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Christmas Dove Royal Icing Cookies

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These gorgeous Christmas Dove Cookies are the perfect way to practice your royal icing technique.

Christmas Dove Cookie recipe

For the longest time, I could not understand how people made cookies with royal icing and they turned out pretty. Mine looked like a 3-year-old made them. Year after year, I would attempt to make pretty frosted cookies and every year they would be so ugly that I would toss them. And then the world of royal icing cookies opened up for me. I found some really good tutorials and learned some very valuable lessons.

Christmas Dove Cookie recipe

Ingredients //

The first is to find a good royal icing recipe. This is the ingredients you will need:

  • 4 cups sifted powdered sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons meringue powder
  • 5-7 Tablespoons of water

You also need ingredients to make your sugar cookies:

Cooking Steps for Christmas Dove Royal Icing Cookies //

For the royal icing:

Step 1: Sift the sugar and meringue powder into the bowl of an electric mixer.

Step 2: Add 5 Tablespoons of water.

Step 3: Use the paddle and mix on medium for about 7 to 10 minutes. You want this to be fairly thick. This thick icing is going to be the outline of the cookies.

Tips: If you need to, add a bit more water. Drops at a time. I know that sounds ridiculous, but it is amazing how royal icing can become runny in a matter of seconds. Go slowly.

royal icing recipe

Step 4: Put some of the thick royal icings in a piping bag. Put the rest of the icing in an air-tight container. We will use this later, but for now, just make sure that it is sealed tightly so that it does not harden. We will use the thick icing again for the details like the eyes and the holly.

As discussed, I assume you already made dove shaped using this amazing sugar cookie recipe.

Step 5: Outline the cookies with the thick icing. Let it dry completely before you go to the next step.

royal icing recipe
royal icing recipe

Step 6: Add a few drops of water at a time until the icing runs from a spoon like above. Let the icing set for a few minutes to let the air bubbles pop.

royal icing recipe

Step 7: Put the royal icing in a piping bag.

Step 8: Fill the outline of the cookie, and then pipe some icing into the middle. I use the tip without adding any more icing to the cookie to push the icing to cover the cookie. If you need more to fill it entirely, by all means, add more.

royal icing recipe

Step 9: Using the thick icing, add the eyes and the wing details.

royal icing recipe

Step 10: Go back and tint a bit of the icing green and red. Put them in piping bags fitted with small round tips. I used Ateco #2. Add the stems and leaves. Fill in the berries using the red icing.

royal icing recipe

Step 11: Let these dry overnight before you package them. They will look dry, but I promise you, they are not.

royal icing recipe

Package these sweet little Christmas doves and give them to someone that you love.

royal icing recipe
christmas dove cookies

Christmas Dove Royal Icing Cookies

Yield: 8
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Additional Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 38 minutes

These gorgeous Christmas dove cookies are the perfect way to practice your royal icing technique.

Ingredients

For the Royal Icing:

  • 4 cups sifted powdered sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons meringue powder
  • 5-7 Tablespoons of water

For the Sugar Cookies:

  • 2 cups softened unsalted butter
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 Tablespoon butter extract (optional)
  • 7 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  1. Sift the sugar and meringue powder into the bowl of an electric mixer.
  2. Add 5 Tablespoons of water.
  3. Use the paddle and mix on medium for about 7 to 10 minutes. You want this to be fairly thick. This thick icing is going to be the outline of the cookies.
  4. Put some of the thick royal icings in a piping bag. Put the rest of the icing in an air-tight container. We will use this later, but for now, just make sure that it is sealed tightly so that it does not harden. We will use the thick icing again for the details like the eyes and the holly.
  5. As discussed, I assume you already made dove shaped using this amazing sugar cookie recipe.

  6. Outline the cookies with the thick icing. Let it dry completely before you go to the next step.
  7. Add a few drops of water at a time until the icing runs from a spoon like above. Let the icing set for a few minutes to let the air bubbles pop.
  8. Put the royal icing in a piping bag.
  9. Fill the outline of the cookie, and then pipe some icing into the middle. I use the tip without adding any more icing to the cookie to push the icing to cover the cookie. If you need more to fill it entirely, by all means, add more.
  10. Using the thick icing, add the eyes and the wing details.
  11. Go back and tint a bit of the icing green and red. Put them in piping bags fitted with small round tips. I used Ateco #2. Add the stems and leaves. Fill in the berries using the red icing.
  12. Let these dry overnight before you package them. They will look dry, but I promise you, they are not.

Notes

If you need to, add a bit more water. Drops at a time. I know that sounds ridiculous, but it is amazing how royal icing can become runny in a matter of seconds. Go slowly.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

Christmas Light Cupcakes | Baked Bree

Monday 31st of August 2020

[…] Christmas Dove Cookies […]

Camille

Saturday 7th of February 2015

Looking forward to trying these for Valentine's Day. When you say leave out overnight, do you mean just sittin' out on the table uncovered? thx!

bakedbree

Tuesday 17th of February 2015

Exactly!

Kristina @ spabettie

Wednesday 5th of January 2011

these are GORGEOUS !!

bakedbree

Wednesday 5th of January 2011

thank you Kristina!

Lisa

Friday 24th of December 2010

Bree... I swear you are the most talented and creative gal I know. These look WONDERFUL! I can't wait to try this recipe out-- and THANK YOU for the royal icing tutorial. I too have failed so many times I had officially sworn off trying again. Now I am inspired to give it another shot! :-)

bakedbree

Monday 27th of December 2010

you are too sweet Lisa! Once I figured it out, it is so much easier. Give it another go.

Miss Meat and Potatoes

Thursday 23rd of December 2010

These cookies are peace on earth in sugar and flour form! How delightful - thanks for sharing these little babies and happy holidays:)

bakedbree

Monday 27th of December 2010

Happy Holidays to you as well!

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