Ingredients:

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 3 oz full-fat cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1.5 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1.5 tsp vanilla extract
  • 0.5 tsp almond extract
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 3 tbsp meringue powder
  • 7 tbsp warm water

Instructions:

  1. In your mixer bowl, combine the 1 cup softened butter and 3 oz cream cheese. Beat on medium high for 3 minutes until the mixture looks pale and nearly doubled in volume. This aeration is the first step to a fluffy sheep sugar cookies result.
  2. Add the 1.5 cups granulated sugar. Continue beating for another 2 minutes. You want the sugar to partially dissolve into the fats, creating a silky base. Scrape the sides of the bowl to ensure no lumps of cream cheese remain.
  3. Mix in the 1 large egg, 1.5 tsp vanilla, and 0.5 tsp almond extract. The batter should look glossy and smell like a dream. If it looks curdled, your egg was likely too cold; just keep mixing, it will come back together.
  4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the 3 cups flour, 2 tbsp cornstarch, 1 tsp baking powder, and 0.5 tsp salt. Sifting is mandatory here to avoid flour clumps in our cloud dough.
  5. Turn the mixer to low and slowly add the flour mixture. Mix only until the white streaks disappear. Over mixing at this stage will make the cookies tough instead of fluffy. The dough should be soft but not cling to your fingers.
  6. Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper to 1/4 inch thickness. This prevents you from adding too much extra flour, which can dry out the cookies. If the dough feels too soft, slide the whole sheet onto a tray and chill for 15 minutes.
  7. Press your sheep shaped cutter into the dough. Peel away the scraps and move the shapes to a parchment lined baking sheet. Space them about 2 inches apart; they won't spread much, but they need airflow.
  8. Bake at 350°F (180°C) for 9 to 11 minutes. Stop when the centers look matte and the edges are just barely set. They should not be brown. Carryover cooking will finish them on the hot tray.
  9. Whisk the 4 cups powdered sugar, 3 tbsp meringue powder, and 7 tbsp warm water. Beat for about 5 minutes until it forms stiff, glossy peaks. It should look like shaving cream.
  10. Outline the sheep's body with white icing. For the wool texture, use a pottle technique: pipe small, messy swirls rather than a flat flood. This adds the sensory fluff look. Use the color strategy below to finish.