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Perfect Pencil-Shaped Sugar Cookies

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These pencil-shaped sugar cookies with royal icing are soft yet sturdy, featuring smooth, shiny icing that dries without cracking. Perfect for back-to-school, parties, or gifting, they combine classic buttery sweetness with a fun, artistic touch.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 ¾ cups (345g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 ½ cups (300g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • Optional: ½ teaspoon almond extract
  • 3 tablespoons meringue powder
  • 4 cups (480g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 6 tablespoons (90ml) warm water
  • Food coloring gels: yellow, pink, black, and green
  • Optional: a few drops of lemon juice

Instructions

  1. Mix dry ingredients: whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
  2. Cream butter and sugar: beat softened butter with granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
  3. Add egg and vanilla extract (and almond extract if using); beat until fully incorporated.
  4. Gradually add dry flour mixture to wet ingredients on low speed until dough forms; avoid overmixing. Chill dough 15 minutes if too sticky.
  5. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
  6. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
  7. Roll dough on lightly floured surface to ¼-inch thickness. Cut pencil shapes using cookie cutter or knife. Transfer to baking sheets.
  8. Bake for 10-12 minutes until edges begin to turn golden; centers will be slightly soft.
  9. Cool cookies on baking sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
  10. Prepare royal icing: beat meringue powder, powdered sugar, and warm water on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 5-7 minutes. Adjust consistency as needed.
  11. Divide icing and tint with food coloring for pencil parts: tip (gray/black), body (yellow), eraser (pink), ferrule (silver).
  12. Decorate cookies using piping bags with fine tips, layering colors with 10-15 minutes drying between layers.
  13. Allow decorated cookies to dry completely at room temperature for 4-6 hours or overnight before storing or packaging.

Notes

[‘Chill dough for at least 1 hour to maintain shape and prevent spreading.’, ‘Avoid overmixing dough to keep cookies tender.’, ‘Keep royal icing covered with a damp towel while decorating to prevent crusting.’, ‘Let each icing color dry before applying the next to avoid bleeding.’, ‘Store cookies in a single layer in an airtight container to keep icing crisp.’, ‘Freeze undecorated cookies wrapped tightly for up to 3 months; decorated cookies freeze best after icing dries.’, ‘Use meringue powder for royal icing for safety and consistency; avoid fresh egg whites.’]

Nutrition

Keywords: sugar cookies, pencil-shaped cookies, royal icing, back to school cookies, easy sugar cookies, decorated cookies, cookie recipe

Find it online: https://siennaspoon.com/perfect-pencil-shaped-sugar-cookies-recipe-easy-step-by-step-tutorial/