Baby in Bloom Flower Cookies (Printable Version)

Delicate flower-shaped buttery cookies adorned 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, and lavender

# Directions:

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°F. 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.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The dough is forgiving and actually gets easier to work with after you've made it once, which means less stress and more confidence in the kitchen.
  • Pastel icing is genuinely impressive to look at but requires no special artistic talent, just patience and a steady hand.
  • These cookies stay fresh for days in an airtight container, so you can bake ahead without the last-minute scramble.
02 -
  • Room temperature butter is non-negotiable—I learned this the hard way when I once grabbed cold butter and ended up with dense, heavy cookies that felt more like shortbread than the delicate flowers I was aiming for.
  • The icing must be applied to completely cool cookies, otherwise it will melt right off; rushing this step feels like wasting all your effort, so be patient and let the cookies sit while you wait.
03 -
  • If your icing is too thick, add water drop by drop; if it's too thin, add a bit more sifted powdered sugar—the consistency makes all the difference between a gorgeous finish and a disappointing one.
  • Use gel coloring in the smallest amounts possible for true pastels; I learned to use a toothpick to add color rather than pouring it straight from the bottle, which prevents accidentally tinting your icing dark.
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