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Easy Black Cat Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing

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These Black Cat Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing are about to become your new secret weapon for Halloween hosting. They’re sturdy enough to hold up to royal icing but still have that tender, buttery crumb that melts in your mouth.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • 2 large egg whites
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • Black gel food coloring
  • Optional: Silver or white sanding sugar

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Cream the butter and sugar. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
  3. Add the egg and vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the egg and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed until just combined.
  4. Whisk the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder.
  5. Combine wet and dry. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, mixing on low speed. Stop as soon as the dough comes together.
  6. Roll the dough. Lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin. Roll the dough to about ¼-inch thickness between two sheets of parchment paper.
  7. Cut your shapes. Dip your cookie cutter in flour before each cut to prevent sticking. Press straight down without twisting. Re-roll the scraps once, then discard the rest.
  8. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Place cookies about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Let them cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  9. Make the royal icing. In a clean, grease-free bowl, beat the egg whites and lemon juice together until frothy. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, beating on low speed until combined. Increase speed to medium-high and beat for 5 minutes until the icing is glossy and forms stiff peaks.
  10. Color the icing. Divide the icing into two portions—about ¾ for the black base and ¼ for white accents. Add black gel coloring to the larger portion a little at a time until you reach your desired darkness.
  11. Adjust consistency for flooding. For outlining, keep the icing thick (ribbon stage). For flooding, thin the icing with water, one drop at a time, until it flows like honey and a ribbon disappears in 10 seconds.
  12. Decorate the cookies. Fit a piping bag with a small round tip and fill with the outlining-consistency black icing. Outline each cat cookie, then fill in with the flooding-consistency icing. Use a toothpick to spread the icing into corners and pop any air bubbles. Let the black icing set for 30 minutes, then pipe on white eyes and whiskers using the reserved white icing.
  13. Let the icing set completely. This takes about 4 hours at room temperature.

Notes

For the blackest black icing, let the colored icing sit for 30 minutes after mixing. The color deepens as it sits. If your kitchen is warm (above 75°F), pop the dough in the fridge for 10 minutes between rolling batches. The cookies actually taste better after a day—the flavors meld and the texture softens slightly.

Nutrition

Keywords: Halloween cookies, black cat cookies, sugar cookies, royal icing, decorated cookies, spooky cookies, holiday baking

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