Description
These cute flower sugar cookies are delightful, sweet, and perfect for gifting or enjoying as a fun family baking activity. Featuring a tender, non-sticky dough with a charming pink and white color scheme, these cookies bake up beautifully decorated like flowers, making them an adorable treat for any occasion.
Ingredients
Cookie Dough
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened (113g)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100g)
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
- Red food coloring
Instructions
- Make the Creamy Base: In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer/spatula), combine the softened butter and granulated sugar. Beat on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until creamy and fluffy.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Add the egg and vanilla extract to the creamed butter mixture. Beat again until fully combined and smooth.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Add the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, and salt to the wet ingredients. Beat on low speed until a non-sticky dough forms and all dry ingredients are fully incorporated.
- Divide and Color Dough: Transfer the dough onto a clean surface and shape into a large ball. Divide it in half; put one half back into the mixing bowl, add a few drops of red food coloring, and beat on low to medium speed until evenly colored. The other half remains colorless (white dough).
- Prepare Dough Portions: Cut each half into quarters, resulting in 4 parts: 2 larger parts (one pink, one white) and 2 smaller parts (one pink, one white). Roll the large white dough into small smooth balls (about 1/2 to 1 tsp each), then do the same with the large pink dough.
- Assemble Flower Bases: On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, arrange five dough balls of the same color in a circle leaving about 2 inches between each flower to allow for spreading.
- Press Dough Balls: Place a small piece of parchment paper on top of a flower circle and gently press down with a flat-bottomed glass to slightly flatten and shape the flowers. Repeat for all flower bases.
- Create Petal Details: Use a toothpick or sculpting tool to draw two lines from the center of each dough ball outward, adding subtle petal detail.
- Add Flower Centers: Roll the small portions of dough into smaller balls and place them as flower centers using the opposite color of the petals. Gently press down with your finger without flattening them completely.
- Chill: Refrigerate the assembled flower cookies for 1 hour to firm up before baking.
- Bake: Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Bake the chilled cookies for 12 minutes until the edges are lightly golden.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking tray for 5-10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy your charming flower sugar cookies!
Notes
- Use plastic gloves when handling colored dough to prevent staining your hands.
- Ensure the dough is chilled before baking to maintain the flower shape and prevent excessive spreading.
- You can substitute red food coloring with other colors to create multi-colored flower cookies.
- Flattening the dough balls gently helps the cookies bake evenly and develop a flower-like shape.
- Store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
