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Home » Desserts » Cookies » Basketball Cookies with Royal Icing

November 23, 2021 ·

Basketball Cookies with Royal Icing

Cookies· Desserts· Kid Friendly

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Need some cute post-game snacks or a fun birthday surprise? Look no further than these Basketball Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing! These are so simple yet taste as if they came straight out of a fancy bakery! Keep reading to learn how to make these delicious sweet treats!

picture of iced sugar cookies that look like basketballs on a plate

Basketball Cookies with Royal Icing

My daughter turns ten this week. The years have flown by; it seems like yesterday she was a curious toddler. Her special request for her birthday was cookies decorated like basketballs. After doing a little online research, I decided to try royal icing.

Update May 2022: She is now 18 and just graduated from high school last week. The days are long but the years fly by for sure.

HOW TO MAKE SUGAR COOKIES WITH ROYAL ICING

These cookies are very easy to make. You only need a few ingredients to whip these up for a birthday party or another event.

What is Royal Icing?

Royal Icing is made up of confectioner’s sugar, meringue powder, and water. Using meringue powder probably sounds like a gross thing to put in icing, but I promise you, it’s good. This icing is perfect for sugar cookies because you can whip it up super quickly and it sets very quickly once placed on top of the cookies.

Ingredients:

  • Butter 
  • Granulated Sugar
  • Eggs
  • Vanilla
  • Flour
  • Baking Powder
  • Salt

Ingredients for Royal Icing:

  • Meringue Powder– This will make the icing nice and fluffy.
  • Powdered Sugar will sweeten the icing and give it a nice texture. 
  • Water– This thins the icing, so it’s not too thick. You can add as much or as little to get the right consistency. 
  • Food Coloring– This is entirely optional. If you want themed cookies, you can use food coloring. Leave it out if you’re allergic to food coloring or don’t want to use it. The icing will be white. 

sugar cookies are sitting on a baking sheet

Start by following the steps in the recipe card to make sugar cookies, then chill the dough to make the most delicious chewy sugar cookies. Next, knead the dough and roll it out on a floured surface. Finally, use a circle cookie cutter to cut into basketball-shaped cookies before baking.

Tip: Silicone baking mats are beneficial as they prevent foods from sticking to the baking pan without having to grease them at all.

cookies are decorated with a line of icing around the edge

After the basketball cookies have completely cooled, make the royal icing and begin icing the cookies. Start by drawing a circle around the outside perimeter of the circle, then fill in the circle with royal icing.

Tips:  I used decorating bottles to pipe the edge around the cookies. I have always used pastry bags, but the decorating bottles made it so much easier.

sugar cookie has some orange icing painted on ut

Tips for Using Royal Icing to make Basketball Cookies

  • You will need to thin the icing out slightly, as it is pretty thick at first. I had to experiment a little to get the right consistency.
  • Pipe a border around the edge; you want it to be thick enough not to drip off so that it will set.
  • The next step is flooding the middle.
  • If needed, take the top off the decorator tip and add a little water one tablespoon at a time. Do this until it flows easily out of the tip to spread the icing over the cookie’s surface.
  • Keep any royal icing you aren’t using covered, as it will harden quickly.

spoon is decorating the sugar cookie with icing

Use the back of a spoon or a toothpick to spread the royal icing to the edges. Allow it to harden.

sugar cookies decorated like basketballs

With the black royal icing, pipe the lines to make basketball cookies.

Tip: Make sure to drag the icing over the edge of the cookies. Allow it to set for several hours to harden.

Check out Throw the Perfect Basketball Party for more fun ideas.

More Delicious Dessert Recipes:

Old Fashioned Peanut Butter Balls

Chocolate Chip Cookies with Self-Rising Flour

Cake Mix Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies 

Other Fun Kid Friendly Treats

Turkey Donuts

Cosmic Brownie Recipe

basketball decorated cookies on a baking rack
Print Recipe
4.50 from 2 votes

Basketball Cookies with Royal Icing

Basketball cookies made with sugar cookie dough and royal icing are perfect for anyone that loves basketball. They are perfect for birthday parties or team events. 

Ingredients

Ingredients for Sugar Cookies:

  • 3/4 cup butter softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Ingredients for Royal Icing:

  • 2 tablespoons meringue powder
  • 4 cups powdered sugar sifted
  • 5 1/2 tablespoons water room temperature

Instructions

How to Make the Sugar Cookies

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  • Cream together butter and sugar until smooth.
  • Add eggs and vanilla, and beat until combined.
  • Sift flour, baking powder, and salt, then add to the mixture.
  • Stir until combined.
  • Cover and cool in the fridge for at least an hour.
  • Flour the surface, knead the dough, and roll out.
  • Cut into circle shapes, place on a cookie sheet, and bake for 6-8 minutes.
  • Allow to completely cool before icing.

How to Make Royal Icing

  • In a bowl, combine meringue powder, powdered sugar, and water.
  • Beat on high speed for 3-5 minutes. When you drop a spoonful of icing, it should drop and smooth out in approx 5-10 seconds. At this point, the icing will be pretty stiff. Divide and place in airtight containers.
  • Add food coloring if desired (the gel high concentrated kind).
  • Thin out the icing to desired consistency with water as needed.
  • Make sure to keep covered to avoid drying out.
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