Frosted Animal Cookies

These copycat frosted animal cookies combine simple vanilla cookies with a sweet confectioner's glaze and festive rainbow nonpareils.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword animal, cookies, frosted

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 11

Chill 30

Total Time 1 1

Servings cookies

Calories 68kcal

In a large bowl or stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth.
Add the egg, almond extract, and vanilla extract, beat until smooth.
Add the salt to the flour and gradually add that dry mixture to the wet mixture just until combined. Don’t overmix. Dough will be a bit crumbly but will come together nicely in your hands.
Divide the dough in half and tightly wrap it in plastic wrap, then flatten into a disc.
Chill in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Line several baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Set aside.
Lightly dust the working surface with flour and then roll out the dough to ¼ inch thick.
Cut with the animal cookie cutters and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 9-11 minutes or until the edges are set and the bottoms are lightly browned.
Let cool completely on the baking sheet and then transfer them to a wire rack.

Whisk together the confectioner’s sugar, corn syrup, and vanilla extract.
Add 1 tablespoon of milk at a time until the icing reaches the desired consistency.
Divide the icing into 2 separate bowls.
Color 1 bowl of icing with pink food coloring until it reaches the desired color. Keep in mind that the color will intensify over time.
Spread the icing onto the cooled cookies and immediately add the nonpareils for decoration before the icing sets.
Store the cookies in a single layer in an airtight container.

Using Clear Vanilla Extract – this is to keep the icing white, as traditional vanilla will tint the icing to a cream or off-white color.