'Tis the season 🍊
Spice up our sugar cookie mix with a hint of Aperol! The added Aperol provides a subtle flavor that isn't overpowering and can be adjusted to suit your taste.
Aperol Spritz Inspired Sugar Cookies
Serves 10-12
WHAT YOU NEED FOR THE COOKIES
- Renewal Mill Sugar Cookie Mix
- 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp neutral oil such as grape seed, sunflower, or vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup of water
- 1/3 cup of Aperol
WHAT YOU NEED FOR THE VEGAN ROYAL ICING
- 1/4 cup Aquafaba
- 1 Ib to start Powdered/ Confectioner's Sugar
- 1 tsp Vinegar (can be substituted with cream of tartar or lemon juice)
- 1 tsp Vanilla (clear for bright white icing or you can use natural)
- 1.5 tsp Vegan Food Coloring
- Water or Lemon Juice to thin prepared icing
EQUIPMENT
- Stand Mixer (for icing)
- Piping bags (for icing)
- Baking Sheets
- Parchment Paper
TO MAKE THE COOKIES
Heat the oven to 350F.
Pour entire bag of sugar cookie mix into a large bowl.
Add oil, water, and Aperol. Stir until all of the ingredients are moistened and for a soft dough.
Roll dough 1/4 inch thick on a floured surface or parchment sheet.
Cut with cookie cutters and place 1 inch apart on the prepared cookie sheet.
Bake in the center of the oven until cookies are golden brown at the edge, 12-15 minutes. Rotate the cookie sheet halfway through the baking time.
Cool cookies for 1 minute on the baking sheet. Use a thin spatula to transfer cookies to a rack to cool (around 20 minutes before decorating).
TO MAKE THE VEGAN ROYAL ICING
Add a teaspoon of vinegar to your mixing bowl.
Pour in about 1/4 cup of aquafaba.
Mix medium to high speed with the whisk attachment until the aquafaba becomes frothy and foamy.
Turn the mixer to low and gradually add powdered sugar until it is mostly incorporated into the aquafaba.
Turn off the mixer and lift the whisk to check the consistency of your icing. Aim for a school-glue-type consistency. If it’s not there yet, add more powdered sugar, about a cup at a time, until you achieve the desired consistency.
Once you achieve the glue consistency, add a teaspoon of vanilla and a teaspoon and a half of white food coloring.
Turn the mixer up to medium-high speed and let it run for about eight minutes.
At this point, you should have nice, stiff royal icing. Separate the icing into bowls and add coloring as desired.
Add white and orange icing to piping bags and cut the tip when you are ready to decorate.
Pro tip: Store the icing in an airtight container immediately—it dries out quickly. If you store it in the freezer, it will last as long as needed.
ASSEMBLE
Once you have the cookies and royal icing, you can begin icing! This was our first time flooding cookies, and we are super excited about how they turned out.
Take your time and be sure to let the icing dry.
Start with the orange outline, then the inside white lines and then flood the triangles with orange! Top with little white seeds (for detail).
Pair them with your favorite summer cocktail (😉) or enjoy them alone for a perfect summer treat!