No spread strawberry sugar cookies
Strawberry sugar cookies are a soft, tender, cookie with a delicate strawberry flavour. These, no-spread cookies, are perfect for cookies cutters and decorating with icing. I made a big batch for Valentine’s day. I have a lot of strawberry lovers, and pink lovers, in my house. So, these were a huge hit!
I made a batch of strawberry and a batch of chocolate sugar cookies. I used different size heart cookie cutters all over the dough and then inserted the opposite colour into those spaces. Give it a gentle roll out to seal everything together, and the two tone dough is ready to cut out!
They turned out so well. I will for sure being making these cookies again!
Storage
Freezing strawberry sugar cookies
Making batches of cookies in advance is a great time saver. Especially if you are planning to decorate your cookies. Let’s face it, decorating is the most time consuming part of the process. I often make batches of sugar cookies in advance. That way, I’m ready to go, when I have time to decorate. I can decorate in smaller batches, without any cookies getting dried out or stale.
How to freeze strawberry sugar cookie dough
- Split the sugar cookie dough into two equal portions.
- Shape the dough, with your hands, into a flat round disk.
- Wrap each, tightly, in cling-film.
- Place the dough in a labeled freezer bag, or airtight container.
- Store in the freezer for up to 4 months.
- When you are ready to make the sugar cookies, let the dough defrost, on the countertop, until is is pliable. Roll out with a rolling pin. Cut out with cookie cutters, and continue on with the instructions, as if you were making them fresh!
How to freeze baked strawberry sugar cookies
- Let the cookies cool to room temperature.
- Place the cookies on a baking sheet and freeze in a single layer for 2 hours.
- Pop the frozen cookies into a freezer bag or a sealed container.
- Store them in the freezer up to 3 months.
- When you are ready to decorate these sugar cookies, remove from the freezer and let them come back to room temperature on the countertop. They are ready to decorate with royal icing, or your icing of choice.
Storing the sugar cookies at room temperature
Store baked sugar cookies in an airtight container, on your counter top, for up to 7 days. Cookies that have been decorated with Royal icing tend to stay moist and fresh longer. I find, the icing seals in the moisture.
My typical schedule for decorating sugar cookies is:
- Bake the cookies the first day. Leave them out on the counter top to cool overnight.
- The next day, decorate the cookies. Leave the cookies, with the royal icing, to dry overnight, at room temperature.
- Package the cookies the next day.
I am always left with fresh tender cookies when I follow this schedule.
Storing strawberry sugar cookies in the refrigerator
Store baked sugar cookies, in an airtight container, in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
Sugar cookie dough needs to chill in the refrigerator, for at least 1 hour, before rolling it out. Before baking sugar cookies, the dough cut-outs needs to chill for about 30 minutes in the refrigerator. This will stop the cookies from spreading in the oven.
Store sugar cookie dough can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. When you are ready to bake the cookies, pull the dough out 10 minutes before you are ready to roll the dough out.
Decorating Strawberry sugar cookies
Royal Icing
When I made these cookies, I made half with royal icing and the other half I turned into sandwich cookies. Royal icing, is easy to decorate with, when it is wet. It will set hard after 24 hours. Royal icing is made with egg white, icing sugar, and water. You can either make it with liquid egg whites or meringue powder.
Royal icing will remain soft and liquid if kept sealed, (like in a piping bag). When exposed to the air it will start to solidify and form a dry crust. So, if you are leaving it in a bowl, make sure to cover the icing with cling film, or place a damp cloth over top of the bowl. It will dry hard after 24 hours.
If you want to decorate your sugar cookies with sprinkles or decorating sugar. Make sure to apply these when the royal icing is still wet.
See the end of this post for my go-to royal icing recipe.
Buttercream
This soft spreadable icing is my go-to filling for sandwich cookies. Kids especially love buttercream sandwich cookies. Classic American buttercream is made from butter, icing sugar, and cream. It is quick and easy to make, and stores well. If it is sealed, it will stay soft and moist. When exposed to the air, it will dry and become semi-hard. Especially in a thin layer.
If you are planning to add sprinkles or coloured sugar to your buttercream cookies, make sure to do it when it is still fresh.
Since these are pink fruity cookies, I am going to make a pink fruity buttercream to go along with them! Follow the recipe below for Real strawberry buttercream! Or if you want to keep is classic check this recipe for Classic American buttercream.
My sugar cookies are spreading!
