Starry Night Sugar Cookies (Printable)

Vanilla sugar cookies with mesmerizing blue-black marbled icing and sparkling edible stars for a magical celestial treat.

# Ingredient List:

→ For the Sugar Cookies

01 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
03 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
04 - 3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
05 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
06 - 1 large egg
07 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

→ For the Icing

08 - 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
09 - 2-3 tablespoons milk
10 - 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
11 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 - Blue and black gel food coloring
13 - Edible gold or silver star sprinkles

# Steps:

01 - Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside for later use.
02 - Beat butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy, approximately 2-3 minutes.
03 - Add egg and vanilla extract to the butter mixture, mixing until fully incorporated.
04 - Gradually add dry ingredients to wet mixture, mixing just until dough forms. Avoid overmixing.
05 - Divide dough in half, shape into discs, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
06 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
07 - On a lightly floured surface, roll one disc at a time to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut stars or rounds with cookie cutters.
08 - Place cut cookies on prepared baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart to allow for slight spreading.
09 - Bake for 9-11 minutes until edges are just golden. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
10 - Mix powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk, corn syrup, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add additional milk if needed for thick but pourable consistency.
11 - Divide icing into two bowls. Tint one bowl deep blue, the other black. Gently swirl the two colors together in a shallow dish.
12 - Dip cooled cookies face-down into marbled icing. Immediately sprinkle with edible stars. Allow icing to set for at least 30 minutes before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The marbled icing creates a unique galaxy effect on every single cookie
  • These taste as delicate and buttery as they look, never like sweet cardboard
  • They hold their shape beautifully while maintaining that tender melt in your mouth texture
02 -
  • Overmixing the dough makes tough cookies, so stop as soon as the flour disappears
  • If the icing spreads too much, let it sit for 10 minutes to thicken before dipping more cookies
  • The marbled effect works best when you dip quickly without overthinking the pattern
03 -
  • Use a toothpick to gently guide excess icing off the edges for clean lines
  • Let the icing set for at least 30 minutes before stacking or storing

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