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.
“These are seriously the best cookies I have ever made, they are worth the length of time it takes. Everyone I have ever shared these with has given nothing but rave reviews. Honestly, it’s hard to just eat one of these at a time. I’m shocked there isn’t more reviews/comments about these because these are AMAZING.”
AM
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
Soft Sugar Cookies With Fresh Strawberry Icing
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.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then, mix in the lemon zest. Add in the vanilla extract, corn syrup, and lemon extract. Mix until well combined.
- 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 portions and wrap around with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours and up to 2 days.
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease a baking sheet with spray or line with parchment paper or baking mat.
- Take a dough from the refrigerator out on to a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into 1/4-inch thick. Using a 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.
Hi! I want to make these and put the cookies into little gift bags for friends. Will the icing harden up enough to that without smearing everywhere?
I recommend putting a layer of wax paper in between the cookies. The icing gets dried, but doesn’t harden up due to the addition of corn syrup in the recipe. Hope this helps. Thanks!
Does the icing set and harden? I was wondering if I can decorate the cookies in addition to icing them. I hate royal icing flavor so I would love to use the fresh strawberry icing. Nothing too intricate…just some sprinkles and edible pearls added on top.
These look amazing either way.
Hi Leah
The icing sets nicely but not as hard as the royal icing. You can definitely do a simple decoration like sprinkles and pearls, but I wouldn’t overdo it so that you can keep the fresh strawberry flavor. You will love the fresh taste of strawberries in the icing.
These are seriously the best cookies I have ever made, they are worth the length of time it takes. Everyone I have ever shared these with has given nothing but rave reviews. Honestly, it’s hard to just eat one of these at a time. I’m shocked there isn’t more reviews/comments about these because these are AMAZING.
So happy to hear that you liked these cookies. Aren’t they great?
You are such a sweet person sharing these cookies with others.
I like making them every spring. My kids’ absolute favorite treat during spring!
For how long does these cookies hold up (without the icing)? Should they be in room temperature or in the fridge? They look delicious!
These are soft sugar cookies. Withou the icing, they will last about 2-3 days before they go stale.
Do these need to be refrigerated because of the fresh strawberry?
For a 2-3 days, it should be fine.
Such beautiful photos, makes the cookies soooo delicious! 😀
Thanks for the good recipes. I like them
I made the icing and it’s DELICIOUS! But just fyi, you left the butter, corn syrup and vanilla you showed in your pictures out of the directions at the end. As a result those ingredients went in after the sugar, but it tastes fantastic just the same! 🙂 Thanks!
Thanks for pointing out the mistake in the direction. I fixed it. I am glad that you like the icing.
Glad to stumble upon your blog while I was surfing for Korean recipes. Great blog and nice awesome clicks!
Yum! I love the idea of icing made with real, fresh strawberries! I might be tempted to try this recipe with other types of berries as well… 🙂
mmmm looks good, thanks for the recipe!
I’ve never even thought of using fresh berries in icing, but what a marvelous idea! (And I bet it would work with other berries, too.) Happy spring!
Really like the look of that icing in particular, so pink and pretty!
Those are so darn pretty! The strawberry icing sounds amazing, too.
Very lovely. Easter is of course a different sort of non-event here in Pondicherry, even though there are many who celebrate it. The weather’s not spring-like. The colors and flavors (MANGO!) already are those of summer, heavy with scent and heat. But the bunnies at home have been bugging me for cookies, so these come at the perfect time. After all, what better than making your own seasons and festivities, wherever you are?
Wow! Those cookies look fabulous, especially with the real icing (versus artificial flavoring)! 🙂 Thanks for sharing. And you know what? You may be missing Peeps, but I’m envious of those GORGEOUS daisies you have in your photos!
Ah, strawberry season is kicking in now here in Korea, and this frosting is perfect!
Have kinda lost touch about Easter coming up on the calendar, though, so thank you for this lovely post as a reminder! 🙂
I love that the icing uses real strawberries! That’s terrific – it sound wonderful. Everyone loves sugar cookies, and these look excellent. Good stuff – thanks.
these are a lovely cookie for spring!
Delicious looking cookies. Creepy looking rabbit.