These cross sugar cookies are delicious sugar cut-out cookies that are decorated beautifully and tastefully with royal icing. These are perfect for communions, baptism, and Easter.

Cross Sugar Cookies

If you are looking for a festive treat this Easter that celebrates the reason for the season, then these cross-sugar cookies are just what you are searching for.

They are delicious cookies that are then cut out with a cross cookie cutter and then frosted with royal icing.

You can use these cookies for a church activity, Easter, communion, or baptism to celebrate!

Pair these cross sugar cookies with our Easter Fruit Kabobs and our Easter bread for a delicious spread of desserts this Easter.

How to make Cross Sugar Cookies

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Whisk together dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

3. In a mixing bowl, blend the butter and sugar until creamy and light. Add egg, almond extract, and vanilla extract. Mix well. Slowly add dry ingredients and mix until combined. The dough will be a little crumbly.

4. Turn out the dough onto a surface sprinkled with powdered sugar or flour. Press into a ball and then roll out to ¼ inch thickness. Use a cross-shaped cookie cutter to cut each cookie. Carefully lift shaped cookies to the baking sheet. Using a flat spatula is recommended to help the cookies maintain their shape.

5. Bake cookies for 7 to 9 minutes. Do not brown the cookies. Allow cookies to cool for at least 20 minutes on the baking sheet before carefully removing them to a cooling rack.

6. After cooling, decorate with royal icing. While the icing is still wet, press the decorations into the cookies.

7. Allow icing to dry before storing in an airtight container between layers of parchment paper.

Tips Tricks and FAQs

To ensure the decorations are set, you want to add them to the cookies while the icing is setting.
The key to these cookies is keeping the size consistent. Be sure that you roll your dough to the same thickness.
I like to roll my dough and then place it in the fridge for about 10 minutes. Once cooled, I pull it out and cut the shapes. I find this helps the cookies keep their shape.
The almond extract is a welcome flavor in these cookies. You can substitute it for more vanilla, but it is a great flavor to try with these cookies.

Storage

You will want to store these in an airtight container at room temperature. Be sure to let the icing fully set and dry prior to adding them to the container and put layers of parchment in between the cookies.

Can I Make these ahead of time?

You can absolutely prep the dough ahead of time. Make the dough and then wrap it and place it in the fridge until you are ready to bake your cookies. It will stay fresh for up to 4 days in the fridge.

You can also bake the cookies let them cool completely and then freeze them in a freezer-safe bag.

When you are ready to serve, remove from the freezer that morning and then frost the cookies. I would not frost them ahead of time.

Hack to using Royal Icing

Transform store-bought frosting into royal icing by removing the lid and aluminum seal. Place in the microwave for 30 seconds (thicker royal icing) to 1 minute (thinner royal icing for flooding.) Stir well. Transfer to a piping bag and use as desired.

Cross Sugar Cookies

These cross sugar cookies are delicious sugar cut-out cookies that are decorated with royal icing. These are perfect communions, baptism, and Easter.

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 (2 sticks) cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
½ teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Powdered sugar or flour, for rolling
For decorating:
Royal icing
Edible flowers

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Whisk together dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, blend the butter and sugar until creamy and light. Add egg, almond extract, and vanilla extract. Mix well. Slowly add dry ingredients and mix until combined. The dough will be a little crumbly.

Turn out the dough onto a surface sprinkled with powdered sugar or flour. Press into a ball and then roll out to ¼ inch thickness. Use a cross-shaped cookie cutter to cut each cookie. Carefully lift shaped cookies to the baking sheet. Using a flat spatula is recommended to help the cookies maintain their shape.

Bake cookies for 7 to 9 minutes. Do not brown the cookies. Allow cookies to cool for at least 20 minutes on the baking sheet before carefully removing them to a cooling rack.

After cooling, decorate with royal icing. While the icing is still wet, press the decorations into the cookies.

Allow icing to dry before storing in an airtight container between layers of parchment paper.

Cross Sugar Cookies