When you are using cookie cutters to make cookies, you want them to remain the same shape after they are baked. It can be really frustrating when you pull out the cookies and find a big puffy mess. To stop your sugar cookies from spreading:
- Cut down the amount of baking soda or baking powder. These ingredients are what makes baked goods rise.
- This step, I find to be the most important; chill your dough cutouts before they go in the oven! Place the uncooked sugar cookies in the freezer for 20-30 minutes before they go in the oven. The cut-out cookie dough should be hard and solid before going into the oven.
Ingredients For Strawberry sugar cookies
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 ¾ cup white sugar
1/3 cup strawberry jam or jelly
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups all-purpose flour
A few drops, red food colouring (optional)
Method
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or a large bowl with beaters, cream the butter and sugar together, until it is light and fluffy.
- Beat in the strawberry jam or jelly.
- Add in the eggs, one at a time, and beat after each addition.
- Stir in the vanilla extract and a few drops of red food colouring, if desired.
- Sprinkle on top, the baking powder and salt. Mix to combine.
- Add in the flour and mix just until everything is combined. Don’t overmix or the cookies will not be as tender.
- Split the dough in two and form each into a round disk with your hands. Wrap each in cling-film and chill in the refrigerator for an hour.
- Remove from the plastic and roll out on a floured countertop. Make sure to turn and flip the dough, as you are rolling. Apply more flour, as needed, to stop the dough from sticking to the counter or the rolling pin. The dough should be about ½-cm. thickness.
- Cut out shapes with cookie cutters. Collect the unused dough back together and reroll. Continue to do this, until all of the dough is used up.
- Place the cookie dough cutouts onto a lined baking sheet. Place in the freezer for about 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
- Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes or until fully baked and set. The edges should just start to colour.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. Then, remove to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.
Strawberry sugar cookie cut-outs
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 ¾ cup white sugar
- ⅓ cup strawberry jam or jelly
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- A few drops red food colouring (optional)
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or a large bowl with beaters, cream the butter and sugar together, until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the strawberry jam or jelly.
- Add in the eggs, one at a time, and beat after each addition.
- Stir in the vanilla extract and a few drops of red food colouring, (if desired).
- Sprinkle on top, the baking powder and salt. Then, mix to combine.
- Add in the flour and mix, just until everything is combined. Don't overmix or the cookies will not be as tender.
- Split the dough in two and form each into a round disk, with your hands. Wrap each in cling-film and store in the refrigerator for an hour.
- Remove from the plastic and roll out on a floured countertop. Make sure to turn and flip the dough, as you are rolling. Apply more flour, as needed, to stop the dough from sticking to the counter or the rolling pin. The dough should be about ½-cm. thickness.
- Cut out shapes with cookie cutters. Collect the unused dough back together and reroll. Continue to do this, until all of the dough is used up.
- Place the cookie dough cut-outs, onto a lined baking sheet. Place in the freezer for about 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 ℉ (180 ℃).
- Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes or until fully baked and set. The edges should just start to colour.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. Then, remove to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.
Fluffy Real Strawberry Buttercream
Ingredients
- ½ cup softened butter
- 4 ½ cups icing sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup strawberry sauce
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, or a large bowl with beaters, cream the butter
- Add about half of the icing sugar. Start off mixing on low, until the sugar is incorporated. Then move it up to cream.
- Add in ½ cup of the cold strawberry sauce and the salt. Mix this into the sugar/butter mixture.
- Beat in the remainder of the icing sugar.
- Increase the speed and beat until the icing is light and creamy. Make sure to use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl as you go.
- Spread onto your favourite dessert, or transfer to a piping bag to decorate cakes and other baked goods.
Royal Icing
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. of icing sugar
- 5 Tablespoons meringue powder
- ⅔ cup warm water. You may need more or less to reach the proper consistency
Instructions
- In the bowl of the stand mixer, with the paddle attachment, add the sugar and the meringue powder.
- Mix to combine and break up any lumps.
- Add the water and mix on low until the icing starts to come together.
- Turn the mixer up to medium and beat for 4-5 mins, or until light and fluffy and holds a stiff peak. (You may need to add more water to reach the desired consistency for the piping.)
- Keep your icing covered, either with cling-film or a damp cloth, when not in use, or it will start to dry and set.
- The stiff consistency is perfect for making things like royal icing flowers or piping 3 dimensional designs.
- For the consistency for writing or piping borders, the consistency should be similar to mayonnaise. (You gradually add water to the icing until this is reached.)
- For flood consistency, (this is the main inside icing you will be filling the cookie with), add water gradually, until you have a runny honey consistency.
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