Starfish and Seashell Sugar Cookies
Coastal-themed cookies with pillowy dough, glossy royal icing, and hand-painted starfish/seashell designs. Delightfully crisp, subtly sweet, and vacation-ready for summer events.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 10
- Total Time: 25
- Yield: 36 cookies 1x
- Category: quick
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg (room temperature)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
4 cups sifted powdered sugar
3 tbsp meringue powder
5–6 tbsp water
Gel food coloring (coral, turquoise, sandy beige, white)
Sanding sugar
Edible pearls
Edible gold/silver luster dust (alcohol-free)
Food-safe brush
Instructions
Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in bowl
Beat softened butter and granulated sugar until fluffy
Add egg, vanilla, and almond extracts; mix well
Gradually incorporate flour mixture until dough forms
Chill dough for 1 hour
Roll dough between parchment sheets to 1/4″ thickness
Cut with starfish/seashell cookies; chill cutouts 10 minutes
Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 9-11 minutes until lightly golden
Let cookies cool completely
Blend powdered sugar and meringue powder
Add water (5-6 tbsp) and mix 5-7 minutes until glossy
Divide icing into colored portions
Pipe outlines, flood icing, add decorations while wet
Apply luster dust with edible alcohol-free medium
Notes
Chilled dough can be stored 3 days in fridge
Work in batches to maintain icing consistency
Batch baking: Freeze uncut dough (cut into shapes before final chill)
Color tips: Use 1 tsp water at a time for bolder hues
Luster dust: Kitchen supply stores sell alcohol-free edible versions
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 150mg
- Fat: 8g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Carbohydrates: 23g
- Fiber: 0.3g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 20mg