Anchor Shaped Sugar Cookies Are Deliciously Adorable

by JoellieGirl

Everything from how to decorate an anchor shaped cookie to which anchor cookie cutter is my favorite and why.

Ocean and pirate themes are extremely popular for events from birthday parties to bridal and baby showers. Anchor shaped sugar cookies can be an adorable addition to your overall event scheme or make an wonderful party favor!

Step 1: Find the Right Anchor Cookie Cutter

Finding the right cookie cutter is crucial to having cute cookies. A cutter with a lot of narrow lines will make fragile cookies that are difficult to decorate and don't come off of your cookie sheet easily. Stick with chunkier shape styles that will allow you more room for icing and less room for worry.  My personal pick is the Nautical OTBP 4.5 inch Anchor Cookie Cutter on Amazon. While you're there, check out Nautical OTBP's other cookie cutters- they have sea horses, mermaids, flamingos, dolphins and palm trees, just to name a few. 

Step 2: Find the Right Sugar Cookie Recipe

If your cookies are purely for decorating then shape will be the most important factor in the sugar cookie recipe that you use. My favorite sugar cookie cut out recipe is one that I've used for a lot of years and altered as I've gone. 

 

Vanilla Cream Sugar Cookie Cutouts

  • 1 cup of salted butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
  • 2 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons of baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon of baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon of salt

 

Beat the softened butter and sugar together until they are smooth and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until thoroughly mixed. Add the milk and mix. Combine the flour, baking powder and baking soda and add to the creamed mixture. Add the heavy whipping cream and mix with a wooden spoon or dough hook until smooth. Refrigerate  at least three hours before trying to handle.

Roll dough out on a floured surface into 1/8 inch thickness. Cut cookies and bake on a very lightly greased cookie sheet for 6-8 minutes at 325 degrees. Cool completely before icing. If you're using the right anchor cookie cutter then these should be a nice thick, soft cookie! 

Anchor Cookie Cutters Work Very Nicely When Chosen Carefully
Anchor Cookie Cutters Work Very Nicel...

Step 3: Find the Right Icing Recipe

Finding an icing that tastes good AND sets up hard is a challenge. If what you're wanting is a delicious, cutesy cookie for a small event then you might want to stick with a fluffy buttercream or cream cheese frosting that melts in your mouth. If you're wanting something a bit fancier then try this glaze recipe: 

  • 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 3/8 cup of milk (either 2% or whole- 2% isn't as nice as whole, though)
  • 3/8 cup of light corn syrup
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

 

Whisk the icing super smooth. If you're wanting to drizzle glaze then this is what you will use. If you're wanting to pipe the edges then fill in with glaze, (like in the picture) then set back half of this glaze and continue to thicken it with powdered sugar until it runs in a thick, slow stream. Once it hits this consistency then put it in a piping bag or a ziplock. If you're using a ziplock then cut the very tinyest tip out of the corner of the bag and use that as your piping bag. 

Once you have the icing bagged, pipe an outline of the more defined shape of the cookie onto the cooled cookie. Once that has set up enough to have a hard crust you can fill it in with the runnier glaze, which you can color any way you like. You can also marbleize the glaze by filling in the piping with a shallow amount of one color of glaze then adding a second color in the center and swirling it together with a toothpick! 

Updated: 05/08/2012, JoellieGirl
 
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