Earth Day Cookie Recipes to Celebrate Sustainability

cut out sugar cookies

• 2 ⅔ cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1 tsp Cream of Tartar
• 1 cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature
• 1 cup Sifted Powdered Sugar
• 1 Large Egg, room temperature
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 tsp Almond Extract

royal icing

• 1/2 cup Meringue Powder
• 7 cups Sifted Powdered Sugar
• 3/4 cup Water, room temperature + more for flooding consistency
• 2 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• Food Coloring or Icing Gel, colors of your choice

cut out sugar cookies

• Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar in a medium bowl; set aside.
• Using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the unsalted butter on medium-high until smooth.
• Turn mixer off and add the powdered sugar. Blend on low until nearly combined.
• Scrape the bowl, then add the egg, vanilla, and almond extract on medium-high until well blended.
• With the mixer on low, gradually add the dry mixture until a dough forms and pulls away from the bowl.
• Shape the dough into a ball, divide into two sections, and roll the first section to 1/4-inch thickness on lightly floured parchment. Place on a baking sheet and repeat with the second section. Refrigerate slabs for at least 1 hour or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 375°F with the rack in the upper-middle position. Line baking sheets with parchment.
• Flour cutters and cut out shapes. Place cookies 1–1½ inches apart on the sheet. If adding sanding sugar or sprinkles, do so now. Keep unbaked shapes chilled while the first batch bakes.
• Bake 7–8 minutes at 375°F or until edges are lightly golden. Cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating. Store baked cookies in an airtight container with a slice of bread for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

royal icing (stiff consistency)

• Mix the meringue powder and powdered sugar on low. While mixing on low, add the water and vanilla until combined.
• Scrape the bowl and continue mixing on low about 3–5 minutes until the icing is very thick and holds a stiff peak.
• Reserve some of the stiff icing for details. Store sealed in the refrigerator with plastic wrap directly on the surface if saving for later.

royal icing (flooding consistency)

• Thin the stiff icing with room-temperature water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it flows back into the bowl in about 15–20 seconds when tested with a spoon. If it becomes too thin, stir in some reserved stiff icing to thicken.

decorating the cookies

• Prepare blue and green flooding icing in piping bags. For these Earth designs you can use the flooding consistency and a plain piping bag—no tip required. Place bags on a pan for easy handling.
• Outline each circle with blue icing and let it dry to the touch. Pipe green shapes for continents and flood them. Place finished cookies on a wire rack to dry; allow a minimum of 2 hours, or overnight for best results. Use a fan to speed drying. Store leftover icing sealed in the refrigerator with plastic wrap on the surface.
• Once fully dry, store cookies in a sealed container with a slice of bread to keep them soft for up to 10 days. Baked and iced cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months if individually wrapped and sealed.

• Yield: about 4 dozen cookies, depending on cutter size and dough thickness. Decrease royal icing quantities if making fewer cookies.
• If you prefer buttercream instead of royal icing, use a cut-out sugar cookie recipe that pairs well with buttercream for decorating.
• Bake times are approximate and vary by oven—check early.
• Royal icing prep is roughly 15–40 minutes, depending on how many colors and tools you set up.
• This cut-out cookie recipe is a family-style recipe. The royal icing method is a classic approach adapted for ease and reliability.

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