I picked was the egg! I can be so contrary sometimes, Dear Reader!

Looking back at it now that I’m writing up this recipe, I’m glad I choose to use the egg-shaped cookie cutter. You see, I’m not very well skilled with decorating cookies, so the egg shape ended up being a blessing in disguise. My royal icing outlining technique is not ready for something as intricate as a butterfly or a bunny!

You can use whatever cookie-cutter shape you prefer. And, for that matter, you can also whip up different colours of both outlining icing and fill icing. And, if you’re really good at it, maybe you can come over and teach me! Ha!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

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

To prepare the cookie base, you will need:

• Salted Butter – Make sure your butter is at room temperature! If you do not have salted butter, you can use unsalted butter, but add a half teaspoon of salt to the butter and sugar mixture.
• Confectioner’s Sugar – This superfine sugar is sometimes called powdered sugar.  It is used in frostings quite often.  When dusted lightly onto cakes and cookies, it adds just a touch of sweetness, but more importantly, it looks very visually appealing!
• Flour – No need for anything special. Just use regular all-purpose flour. I have not tried this recipe with any other type of flour.

To prepare the frosting, you will need:

• Egg Whites – It’s vitally important to carefully separate the yolk from the whites. No yolk should be left behind! Use large eggs to ensure you have the right amount of egg white-to-sugar ratio.
• Confectioner’s Sugar – When making this type of royal icing, it’s a great idea to sift the confectioner’s sugar to ensure there are no lumps.
• Vanilla Extract – Probably the most common extract and the most common flavouring used in cakes and cookies. 
• Food Colouring
• Sprinkles

HOW TO MAKE FROSTED EASTER EGG COOKIES

I happen to think that these cookies look wonderful, and usually looking wonderful means lots of steps and/or work, but that couldn’t be further from the truth in this case. To get started, use a mixer to beat the butter and sugar until well blended in a large bowl. Then, add the flour and blend into the butter mixture until just incorporated.  Do not over-mix!

Separate the dough into two equal portions and wrap them well in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for 15 minutes. In the meantime, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and prepare a baking sheet by lining it with a silicone mat or parchment paper.  Set aside. Remove the dough from the fridge. Working with one batch at a time, roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper to 1/4 inch thick.

Use a cookie cutter to cut out the desired shapes. Transfer the dough to the baking sheet using a flat, slotted, metal spatula.  Leave 2 inches between each cookie. Bake for 12 minutes.  Remove from oven promptly and allow cookies to rest for 2 minutes before transferring to a wire cooling rack to finish cooling. Re-roll the leftover dough, and bake the next batch.  

POINTERS ON ROLLING COOKIE DOUGH

How are your dough rolling skills? Mine are horrible, which is why I cheated! I love using my rolling pins and any excuse I can get to practice my rolling skills, I’m up for it.  A while ago, I used to have a collection of wooden rolling pins, but I got rid of them all just because I was short on space.  We still have the rolling pin that belonged to John.e’s mom.

Cheated; oh, yes!  A few years ago, I purchased a Joseph Joseph Adjustable Rolling Pin.  You must Google it if you don’t know what type of rolling pin I’m referring to.  I always have a problem with rolling dough evenly, no matter how much I love to practice.  This particular rolling pin eliminates my inadequate dough rolling technique. It has interchangeable disks on each end of the wooden pin with specific measurements. You can get perfectly flat dough every single time!

HOW TO MAKE ROYAL ICING

I remember being nervous about making royal icing. It’s like macarons – it just looks too tedious and there’s too much room for error. I have proudly showcased recipes over the years that fit into what Lord Byron’s Kitchen has worked hard to do – nothing difficult, no special skills or gadgets needed, etc. Was I about to ruin that with royal icing? I couldn’t have been more wrong. It’s so easy to make. All you need to do is follow a few simple rules.

First, make sure the bowl you are using is super clean. That should go without saying, but I mean it. Super clean means better icing. Add the egg whites to the bowl and beat until lightly frothy. We are not making whipped cream here. Literally, 90 seconds of beating is enough. Add in the sifted confectioner’s sugar one cup at a time, beating well to incorporate it into the egg whites. Finally, beat in the vanilla extract. Easy right?

