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Perfect Soft Frosted Back to School Bus Sugar Cookies

soft frosted back to school bus sugar cookies - featured image
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Soft, tender sugar cookies shaped like school buses with a smooth, glossy frosting finish. These cookies feature a velvety icing that dries just enough to hold its shape but remains soft to bite into, perfect for back-to-school celebrations.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 ¾ cups (345 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 ¼ cups (250 grams) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 4 cups (480 grams) powdered sugar, sifted
  • ½ cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, softened (for frosting)
  • 3–4 tablespoons milk (for frosting)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (for frosting)
  • Yellow gel food coloring
  • Black gel food coloring
  • Optional: 1 tablespoon meringue powder

Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  2. Using an electric mixer, beat softened butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
  3. Beat in eggs one at a time, then mix in vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.
  4. Gradually add the flour mixture, alternating with milk, mixing on low speed. Scrape sides as needed. Dough should be soft but not sticky. Adjust with more flour or milk if needed.
  5. Shape dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
  6. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
  7. Lightly flour surface and rolling pin. Roll dough to about ¼ inch (6 mm) thickness. Cut out shapes with school bus cookie cutter and transfer to baking sheet, spacing 1 inch apart.
  8. Bake for 8-10 minutes until edges just start to turn golden. Do not overbake; cookies should be soft.
  9. Cool cookies on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
  10. For frosting, beat softened butter until creamy. Gradually add sifted powdered sugar, alternating with milk and vanilla extract. Add yellow gel coloring until desired shade is reached. Tint a small portion black for outlining.
  11. Use piping bags with small round tips to outline each bus cookie in black frosting, then flood centers with yellow frosting using a spatula or wider tip piping bag. Add wheels and windows with black frosting.
  12. Let frosting set for at least 3 hours before stacking or packing.

Notes

Chill dough for at least 1 hour to prevent spreading and keep cookies soft. Use gel food coloring to maintain frosting consistency. Pipe black outlines first and let crust before flooding with yellow to prevent color bleeding. Adjust frosting thickness with milk or powdered sugar as needed. Warm cookie cutter slightly before cutting for clean edges.

Nutrition

Keywords: sugar cookies, back to school, soft cookies, frosted cookies, school bus cookies, easy cookie recipe, royal icing, kid-friendly cookies

Find it online: https://tempotaste.com/perfect-soft-frosted-back-to-school-bus-sugar-cookies-recipe-easy-step-by-step-tutorial/