Soft Sugar Cookies With Fresh Strawberry Icing

The delectable sugar cookies, with their soft texture, are elevated with a fresh strawberry icing. Indulge in the sweet and tangy burst of strawberries in every bite, while the all-natural, rosy hue makes these cookies an ideal choice for Easter and a delightful spring treat.

Spring is the perfect season for sugar cookies to shine. Soft sugar cookies with fresh strawberry icing make the ideal sweet treat for the holiday, especially for Easter.

This sugar cookie recipe is a little softer than most, but the flavor and texture are exceptional.

My favorite aspect of these cookies, however, is the icing. Made with real fresh strawberries, not just food coloring, each bite delivers a juicy burst of strawberry flavor.

The good news is, they’re not too hard to whip up. The only catch is, you need to plan ahead and make the cookie dough a day before you roll it out, as it needs to be chilled.

Soft sugar cookies

The texture of soft sugar cookies is what sets them apart from crunchy sugar cookies. The use of sour cream gives these sugar cookies a delicate and tender quality that makes them practically melt in your mouth.

This recipe for soft sugar cookies has a subtle lemon flavor and is effortless to turn into cut-out cookies. They serve as an excellent canvas for decorating with icing.

Making these delicious soft sugar cookies is a relatively straightforward process with one minor condition: you need to plan ahead.

The cookie dough requires chilling time, so it is best to make the dough a day before you plan to roll it out and bake the cookies. This will ensure that the dough is properly chilled and ready to be transformed into perfectly shaped cut-out cookies.

Fresh strawberry icing

If you’re looking for a delicious and refreshing twist on traditional cookie icing, fresh strawberry icing is a must-try. It is made with real strawberries, creating a bright, natural color and a fresh, juicy flavor.

In this recipe, fresh strawberries are pureed with a touch of lemon zest until silky smooth, then mixed with powdered sugar, butter, vanilla extract, and corn syrup to attain a spreadable texture. Unlike traditional royal icing, this fresh icing remains soft even after it has dried.

The all-natural, eye-catching pink color derived from real strawberries is guaranteed to tantalize taste buds and add a pop of brightness to any dessert spread.

Tip: If you’re planning to gift these sugar cookies with fresh strawberry icing, I suggest inserting a sheet of waxed paper between each cookie to prevent the icing from smudging.

How to make soft sugar cookies

Ingredients for soft sugar cookies

• 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 and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then, mix in the lemon zest.

And then, add in the vanilla extract, corn syrup, and lemon extract. Mix until well combined.

Add half of the dry ingredients, which is a mixture of flour, salt, and baking powder, to the mixture. Mix until just combined.

Mix in the sour cream, then gradually add the remaining flour mixture, mixing on low speed just until everything is fully incorporated.

Divide the dough into two parts. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or up to 2 days. Chilling the dough helps it hold its shape when baking, resulting in soft and tender sugar cookies every time.

Roll out the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface and cut out desired shapes using a cookie cutter. I used an egg-shaped one.

Note: It’s important to work quickly during this stage as the dough is easier to handle when it’s cold. If the dough starts to soften, it may become more difficult to lift from the surface.

Bake the cut-out dough in a preheated 350°F oven for approximately 8 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. After removing from the oven, let the cookies cool for 1-2 minutes on the pan before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

How to make fresh strawberry icing

Ingredients

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

In a blender or food processor, combine strawberries, 1/4 cup of powdered sugar, and lemon zest. Blend until the mixture is smooth.

Pour the blended strawberry mixture through a fine mesh strainer to separate the seeds from the puree. Use a wooden spoon to press down on the mixture and extract as much puree as possible. Discard the seeds.

Add a small amount of very soft butter, vanilla extract, and corn syrup to the strained strawberry puree. Mix the ingredients until they are well combined.

Add the powdered sugar to the mixture and whisk it well. It’s a good idea to sift the powdered sugar before adding it, to remove any lumps and ensure a smooth consistency.

Mix the icing until it becomes smooth and falls in a ribbon-like consistency. If the icing is too thick, you can thin it out by adding a small amount of water.

The color is beautiful, a lovely peachy-pink hue.

To decorate the cookies, use a spoon to spread the icing evenly over their surface.

You made them! So why not be the first to taste them, especially since they are cookies. The first cookie that has been iced should be the first one to go into your mouth.

Mmm, they’re so full of strawberry flavor!

The cookies are soft and tender, with a hint of lemon that complements the fresh icing perfectly. I must admit, I had two more cookies after the first one. They’re just too irresistible!

For the remaining cookies, let the icing set until it feels dry to the touch.

Freezing Tip

These soft sugar cookies with fresh strawberry icing freeze well. To prevent them from sticking together, place a sheet of parchment paper or wax paper in between each layer of cookies.

More Spring Treats You Might Like

• Creamy Finnish Blueberry Pie (Mustikkapiirakka)
• Fluffy Korean Twisted Donut (Kkwabaegi)
• No Bake Sour Cream Lemon Pie
• Easy Blueberry Cake
• Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies
• Lemon Yogurt Cupcakes with Lemon Yogurt Glaze