OUTLINING VS FLOODING

There are two basic types of royal icing. The first allows you to outline the cookies, creating a well of sorts. The second type is for flooding in the spaces that you just outlined with the firmer, outlining icing. When you finish making the batch of royal icing, it should pour in a thick stream from a spoon back into the bowl. For outlining consistency, allow 20-25 seconds for the icing to smooth out. The lines created by the steaming will not totally disappear.

For flooding, you need a thinner royal icing. To do this, add small amounts of water to the icing, mixing well after each addition. When you can pour the icing from a spoon back into the bowl and the ribbon of icing settles flat in about 10 seconds, (or the pour lines are no longer visible) the flooding icing is ready.

For each colour you need, you will need two bowls of icing. You will need a bowl of outline and a bowl of flooding icing. Portion out what you think you will need for each colour into separate bowls. Keep the bowls covered at all times to prevent the icing from drying out! Tint with food colouring. Remove the amount of flooding icing from that bowl and add water until the desired consistency is reached. Do this for all of the colours you need. In the case of these Frosted Easter Egg Cookies, you will only need pink and blue.

SPRINKLES, SPRINKLES, AND MORE SPRINKLES!

Okay, let’s talk patriotic sprinkles. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – I’m addicted to sprinkles. Don’t believe me? Search the term “sprinkles” in the search field at the top right of this page. Or, take a look at my credit card bill that time I ordered sprinkles to the tune of $200!

Who’s my go-to sprinkle source? I buy most of my sprinkles fromSweetapolita. They’re the best and you should check them out. They’re located in Canada, and I’m not sure if they deliver to the United States. But, state-side, Fancy Sprinkles stocks very similar mixes and themes.  Listen, I know that shopping for sprinkles online might seem a little over the top, but I’ve never once pretended to shy away from pretty things.

And, of course, if you’re not about to shop online for sprinkles, you can get Easter-themed sprinkles at any Walmart, any baking supply store, or Target, and there are always discount sprinkles at Marshall’s, HomeSense, and Winners. (PS: This is not a sponsored post for Sweetapolita. I just really like their sprinkles!)

DECORATING THE COOLED SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Once the cookies are completely cooled, and you have prepared an outlining and a flooding icing in the colours you need, it’s time to decorate! Transfer the outlining icing to a piping bag fitting with a number one or two piping tip. Transfer the flooding icing to a piping bag fitting with a number four or five tip.

Working with one cookie at a time, outline the perimeter of the entire cookie or the section you are working on. Once the outline is done, flood the section with the corresponding colour of icing. I like to use a wooden skewer to push the flooding icing into any smaller areas or to help it to cozy up next to the outline. Continue to do this with each section if you are working on more intricate cookies. It is a good idea to allow each section to dry for a while first though!

Add sprinkles now, if desired. Alternatively, you can use your outlining icing to create lines and dots to make certain patterns. In terms of Easter eggs, straight lines, dots, and zigzags are quite popular, and luckily, they’re easy to do! Just have fun with it. And, if you have kids, get them involved too. They will love it!

STORING, PACKAGING, & FREEZING

When it comes to most cookies, they taste best at room temperature, but they don’t hold up well to being left out on your countertop for long periods of time. Cookies will stay fresh in a cookie jar or food-safe container with a lid for 3-5 days if left to sit on your kitchen countertop. You can store them in a food-safe container in your fridge. When you want one, two, or half a dozen, take them out of the container and place them in a single layer on a plate. Let them sit at room temperature for 5 minutes and they’re ready!

If you plan to freeze your Frosted Easter Egg Cookies, you certainly can! Once they are completely cooled, pile them into a clean, food-safe container, ensuring to separate each layer with parchment paper. The container must be freezer friendly! 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 freshness locked in!  

You can freeze these cookies for up to three months. If you plan to give previously frozen cookies as a gift, I would lay them out on a wire cooling rack to thaw completely. Once thawed, pile into cellophane bags and tie with a ribbon, or stack in a cookie tin/box.