It’s finally gonna be spring this week! Though my favorite season is Fall, Spring is a close second. As soon as the temperatures hit the 50s- it seems as if the whole mood of NYC shifts. Since by nature we New Yorkers spend much of our time outside getting from place to place, pleasant weather makes the world of difference. Soon it will be even warmer and the outdoor patios will open, Central Park will become a universal picnic ground, and my kitchen will become a balmy 100 degree workspace. Anyway… :)
I’ve made rose cupcakes a few times before and it’s amazing how such an easy frosting technique really seems so beautiful and impressive. This soft sugar cookie is topped with sweet vanilla lemon buttercream that adds an extra brightness to the not-too-sweet cookie base.
Does this frosting technique seem tricky? I promise it is easy as can be. I recently taught my mom who was convinced that I had some fancy cake decorating training up my sleeve. (I really don’t.) I plan on eventually creating a video tutorial to show this, but in the meantime let me break it down for you.
1-Fit a frosting bag with a large, star tip. (I use either Ateco #844 or Wilton #1M)
2- Fill your bag with frosting- leave a good three inches empty on the top so it doesn’t ooze out as you’re frosting the cookies.
3- Hold a cookie with one hand and the frosting bag with the other. Start in the center of the cookie- and pipe in a circular motion counter clockwise. (I think for these cookies I went around 3 times.)
4- That’s it! Seriously so easy.
PS-I’m still in Europe. I’ll be checking my email periodically, but please be patient as it may take awhile for me to respond to comments/emails. :)
- 4½ cups all-purpose flour
- 4½ tsp. baking powder
- ¾ tsp. salt
- 1½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1½ cups sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 5 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3-4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract (or 2 tsp lemon juice)
- milk or cream as needed.
- To make the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt, and whisk together to blend.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar and beat together on medium-high speed until soft and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the bowl as needed. Blend in the vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients mixing just until incorporated and evenly mixed. Cover and chill the dough for 1 hour.
- When you are ready to bake the cookies, scoop a scant quarter cup of dough and roll into a ball. Flatten the ball slightly and place on the prepared baking sheet.
- Repeat with the remaining dough, spacing the cookies at least 2-3 inches apart. Bake about 10-12 minutes or just until set. (Don't over bake- the cookies will be very pale and the edges will only be slightly golden if at all.)
- Let cool on the baking sheet for several minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- In a medium sized bowl, whip the butter with an electric mixer until creamy and fluffy. Gradually add 3 cups of the powdered sugar, one cup at a time and mix until thick and well-combined. Add the vanilla and a tablespoon of milk or cream, and mix on medium high until fluffy. If you want to thin your frosting out a bit- add more milk, OR- add more sugar if you want it to be stiffer.
Cookie Recipe from Hostess with the Mostess (via Annie’s Eats)
LuRuSo says
March 20, 2013 at 8:04 amThese are perfect! I want a bouquet of them!
Becca from cookie jar treats says
March 20, 2013 at 10:02 amAww these are super cute. Spring is definitely not my favorite season (I’m more of a Fall and Winter girl) but I do adore all the pastel colors that pop out this time of year :)
Annie @ Annie's City Kitchen says
March 20, 2013 at 11:09 amThis is one of the first frosting techniques I learned and I still love it. I thought for sure it was harder than it sounded but I nailed on the first try. Such beautiful cookies!
a farmer in the dell says
March 20, 2013 at 11:10 amabsolutely beautiful! I’m in love with springtime!!!
Jennie @themessybakerblog says
March 20, 2013 at 11:50 amThese are just darling! Love them. Yay for warmer weather.
Meriem @ Culinary Couture says
March 20, 2013 at 12:33 pmI love the rose technique!
tara says
March 20, 2013 at 1:23 pmGorgeous! Almost too pretty to eat! I would love to see a video because I suck at frosting!
Tracey says
March 20, 2013 at 2:13 pmWhat a fun idea for the frosting on these cookies Audra, they’re gorgeous! I remember thinking this technique would be difficult but it really is super easy :)
Georgia @ The Comfort of Cooking says
March 20, 2013 at 3:21 pmBeyond gorgeous and perfect for Easter! Hope you’re having a fabulous time!
Colette | JFF! says
March 21, 2013 at 3:43 pmThese are so pretty!
