Soft Sugar Cookies With Fresh Strawberry Icing

These soft sugar cookies with fresh strawberry icing has a hint of lemon flavor. You will love the burst of fresh strawberry taste from the icing. The all-natural pretty pink color makes these cookies perfect Easter cookies and a spring treat.

I think sugar cookies have their best shining moment during Easter. These soft sugar cookies with fresh strawberry icing is the just right sweet treat for Easter.

I love colors of Easter celebration – the subtle hues of prettiness. You will find many cute cut-out cookies adorned with royal icing everywhere during Easter time.

I used to enjoy spending some time decorating Easter cookies with many colors of royal icing but I just don’t have that kind of time these days.

Here is one sugar cookie recipe which is slightly softer than most other sugar cookies. Although the flavor and the texture of these cookies were excellent, my favorite part is on the icing. It uses fresh strawberries, not the food coloring! You will taste the burst of fresh strawberry flavor when you bite into them.

My kids just adored these cookies and demanded to make more. They are not labor intensive and can be made quite easily. But you need to make the cookie dough a day in advance to chill before you roll out.

How to make Soft Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

• all-purpose flour
• baking powder
• granulated sugar
• unsalted butter – slightly softened
• solid white shortening at room temperature
• eggs
• light corn syrup
• vanilla extract
• freshly grated lemon zest
• lemon extract
• sour cream

Beat butter, shortening, and sugar in a mixer until light fluffy.

Add eggs one at a time. Beat, beat, and beat.

Add the lemon zest and mix.

And add vanilla, corn syrup and lemon extract. Mix.

Add half of the dry ingredient which is the mixture of flour, salt and baking powder.

Mix in sour cream, then add the rest of the flour mixutre. Mix in low speed just until they are all combined.

The dough is done but very soft to roll out right away. You need to chill so the butter firms up.

Divide the dough into two parts and wrap with plastic wrap. Keep in the fridge for 6 hours or up to 2 days.

Roll out the chilled dough on lightly floured surface. Cut out with desired cookie cutter. I used the egg shaped one.

Note: You need to work fast on this stage while the dough is still cold. It will be a little tricky to lift up from the surface once the dough gets soften.

Bake at 350F oven for about 8 minutes or until the edges are turning slightly light gold. Let them cool in a pan for 1-2 minutes and transfer to wired rack to cool completely.

Fresh Strawberry Icing

Ingredients

• fresh strawberries
• lemon zest
• powdered sugar sifted
• unsalted butter very softened
• light corn syrup
• vanilla extract

Let’s make icing. Combine strawberries, 1/4 cup powdered sugar, lemon zest in a blender or food processor. Grind them up until smooth.

Pour the strawberry puree over a fine mesh to collect the seeds.

Like this! Press down with a wooden spoon to get all the puree. Discard the seeds.

Add very very soft butter, vanilla, and corn syrup to the strained strawberry puree. Mix well.

Add powdered sugar and whisk well. I suggest sifting the powdered sugar beforehand to get rid of any lumps.

Mix well until it becomes smooth and falls like ribbon. If the icing is too thick, you can add a little water.

Isn’t this pretty color? Peachy and pinky, I love it!

Using a spoon, spread the icing on cookies.

Holly’s Baking Rule: You made it? You eat it first, especially for the cookies. The first cookie that has been iced has to go into my mouth first.

Yum! So strawberrie-ish!

The cookies are very soft and tender with a hint of lemony flavor, which accompanies so well with fresh icing. I had two more, I confess.

Let them set until it feels dry to the touch.

Freezing Tip

These soft sugar cookies with fresh strawberry icing freeze well. Just put a piece of parchment or wax paper in between the layer so they don’t stick to each other.

“Hello, Peter! Are you looking for something?” His name is Peter, my Easter rabbit, and he has been eye witnessing me eating nearly half dozen of these cookies.

Ahhhh… spring makes me happy.

And the spring with strawberry iced cookies makes me even happier.

However, my happiness is not 100% complete this Easter season because one important thing is missing — the Marshmallow Peeps! My favorite sweet treat that I enjoy during Easter but can’t find them here. How sad!!! 🙁

Enjoy and appreciate your marshmallow peeps for me, would ya?

More Spring Treats You Might Like

• Lemon Louise Cake
• Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies
• Lemon Yogurt Cupcakes with Lemon Yogurt Glaze

Soft Sugar Cookies With Fresh Strawberry Icing

Servings: 3 dozen cookies

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 30 mins

Chilling time: 1 d

These soft sugar cookies with fresh strawberry icing has a burst of fresh strawberry taste. The all-natural pretty pink color makes these cookies perfect Easter cookies and a spring treat.

Recipe adapted from The All-American Dessert Book" by Nancy Baggett

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Ingredients

For sugar cookies

• 3 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup unsalted butter, slightly softened
• 2/3 cup solid white shortening, at room temperature
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tbsp light corn syrup
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp freshly grated lemon zest
• 1/4 tsp lemon extract
• 1/4 cup sour cream

Fresh strawberry icing

• 1 cup strawberries
• 1/2 tsp lemon zest
• 4 cup powdered sugar sifted
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, very softened
• 1 1/2 tbsp light corn syrup
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• water, if needed

Instructions 

For the sugar cookies

• Stir together flour, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl; set aside.
• In an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, mix sugar, butter, shortening until light and fluffy on a medium speed, about 2 minutes.
• Beat in eggs, corn syrup, vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon extract until smooth and incorporated.
• On low speed, add half of the flour mixture and mix, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Mix in the sour cream then stir in the remaining flour mixture until smooth.
• Divide the dough into 2 portion and wrap around with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours and up to 2 days.
• Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease baking sheet with spray or line with parchment paper or baking mat.
• Take a dough from the refrigerator out on to a lightly flourerd surface. Roll the dough into 1/4" thick. Using a egg shaped cookie cutter, cut out the dough and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Work fast while the dough is still cold. Repeat with the other piece of the dough.
• Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges of the cookies turns slightly gold.
• Let the cookies stand in a baking sheet for 1 minute, then transfer to wired racks to cool completely.
• When cookies are cool, drizzle the icing on the cookies. Let cookies stand until the icing set, at least 2 hours.

For the strawberry icing

• Coarsely chop strawberries, combine with lemon zest, 1/4 cup of powdered sugar in a blender or food processor. Puree until smooth. Strain the strawberry puree through a fine sieve pressing with a wooden spoon to remove the seeds. Discard the seeds.
• Add butter, corn syrup, and vanilla extract and mix well. Add 3 3/4 cups of powdered sugar and mix all together until smooth. Adjust the icing consistency with more powdered sugar or a little water as needed.

Notes

Freezing Tip:

These soft sugar cookies with fresh strawberry icing freeze well. Just put a piece of parchment or wax paper in between the layer so they don’t stick to each other.

Cuisine: Western

Course: Dessert

Author: Holly Ford

Did you make this recipe?Tag @beyondkimchee on Instagram. I love to see your masterpiece.