Star shaped sugar cookie recipe

Perfect for festive occasions such as Christmas, birthdays or Matariki, this classic sugar cookie recipe is always a crowd pleaser. The thing I like most about these sugar cookies is that they’re super-simple to make with kids. This version even has an easy icing option that kids can have a go with, especially if you use a squeeze bottle rather than the piping bag.

You can cut out any shapes you like, and you can embellish the cookies with sprinkles, or different coloured icing finishes. Or, you can just sprinkle them with some icing sugar and enjoy. These star shaped sugar cookies make great gifts too, just bag some up in cellophane and ribbon.

Star shaped sugar cookie recipe

Ingredients

2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
A pinch teaspoon salt
125 grams butter, room temperature
1 cup castor sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla powder

Method

1. Sift flour, baking powder, salt and vanilla powder into a large bowl.

2. Beat butter and sugar with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg.

3. Reduce mixer speed to low. Add flour mixture. Turn out onto bench, ball up dough and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

4. Preheat oven to 170°C degrees. Roll out dough to 1/2cm thickness on a lightly floured bench. Cut out various star shapes using cookie cutters. Transfer to baking sheets lined with baking paper, spacing each star 1cm apart.

5. Bake until cookies are just turning gold around the edges, about 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on wire racks until completely cooled.

Easy sugar cookie icing

Ingredients

1 cup icing sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons milk
Food coloring, optional
Hundreds and thousands, optional
Edible silver or gold dust, optional

Method

1. Use a fork to mix the icing sugar, vanilla extract, and milk together in a bowl.

2. Add food colouring if using.

3. Spoon the icing into a piping bag or squeeze bottle. Draw the borders around the edge of the cookie first, then fill in the centre. Add more milk 1 teaspoon at a time if the consistency is too thick.

4. Sprinkle with hundreds and thousands, or edible dust. Leave to set for 24 hours before storing.