Buttercream Flower Sugar Cookies (Printable Version)

Delicate sugar cookies topped with beautifully piped buttercream blooms—perfect for special occasions.

# What You'll Need:

→ For the Sugar Cookies

01 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 tsp baking powder
03 - 1/4 tsp salt
04 - 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
06 - 1 large egg
07 - 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

→ For the Buttercream Frosting

08 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
09 - 3 1/2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
10 - 2 tbsp whole milk (plus more as needed)
11 - 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
12 - Pinch of salt
13 - Food coloring gels (various colors, as desired)

# Method:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
03 - In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.
04 - Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until combined.
05 - Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until a dough forms.
06 - Divide dough in half, flatten into disks, wrap in plastic, and chill for 30 minutes.
07 - On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out cookies with a round or flower-shaped cutter.
08 - Place cookies 2 inches apart on prepared sheets. Bake 10–12 minutes, or until edges are just turning golden.
09 - Let cookies cool on sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
10 - Beat butter until smooth and creamy. Gradually add sifted confectioners sugar, mixing well.
11 - Add milk, vanilla, and salt. Beat for 2–3 minutes, until fluffy. Add more milk 1 tsp at a time if needed for desired piping consistency.
12 - Divide buttercream into bowls and tint with food coloring as desired.
13 - Fit piping bags with small star, petal, and leaf tips. Fill with colored buttercream.
14 - Pipe flowers and leaves onto cooled cookies.
15 - Let decorated cookies set at room temperature until buttercream firms up slightly.

# Chef's Tips:

01 -
  • These cookies make you look like a professional pastry chef with surprisingly little effort
  • The combination of tender vanilla cookies and silky buttercream is absolutely irresistible
02 -
  • Room temperature ingredients are nonnegotiable for both the cookie dough and buttercream
  • Practice piping flowers on a piece of parchment paper first, then scrape the frosting back into the bag to avoid wasting any
03 -
  • Work with one color at a time and keep the others covered with damp paper towels to prevent crusting
  • If your buttercream gets too soft while piping, pop the bag in the refrigerator for five minutes

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