Royal Icing Cookies Butterfly Design, Elegant with Lace and Color Gradient

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• 300 grams medium-protein all-purpose flour
• 150 grams unsalted butter, room temperature
• 100 grams powdered sugar
• 1 chicken egg
• 1 chicken egg yolk
• 20 grams full cream milk powder
• 1 tsp vanilla powder
• 1/4 tsp fine salt
• 2 chicken egg whites, for icing
• 350 grams sifted powdered sugar, for icing
• 1/2 tsp lime juice
• 3 drops pink gel food coloring
• 3 drops purple gel food coloring
• 2 drops white gel food coloring (optional)

👩‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1 In a bowl, beat the butter and powdered sugar with a mixer on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until pale and creamy; there's no need to over-whip.
2. 2 Add the egg and egg yolk, mix briefly until combined, then add the vanilla and salt.
3. 3 Sift the flour and milk powder, then add to the batter in 2 stages, mixing with a spatula or mixer on low speed until the dough is smooth and no longer sticky to the touch.
4. 4 Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, flatten it, and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes so it's easier to shape and won't spread while baking.
5. 5 Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of 4-5 mm, cut out shapes using a butterfly cookie cutter, and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spacing them 2 cm apart.
6. 6 Bake in a preheated oven at 160°C (320°F) for 12-15 minutes until the edges are lightly golden brown; remove and let cool completely on a wire rack before decorating.
7. 7 Make the royal icing: beat the egg whites with a mixer on low speed until foamy, gradually add the powdered sugar while continuing to beat, add the lime juice, and beat until thick, glossy, and forming stiff peaks, about 5-7 minutes.
8. 8 Divide the icing into 3 portions: thin one portion slightly with a few drops of water for a flooding consistency (runny), keep the rest thicker for outlining, then tint each portion pink and purple.
9. 9 Fill a piping bag fitted with a small tip with the outline icing, pipe the border following the butterfly shape on the cooled cookies, and let set for 10 minutes.
10. 10 Fill the inside of the outline with pink and purple flooding icing alternately using a gradient technique, then poke with a toothpick to create a lace pattern and remove any air bubbles.
11. 11 Let the decorated cookies dry at room temperature for at least 6-8 hours or overnight until the icing is completely hardened and no longer sticky to the touch before storing or packaging.

💡 Tips

📊 Nutrition Facts / serving

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