Perfect Watermelon Slice Royal Icing Sugar Cookies
These playful watermelon slice sugar cookies feature a tender vanilla sugar cookie base topped with smooth, colorful royal icing, perfect for summer parties and gatherings.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 55 minutes
- Yield: 24 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 ¾ cups (345 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 4 cups (480 g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 3 tablespoons meringue powder
- 6 tablespoons (90 ml) warm water
- Gel food coloring in pink, green, and black
- Mini chocolate chips or black sanding sugar for seeds
Instructions
- Make the Cookie Dough: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a mixer bowl, beat softened butter with granulated sugar on medium speed until creamy and light, about 3-4 minutes. Add egg and vanilla extract, mixing until combined. Gradually add dry ingredients to wet, mixing on low until just combined. Cover dough and chill for at least 1 hour or overnight.
- Roll and Cut the Dough: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Lightly flour surface and rolling pin. Roll dough to about ¼ inch thickness. Cut shapes using watermelon slice cookie cutter or knife and template. Transfer cookies to baking sheets, spacing about 1 inch apart.
- Bake the Cookies: Bake for 8-10 minutes until edges start to turn golden but centers remain pale. Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
- Prepare the Royal Icing: In a clean bowl, combine powdered sugar and meringue powder. Gradually add warm water, mixing on low until stiff peaks form, about 7-10 minutes. Divide into three bowls and tint pink, green, and keep a small portion white or clear. Use black gel coloring sparingly for seeds.
- Decorate Your Cookies: Fill piping bags with pink icing. Outline and flood the inner triangle, let dry 20-30 minutes. Pipe green icing along outer edge for rind, smooth if needed, dry 30 minutes. Add black icing or mini chocolate chips as seeds. Let dry completely for several hours or overnight.
Notes
Chill dough at least 1 hour or overnight for easier rolling. Use gel food coloring for vibrant colors without thinning icing. Let each icing layer dry before adding the next to prevent color blending. Avoid humidity when drying icing. If icing thickens, add a few drops of warm water to loosen. Cookies can be stored in airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or refrigerated up to 2 weeks. Freeze baked cookies up to 3 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 medium cookie (abo
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 18
- Fat: 5
- Carbohydrates: 25
- Protein: 1
Keywords: watermelon slice cookies, royal icing sugar cookies, summer party cookies, decorated sugar cookies, easy sugar cookies, watermelon cookies