Go Back

Emoji cookies

Sugar cookies with royal icing !
Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients
  

For the cookies

  • 225 grams or 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 200 grams or 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 egg at room temperature
  • 375 grams or 3 cups all purpose flour
  • Pinch of salt

For the royal icing

  • 60 grams or 2 egg whites
  • 2 teaspoons lime juice
  • 330 grams or 3 cups icing sugar
  • Gel food colouring in yellow black , red

Instructions
 

To make the cookies

  • Using a wooden spoon or electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  • Add the egg and vanilla. Beat well until combined.
  • Add the flour and salt and beat at low speed until soft dough forms.
  • Divide into 2 or 3 portions , wrap in plastic and chill for atleast 30 minutes.
  • After chilling , roll out to about 1/8th inch thick. Using a cookie cutter, cut out shapes.
  • Transfer shapes to a parchment lined baking sheet.
  • Chill for 20 minutes. Meanwhile preheat your oven to 180 c .
  • Bake at 180 c for 12 to 16 minutes until edges start browning .
  • Cool on sheet for five minutes then cool completely on wire rack.

For the royal icing

  • Beat lime juice and egg whites until combined.
  • Sift in the icing sugar and beat until shiny white .
  • When you lift the beater, the trail should disappear after 10 seconds or so.
  • Colour half the icing yellow and transfer to a piping bag with the tip cut off.
  • Colour half of the remaining icing black, and the remaining two portions white and red each. Transfer to piping bags.Cut as small a tip off the piping bags as possible.
  • On each cookie, draw a circle with yellow icing and flood (fill) with yellow icing, use a toothpick to help spread.
  • Choose an emoji to make and while the yellow icing is still wet, pipe on details with other colours. Use the toothpick for adjustments.
  • Let cool for atleast a few hours.

Notes

The sugar cookie dough can be refrigerated for 5 days and frozen for two months. The cookies will last in an airtight container for a week or longer.
The cookie recipe yields around 40 to 45 four inch cookies.
The royal icing can be stored in an airtight container or in the piping bags in the refrigerator for a week.
Cover the royal icing as soon as you make it or it develops a crust. Remove the crust from the tips of icing bags in between use.
There are a lot of conistencies for royal icing. As it was my first try, i didnt fuss too much. I kept the yellow one a little thinner than the other colours .
If your icing is too thick and doesnt spread easily , pour it back into a bowl and mix in a little water.
If your icing is too thin and spreads off the edge of your cookie , pour it back into a bowl and mix in a little icing sugar.
A lot of Youtube videos on Emoji cookies are super helpful!