Erica says
March 21, 2013 at 6:48 pmThese are awesome! I am making desserts for my friends’ wedding social and these will be a perfect addition!
Nisha says
March 22, 2013 at 1:07 pmtiny eggs over cupcakes, roses over cookies…you have some of the cutest stuff here!
i bought the course 1 wilton decorating kit last year, still haven’t gathered the confidence to open and use it … :-/
Leah says
March 23, 2013 at 8:55 pmWow I never realised making roses was so easy!
Definitely trying this out soon.
Thanks so much :) x
Ellen says
April 22, 2013 at 9:54 pmHaven’t tried it yetm but love the way they look. Did you really use a star tip? I thought when I first looked at them you’d use a flat edge tip like when you make roses that stand up? Just wondering. Thanks for a great idea.
Audra says
April 25, 2013 at 7:37 amHey lady- sorry for the delayed reply. Yup! Large star tip is all you need! It looks way more difficult than it is! xo
Vanessa says
May 2, 2013 at 12:16 pmThank you!
Can’t wait to try them out :)
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Ellen says
July 11, 2013 at 3:20 pmThanks for the great idea! I did just as you said and they turned out well. I did 3 pastel colors on 1-1/4 in. brownie bites (circles) for a volunteer event. Very pretty. Next time, I might try a little smaller tip.
Jen Checki says
July 17, 2013 at 11:58 amI just wanted to say thank you thank you thank you! I am a petty decent baker, but I have never gotten the hang of decorating. I just do not have an artistic bent, and it is a real struggle to even cut bar cookies in even sizes. I made a pan of sugar cookie bars, but instead of cutting them as bars, I cut them into rounds with a cookie cutter. I then used your rose decorating trick. I have to say, I did not think I would be able to do it. I thought it HAD to be harder than you made it sound. Gratefully, I was wrong! It was SO easy! I used four different colors of pastel buttercream, and when I was done, I had a garden of beautiful roses. They would be perfect for a baby shower or bridal shower. Thank you so much for sharing this! One question: I notice that the outside ring on the roses is a bit… I guess you would say looser?… than mine turned out. It made your roses look more fully in bloom than mine did. Do you know why that might be? (I know I am not describing it very well.) Oh, and congrats on your pregnancy! I have struggled with infertility for years and turn 36 next month, so cross your fingers for me that some day soon I might be so lucky.
Jessie says
August 18, 2013 at 1:19 pmHi! These are absolutely beautiful, but I do have a question! What kind of consistency is the frosting when it dries? Does it dry hard enough to pack cookies in a box, one on top of the other, or does it remain a more buttercream-y consistency? I want to be able to gift these, but am not sure what the frosting will behave like! Thank you!!!
Audra says
August 19, 2013 at 1:42 pmIt’s not rock hard enough for stacking but it does have a hard-ish surface. I’d suggest laying them flat in a box to transport! :)
Asmita says
August 18, 2013 at 3:23 pmBeautiful and so easy! Love it!
Michelle @ The Gathering of Friends says
April 14, 2014 at 1:13 pmGorgeous. And you make it sound so easy! These would be perfect for any spring event! We featured your recipe in our Feature Friday last week for 20 ‘Egg’stra Special Easter Desserts!
Katie says
May 24, 2015 at 5:50 amI wonder how much is 1 stick of butter? In gram or oz, thank you!
Audra says
May 24, 2015 at 11:17 pm1 stick is 4 oz
Corrina says
August 5, 2016 at 10:34 pmexcited to try this out! but there’s nothing about the pastel coloring here that I can find! :\
bess says
September 2, 2016 at 5:47 pmDo you have the recipe in weight vs volume? Weight generally is more accurate…thank you!! The mac recipe is next on my list. ;)
jo says
January 8, 2017 at 8:12 pmeverything except how to put the frosting on,,,,,disappointing
Rachel says
April 5, 2017 at 7:01 amWould this work with margarine in place of butter if need to make a dairy free version?
Ashley says
July 4, 2017 at 11:00 amCan these be used as cookie cutter cookies since they don’t spread or rise? These have already been my “go to” recipe on Pinterest ever since I found it years ago, and I need a cookie cutter recipe but don’t want to use a roll out one and was hoping this one would work. What’s your thought on it?