Cal Berkeley Sugar Cookies

The month of May heralds the start of commencement season, graduation from high school and college/university.  Can you hear the notes of Pomp and Circumstance in your head?  My friend Bibsy commissioned these Cal Sugar Cookies for a dual celebration in her family: her youngest child's recent acceptance into Berkeley, as well as her oldest's graduation from the esteemed university.  Talk about a smart family!

 

The cookies aren't too hard to make, as long as you have a good stencil.  I got this "Cal" one from U-Stencil.  They have a wide range of college and universities to choose from.  I started with my tried and true vanilla sugar cookie and applied a base coat of royal icing until it was completely dry.  With the aid of the stencil I applied a thin layer of colored royal icing in the shape of the school's logo.  The consistency of the royal icing for the logo is key; it needs to be thick, like toothpaste.  

 

Be forewarned, though, that stenciling can be a messy affair, especially when working with a darker icing color as I was.  After I finished stenciling one cookie I had to thoroughly wipe and dry the stencil before moving on to the next.  But I think the end result makes it worth it.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CLASS OF 2023!

How to make stenciled sugar cookies 

 
Basic Vanilla Sugar Cookie
Royal Icing (thick and thin consistency)
food safe stencil (I used this one from U-Stencil) 

1. Cut the cookie dough in to your desired shape and bake according to the recipe.  
2. When the baked cookies have cooled completely, coat the entire surface with a thinner consistency of royal icing.  Let the cookies dry for at least 24 hours. 
3. Lay the stencil on top of the cookie and apply a thin layer of the thicker royal icing (should be like toothpaste) over it using an icing spatula.  Let this dry at least 24 hours.  

 

Basic Vanilla Sugar Cookie 

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a standing mixer with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add egg and vanilla extract and combine until egg is completely incorporated.  Add flour, baking powder and salt and mix until no trace of dry ingredients remain. 

Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4" thickness and cut out shapes using cookie cutters.

Bake for about 18 minutes or until golden brown.

 

Royal Icing

4 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup meringue powder

1/4 cup water

gel food coloring

Mix powdered sugar and meringue powder in bowl of stand mixer until well combined.  Slowly add water and mix until you get the consistency you want*.  Add food coloring to achieve your desired color.