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Soft-Baked Back-to-School Sugar Cookies with Pencil Royal Icing

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Soft-baked sugar cookies with a chewy texture, decorated with playful pencil-shaped royal icing perfect for back-to-school celebrations. Easy and fun for kids to decorate.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 2 ½ cups (312 g) all-purpose flour
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 3 cups (360 g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 2 large egg whites or 4 tbsp meringue powder + 6 tbsp water
  • ¼ tsp cream of tartar
  • Food coloring: yellow, pink/red, black gel colors
  • Edible markers or fine piping tips (optional)

Instructions

  1. Prepare the Dough (15 minutes): In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar using a hand or stand mixer until light and fluffy—about 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until well combined.
  2. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing on low speed just until combined.
  3. Chill the Dough (30 minutes): Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Alternatively, chill in the freezer for 15 minutes if in a rush.
  4. Roll and Cut (10 minutes): Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to about ¼ inch (6 mm) thickness. Use pencil-shaped or rectangular cookie cutters to cut shapes and transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart.
  5. Bake (10-12 minutes): Bake until edges start to turn golden but centers remain soft. Let cool completely on a wire rack before decorating.
  6. Prepare Royal Icing: Beat egg whites or mix meringue powder with water, then gradually add powdered sugar and cream of tartar. Beat until stiff peaks form (7–10 minutes). Divide icing into three bowls.
  7. Color Your Icing: Add yellow gel coloring for pencil body, pink/red for eraser, and black for pencil tip details. Mix well without adding too much liquid.
  8. Decorate (20-30 minutes): Use piping bags or zip-top bags to outline and flood pencil shapes—yellow body first, then pink eraser, then black tip. Let each color dry slightly before adding the next. Use toothpicks for fine details.
  9. Drying Time: Allow decorated cookies to dry at room temperature for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight to harden the royal icing.

Notes

Chill dough to prevent spreading and maintain soft texture. Use meringue powder for safer royal icing. Let cookies cool completely before icing to prevent melting. Pipe outlines first and let crust before flooding to avoid color bleeding. Store decorated cookies in airtight container with parchment between layers for up to 3 days. Freeze undecorated cookies for longer storage.

Nutrition

Keywords: sugar cookies, royal icing, back-to-school, soft-baked cookies, pencil cookies, kids baking, easy cookies, homemade cookies

Find it online: https://sweetstirring.com/soft-baked-back-to-school-sugar-cookies-with-pencil-royal-icing-easy-recipe-for-kids/