Cute Easter Egg Cookies

These egg-shaped cut-outs are a low-stress Easter project, the kind of bake where decorating is half the fun and little hands can pitch in. The dough comes together quickly, and a simple icing tinted in soft pastels turns plain cookies into a basketful of edible Easter eggs.

Two steps decide whether your eggs hold their shape. Roll the dough between sheets of plastic wrap instead of dusting with extra flour, which keeps the cookies tender rather than tough, and chill it for a full hour. That chill firms the butter so the cut shapes stay crisp and defined in the oven instead of spreading into blobs.

Pull them when the edges are just browned, around 8 minutes, so they stay soft. Then let them cool completely before you decorate, since warm cookies will melt the icing right off. The dough uses a granulated sugar substitute, so it’s a slightly lighter take on a classic cut-out cookie.

Kitchen Tips

• Chill the rolled dough the full hour; cold dough holds its egg shape and won’t spread.
• Roll between plastic wrap rather than flouring the counter, so the cookies stay tender.
• Cool the cookies completely before icing, or the icing will slide and melt.

Variations

• Divide the icing and tint it several pastel shades for a colorful Easter spread.
• Pipe outlines and flood the centers for a smooth finish, or add sprinkles before the icing sets.
• Use real granulated sugar in place of the substitute if you prefer a traditional sugar cookie.