Vanilla Meltaway Cookies are the original Meltaway Cookies. With a soft shortbread vanilla cookie base and a sweet vanilla royal icing on top, they melt in your mouth!
If you like these Meltaway Cookies, I have a few other flavors for you: Almond Meltaway Cookies, Coconut Meltway Cookies and Lemon Meltaway Cookies.
What are meltaway cookies?
Meltaway cookies are made up of a soft buttery shortbread cookie base. They are called meltaways because they will literally melt in your mouth!
My girls and I love to bake, so with Summer fast approaching our kitchen is about to kick up into full swing. These Vanilla Meltaway Cookies are always at the top of our list as they require minimal ingredients and are insanely good.
These meltaway cookies are so light and fluffy in texture, that it allows them to melt in your mouth. The sweet royal icing on top really seals the deal and makes them irresistible. I can never keep them in the house, they’re usually gone the same day!
Ingredients for Meltaway Cookies
- All purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Unsalted butter
- Granulated sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla extract
Vanilla Royal Icing Ingredients
- Powdered sugar
- Milk
- Vanilla extract
You can use any flavor of extract in place of the vanilla extract in these meltaway cookies to create a different flavor of your choosing. You can also flavor them with citrus zest!
I like to use milk in my royal icing, however if these cookies will be sitting a long time, I recommend using water instead. If you use milk, technically you should refrigerate the cookies. If you use water, you do not need to refrigerate them. This is just a safety precaution!
How to make Vanilla Meltaway Cookies
- Line a baking sheet with either a silpat or parchment paper. Preheat your oven to 375°F.
- Whisk together your dry ingredients. Then beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Incorporate the egg and vanilla extract until combined. Slowly add flour mixture to wet ingredients.
- Use a tablespoon to gather batter. Roll each tablespoon into a small circle. Then, using either your palm or the bottom of a cup, press into a disk shape.
- Bake for 8 minutes. They won’t look “done” but they are done! They will still be very light and white. Let them cool on the cookie sheet.
- Once cookies are cool, whisk together icing ingredients until smooth and set aside. Use a spoon to apply icing. Let sit for at least 10 minutes or until icing is hardened.
What flavor additions can I make to my meltaway cookies?
These cookies are very customizable. You can add extracts like lemon, almond, peppermint, etc. You can also add additional toppings to your icing to jazz them up with sprinkles or think of adding something like crushed peppermint during the Holiday season! Feel free to play around and find the combination that you love best!
Can I freeze my meltaway cookies?
I, personally, would suggest freezing uncooked dough (and unfreezing as needed for baking) as opposed to an actual baked cookie. The cookies once frozen and thawed do not tend to have the same texture anymore.
These Vanilla Meltaway Cookies require minimal ingredients and effort, and I promise your family is going to love them. Seriously delicious, soft cookies in just about 30 minutes!
Feel free to play around with different flavor profiles. I have made these so many different ways and my family loves them all! I think yours will feel the same way too!
Vanilla Meltaway Cookies
Ingredients
Cookies
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk, or water
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
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Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla extract, mixing until combined. Add flour mixture 1/2 cup at a time, mixing until completely combined.
- Roll 1 tablespoon of dough into small circles and then press with hands (or with the bottom of a cup) into a disk shape. Place on prepared baking sheet.
- Bake for 8 minutes. Cookies will not look browned or cooked, but they are! Remove from oven and let cookies rest on baking sheet for 5 minutes. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- For icing, in a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract – until smooth.
- Using a spoon, smooth icing onto top of each cookie and let set for 10 minutes, or until hardened. Store leftovers in an airtight container.
Nutrition
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