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Perfect Frosted Back-to-School Bus Sugar Cookies Easy Royal Icing Recipe

back-to-school bus sugar cookies - featured image
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These charming back-to-school bus sugar cookies feature a buttery crumb and smooth royal icing, perfect for classroom parties or after-school snacks. The recipe includes tips for achieving the ideal royal icing consistency and vibrant school bus yellow color.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 ¾ cups (345g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 ½ cups (300g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract (optional)
  • 3 large egg whites
  • 4 cups (480g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • Yellow gel food coloring (AmeriColor Sun Yellow recommended)
  • Black gel food coloring
  • Optional decorations: edible markers, small piping bags and various tips

Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  2. In a mixer bowl, beat softened butter with sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
  3. Beat in egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract (if using) until combined.
  4. Gradually add flour mixture to wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until just combined. Avoid overmixing.
  5. Divide dough into two discs, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
  6. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  7. Roll dough on a lightly floured surface to about ¼ inch (6mm) thickness. Cut shapes with bus-shaped cookie cutter and transfer to baking sheets.
  8. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges just begin to turn golden. Do not overbake.
  9. Cool cookies completely on wire racks before decorating.
  10. Make royal icing by beating egg whites with lemon juice until frothy. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until stiff peaks form.
  11. Separate a small portion of icing for black details and tint the large portion with yellow gel coloring.
  12. Outline bus shapes with thicker yellow icing using a piping bag fitted with a small round tip. Let crust for 10 minutes.
  13. Flood inside with slightly thinner yellow icing, using a toothpick to spread evenly and pop air bubbles.
  14. Once base layer is dry (about 1 hour), pipe black icing for wheels, windows, and bus stop signs. Use edible markers for finer details if desired.
  15. Allow cookies to dry completely at room temperature, ideally overnight, before stacking or packaging.

Notes

Use fresh, room-temperature egg whites or pasteurized whites for royal icing safety. Adjust icing consistency by adding powdered sugar or water as needed. Let each icing layer dry fully to prevent bleeding. Store leftover icing in an airtight container with plastic wrap pressed on the surface. Dough can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated. Cookies store up to 1 week at room temperature or 2 weeks refrigerated. Freeze un-iced cookies only.

Nutrition

Keywords: back to school cookies, sugar cookies, royal icing, school bus cookies, easy cookie recipe, decorated cookies, kids baking

Find it online: https://morselora.com/perfect-frosted-back-to-school-bus-sugar-cookies-easy-royal-icing-recipe/