Starry Night Sugar Cookies (Printable)

Vanilla sugar cookies with swirled blue-black icing and sparkling edible star decorations.

# What You'll Need:

→ Sugar Cookie Dough

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, room temperature
05 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
06 - 1 large egg
07 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

→ Marbled Star 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

# How-To 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 combined.
04 - Gradually add dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing just until dough forms and is incorporated.
05 - Divide dough in half, shape into flat 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 dough disc at a time to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out star or round shapes with cookie cutters.
08 - Arrange cookies on prepared baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Bake for 9-11 minutes until edges are just golden.
09 - Let cookies rest on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely before icing.
10 - Whisk powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk, corn syrup, and vanilla until smooth. Adjust with additional milk to achieve thick but pourable consistency.
11 - Divide icing between two bowls. Tint one bowl deep blue, the other black. Swirl colors together gently in a shallow dish without fully mixing.
12 - Dip cooled cookies face-down into marbled icing. Immediately sprinkle with edible stars while wet. Allow icing to set for at least 30 minutes before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The marbled icing creates a completely unique galaxy effect on every single cookie
  • These keep their beautiful shape while staying wonderfully tender
  • They are unexpectedly simple despite their show stopping appearance
02 -
  • The dough must be properly chilled or you will lose those crisp edges everyone loves
  • Work quickly when dipping the icing because it begins setting within minutes
  • The marbling technique works best when you barely swirl the two colors together
03 -
  • If your icing becomes too thick, add milk one teaspoon at a time
  • Place the dipped cookies on a cooling rack over parchment to catch drips

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