It’s National Polka Dot Day! Polka dots are one of my favorite fashion trends. I love how they come in many different colors and add a splash of fun to any outfit. Of course, they also remind me of one of my favorite characters Minnie Mouse!
To celebrate today I’m excited to share these Minnie Mouse Rock the Dots lemon cookies! Topped with lemon icing and colorful polka dots these cookies are bright and cheery, just like Minnie!
Most of the lemon in these cookies come from the icing, but the cookies themselves are a light lemon flavor. To add the lemon flavor to the cookie, I used lemon zest. If you would like a stronger lemon flavor you could a touch lemon extract. Once the dough is combined, wrap it in plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator.
Once the dough has chilled, roll it out on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4 inch thickness and cut out the cookies using desired cookie cutters. For these Minnie Mouse inspired cookies, I used a Minnie Mouse shaped head and bow set from the Disney Store and then a medium sized flower shaped cutter. I don’t think they make the Minnie Mouse cutter set anymore, but you could use any Mickey Mouse head and bow shaped cutter as well.
Once the cookies are cut and baked, let them cool completely before decorating. While they’re cooling, make the icing. For this recipe, I made a version of royal icing but used lemon juice instead of water to add more lemon flavor. Once the icing is ready, dye it using gel food coloring. I used some classic Minnie Mouse colors–red, pink, and white.
To decorate, I transferred the icing to piping bags fitted with couplers and small round tips. I like using the couplers when decorating as it makes it easy to change piping tip sizes if necessary. To start, choose a base color and pipe an outline around the cookie. Fill in the outline, using a cookie pick or toothpick to adjust and smooth out the icing if needed. Before the icing sets, choose a second color and pipe small dots on top of the base layer to create the polka dots. Let cookies set completely before storing.
Enjoy!
Minnie Mouse Rock the Dots Cookies
Ingredients
Lemon Cookies
- 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, soft
- 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest, finely grated
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large egg yolks
Lemon Icing
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1.5 tablespoons meringue powder
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- red gel food coloring
- pink gel food coloring
Equipment
- piping bags
- small round piping tips
Instructions
Lemon Cookies
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In a small bowl, combine flour and salt. Set aside.
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In a medium bowl, beat butter, sugar, lemon zest, and vanilla extract until light and fluffy.
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Add egg yolks and beat until incorporated. Add flour mixture, beating on low until combined.
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Shape dough into a 1-inch disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill for 1 hour.
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Once dough has chilled, preheat oven to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
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Remove dough from the refrigerator and transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and roll to about ¼ inch thickness.
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Cut cookies using Minnie Mouse cookie cutters. Transfer to prepared baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes or until edges are light golden.
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Let cookies cool 1-2 minutes on the pan before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Lemon Icing
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In a large bowl, beat sugar and meringue powder until combined.
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Add lemon juice and beat on medium high speed until glossy and creates loose ribbons when drizzled with a spoon. Aim to have the icing ribbons disappear back into the bowl within 10 seconds of being picked up with the spoon.
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Divide frosting into 3 bowls and add gel food coloring (red and pink) to 2 of the bowls. Save one bowl for white icing.
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Transfer icings to piping bags with couplers and small round piping tips.
Assembly
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Once cookies have cooled, choose desired color of icing as a base coat. Pipe an outline around the edge of the cookie and then fill in. Use a cookie pick to adjust and smooth icing as needed.
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To add polka dots, switch to another color and pipe dots onto the base color before it sets. This will allow the polka dots to set into the base layer and create a smooth layer.
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Repeat until all of the cookies are decorated. Let cookies rest until icing is fully set, 1-2 hours.