A goat cookie jar is a crisp sugar cookie decorated with royal icing to look like a little goat, then finished with simple details such as horns, ears, and a muzzle. This version uses an easy-to-roll dough that holds its shape in the oven, making it suitable for decorating and stacking in a cookie jar once the icing has dried.
Ingredients
- 2½ cups (315 g) all-purpose flour, plus a little for rolling
- ½ teaspoon baking powder (2 g)
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt (1.5 g)
- ¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg (about 50 g without shell), at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (5 ml)
- 2 cups (240 g) powdered sugar, sifted, for icing
- 1½ tablespoons (22 ml) pasteurized egg white or pasteurized liquid egg whites, for icing
- 2–3 teaspoons (10–15 ml) water, as needed for icing consistency
- Black gel food coloring, a small amount
- Pink gel food coloring, a small amount
- 12 small white candies or edible sugar pearls (optional, for eyes)
Instructions
- Make the dough. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. In a separate large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2–3 minutes, until smooth and slightly fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla until combined. Add the flour mixture in two additions, mixing on low just until no dry streaks remain. The dough should be soft but not sticky; avoid prolonged mixing, which can make the cookies tough.
- Chill the dough. Divide the dough in half and shape each piece into a flat disk. Wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Chilling firms the butter and makes the dough easier to roll without adding too much flour.
- Heat the oven and cut the cookies. Set racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. On a lightly floured counter, roll one dough disk to about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick. Use a goat-shaped cutter about 3–4 inches (7.5–10 cm) tall. Gather scraps, reroll once, and cut 12 cookies in total. If the cut shapes become soft, chill them on the sheet for 10 minutes before baking.
- Bake and cool. Bake for 8–10 minutes, rotating the sheets and switching racks halfway through if your oven heats unevenly. The edges should look set, with little or no browning. Leave the cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack and cool completely, about 30 minutes. Do not decorate warm cookies; the icing will melt or slide.
- Mix the icing. Stir the sifted powdered sugar and pasteurized egg white together in a bowl until smooth and thick. Add water a few drops at a time until the icing flows slowly from a spoon but holds its outline. Spoon about one-third into a small bowl and tint it black; tint a smaller portion pink. Keep the remaining icing white. Cover bowls and piping bags with a damp cloth while working so the icing does not crust over.
- Decorate the goats. Spoon or pipe white icing over each cookie, leaving a narrow border visible if you like. Use a toothpick to nudge icing into tight corners. Add black icing for small nostrils, a mouth, and any dark patches; use pink icing for inner ears or cheeks. Add candy eyes while the white icing is still wet, or pipe simple eyes with black icing. Let the cookies dry uncovered at room temperature for 1–2 hours, until the icing is firm to a light touch, before stacking.
Tips
- For clean edges, roll the dough evenly and use a sharp cutter. Flour the cutter lightly if it sticks, but brush excess flour from each cutout before baking.
- If you do not have a goat cutter, make a simple paper template and cut around it with a small, sharp knife. Keep the template clean and avoid pressing it into the dough.
- Pasteurized egg white is recommended for uncooked royal icing. For an egg-free option, use meringue powder according to its package directions; the amount of water may differ, so add it gradually.
- Use gel coloring rather than liquid food coloring when possible. Liquid coloring can thin the icing and make details run, while gel produces stronger color with less added moisture.
Serving Suggestions
Arrange the cookies on a platter for a birthday, farm-themed party, or afternoon tea. They pair well with milk, tea, or coffee, and their sturdy shape makes them handy as individually wrapped favors. For a cookie jar, wait until the icing is fully dry and layer the cookies with small squares of parchment so decorations do not rub together.
Variations
For a lightly spiced cookie, add ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (1.3 g) to the dry ingredients. For a lemon note, replace the vanilla with 1 teaspoon (5 ml) lemon extract and add 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest (about 2 g); zest can make the dough a little more tender, so chill it well before rolling. If you prefer a simpler design, ice the whole cookie white and pipe only the horns, ears, and face. You can also make smaller goat faces with a round cutter, though the bake time may drop by a minute or two; use the edges as your cue rather than relying on the original timing.
Storage and Reheating
Once the icing has dried completely, store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Keep them in a cool, dry place and separate decorated layers with parchment. For longer storage, freeze undecorated cookies in a sealed container for up to 2 months; thaw at room temperature, then decorate. Decorated cookies can also be frozen, but condensation during thawing may mark the icing, so thaw them uncovered in a single layer. These cookies are not meant to be reheated. Refrigerate any dough containing egg if you are pausing between steps, and do not leave perishable ingredients at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make the dough ahead?
Yes. Wrap the dough tightly and refrigerate it for up to 2 days. Let it stand at room temperature for 5–10 minutes if it is too firm to roll, then roll and cut as directed. You can also freeze the wrapped dough for up to 2 months and thaw it overnight in the refrigerator.
Why did my cookies spread?
The butter may have been too warm, the dough may not have been chilled long enough, or the flour may have been under-measured. Chill the cut shapes for 10 minutes before baking if the kitchen is warm, and measure flour by weight for consistency.
Can I use regular egg white in the icing?
Pasteurized egg white or meringue powder is the safer choice for icing that is not cooked. If using carton egg whites, check the label to confirm they are pasteurized. Keep icing covered while decorating and store finished cookies as directed.
How do I know when the cookies are done?
The edges should look set, while the tops remain pale. They may feel slightly soft in the middle when they come out but will firm as they cool. Leaving them in until deeply golden can make the cookies dry and harder to decorate.
Can I decorate the cookies the next day?
Yes. Cool the baked cookies fully, then store them in an airtight container at room temperature overnight. Decorate them the next day, and allow the icing to dry completely before stacking or packing.
What if I do not have a piping bag?
Use a small zip-top food-storage bag and snip a tiny corner. Start with a very small opening; you can enlarge it if needed. A toothpick is useful for spreading icing into small areas and refining facial details.
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