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Elegant Diploma Cookies Recipe Easy Homemade Royal Icing Celebration Treats

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These elegant diploma cookies feature a buttery, crisp base with smooth royal icing perfect for graduations and celebrations. The recipe balances a sturdy dough with manageable royal icing for beautiful, detailed decorations.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4 cups (480g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 3 tablespoons pasteurized egg whites or meringue powder
  • 4–5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice or water
  • Food coloring gels (optional) – white, black, or any color
  • Edible gold dust or shimmer (optional)
  • Fine piping tips – size #1 or #2

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar using an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
  2. Beat in the large egg and pure vanilla extract until fully incorporated.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Sift to avoid clumps.
  4. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, mixing on low speed until a soft dough forms. Dust hands with flour if dough is too sticky.
  5. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
  6. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4 inch (6 mm) thickness.
  7. Use diploma-shaped cookie cutters or a knife to cut shapes.
  8. Place cookies on parchment-lined baking sheets about 1 inch apart and bake for 10-12 minutes until edges are just golden.
  9. Transfer cookies to cooling racks and cool completely before decorating, about 30 minutes or more.
  10. Prepare royal icing by whisking powdered sugar and pasteurized egg whites (or meringue powder). Gradually add lemon juice or water until thick but pipeable consistency is reached.
  11. Fill piping bags with white royal icing for the base. Outline edges and flood the inside. Use a toothpick to spread evenly. Let dry for at least 1 hour.
  12. Use stiffer icing with smaller piping tips to add diploma text, borders, or ribbon designs with colored gels if desired.
  13. Let decorated cookies dry at room temperature for 6-8 hours or overnight to harden the royal icing fully.

Notes

Sift powdered sugar thoroughly to avoid lumps in royal icing. Use the ‘dam and flood’ method for neat icing edges. Let decorated cookies dry overnight to prevent smudging. Adjust icing consistency slowly with lemon juice or water. Dough can be refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen for 1 month before baking.

Nutrition

Keywords: diploma cookies, royal icing cookies, graduation treats, celebration cookies, homemade cookies, decorated cookies

Find it online: https://realityeats.com/elegant-diploma-cookies-recipe-easy-homemade-royal-icing-celebration-treats/