Follow along with Rachel and Lincoln as they whip up these delicious sugar cookies that give the classic Mickey shape a dramatic Day of the Dead makeover! Get detailed instructions on how to bring a little magic into your kitchen for Dias De Los Muertos with this simple recipe.
We’ve included detailed instructions below for both the sugar cookies and the icing as well, so feel free to follow along, and enjoy these delicious treats with your family to celebrate the occasion.
Timestamps
0:00 – Intro
0:10 – Cookie Ingredients Needed
0:20 – Add butter & sugar to stand mixer
0:30 – Beat butter & sugar together
0:40 – Add egg & vanilla
0:50 – Add salt & baking powder
1:00 – Add flour
1:14 – Divide dough and refrigerate
1:24 – Dust counter with flour
1:34 – Roll dough and cut mickey shapes
1:50 – Bake at 350F for 11-12 minutes
2:04 – Icing Ingredients Needed
2:14 – Sift confectioners sugar
2:24 – Add meringue powder & water
2:34 – Beat icing on high for 1.5 – 2 minutes
2:44 – Perfect Consistency for Piping Icing
2:57 – Place icing into piping bag
3:11 – Draw outlines on cookies to create border
3:27 – Separate icing into bowls
3:37 – Mix food coloring into icing
3:47 – Cover icing with wet paper towels
4:00 – Add water to leftover icing & mix
4:10 – Perfect Consistency for Flooding Icing
4:20 – Place flooding icing in piping bag
4:35 – Flood icing in middle of cookie
4:45 – Use skewer stick to smooth icing evenly to edges
2 and 1/4 cups (281g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Royal Icing or Easy Glaze Icing
Recipe
In a large bowl using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until completely smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla, and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low until combined. Dough will be relatively soft. If the dough seems too soft and sticky for rolling, add 1 Tablespoon more flour.
Divide the dough into 2 equal parts. Place each portion onto a piece of lightly floured parchment paper or a lightly floured silicone baking mat. With a lightly floured rolling pin, roll the dough out to about 1/4-inch thickness. The rolled-out dough can be any shape, as long as it is evenly 1/4-inch thick.
Lightly dust one of the rolled-out doughs with flour. Place a piece of parchment on top. (This prevents sticking.) Place the 2nd rolled-out dough on top. Cover with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, then refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours and up to 2 days.
Once chilled, preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Line 2-3 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Carefully remove the top dough piece from the refrigerator. If it’s sticking to the bottom, run your hand under it to help remove it– see me do this in the video above. Using a cookie cutter, cut the dough into shapes. Re-roll the remaining dough and continue cutting until all is used. Repeat with the 2nd piece of dough.
Arrange cookies on baking sheets 3 inches apart. Bake for 11-12 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. If your oven has hot spots, rotate the baking sheet halfway through bake time. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.
Decorate the cooled cookies with royal icing or easy glaze icing. Feel free to tint either icing with gel food coloring. No need to cover the decorated cookies as you wait for the icing to set. If it’s helpful, decorate the cookies directly on a baking sheet so you can stick the entire baking sheet in the refrigerator to help speed up the icing setting.
Enjoy cookies right away or wait until the icing sets to serve them. Once the icing has set, these cookies are great for gifting or for sending. Plain or decorated cookies stay soft for about 5 days when covered tightly at room temperature. For longer storage, cover and refrigerate for up to 10 days.
Royal Icing Recipe
Prep Time:5 minutes
Cook Time:0 minutes
Total Time:5 minutes
Yield:3 cups
Ingredients
4 cups (480g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
3 Tablespoons meringue powder
9–10 Tablespoons room temperature water
optional for decorating: gel food coloring
Recipe
Watch the video of the icing above (shown at 2:44 of the video) so you get an idea of what the final consistency should be.
Sift confectioners sugar into mixing bowl.
In a large bowl using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat all of the icing ingredients together on high speed for 1.5 – 2 minutes. When lifting the whisk up off the icing, the icing should drizzle down and smooth out within 5-10 seconds. If it’s too thick, add a little more water. (On particularly dry days, I use up to 12-14 Tablespoons water total.) If it’s too thin, add a little more sifted confectioners’ sugar.
Add coloring to icing. Icing completely dries in about 2 hours at room temperature. If you’re layering royal icing onto cookies for specific designs and need it to set quickly, place cookies in the refrigerator to help speed it up.
What are some of your favorite Disney recipes? Let us know by leaving a comment below!