Baseball-Themed Sugar Cookies: Recipes and Decorating Tips

Why I Love These Baseball Cookies

1. Soft, moist texture: This recipe uses a frosted sugar cookie dough that stays soft and slightly chewy in the center, similar to store-bought frosted cookies but with better homemade flavor.
2. Quick to make: The dough is straightforward and doesn’t require lengthy chilling. A freezer trick for the frosting creates an even, flat top that makes decorating easy.
3. Fun to decorate: Simple piping steps let you turn round cookies into baseballs. Swap colors for team-themed variations or change the design to match your event.

Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

• Butter: Unsalted butter is preferred for consistent results; if you only have salted, reduce or omit added salt.
• Sugars: This recipe uses both powdered and granulated sugar. Powdered sugar in the dough is key to achieving a soft, tender cookie—don’t replace it entirely with granulated sugar.
• Egg: Adds structure and moisture to the dough.
• Extracts: Both vanilla and almond extracts are used; the almond extract adds a classic sugar-cookie note. Omit if there’s an allergy, but it does boost flavor.
• Light corn syrup: One tablespoon keeps these cookies moist and helps them stay soft for days. You can substitute thick honey or omit it if desired.
• Baking powder: Use baking powder (not baking soda) and make sure it’s fresh for the best rise.
• Flour: All-purpose flour is recommended. Measure with the spoon-and-level method to avoid adding too much flour, which makes cookies dense.
• Food coloring: Gel food coloring gives the richest red. Adjust amounts until you reach the shade you like; red often deepens as it sits.

Step 2: Roll & bake

1. Scoop dough into 3-tablespoon portions, roll into balls, then gently flatten to about ½” thick discs.
2. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 11–12 minutes, until the tops no longer look wet.
3. Avoid overbaking so the centers stay soft; they may look slightly underdone but will finish on the hot sheet after removal.
4. Let cookies rest on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely before frosting.

Step 5: Frost the cookies

1. Pipe white frosting onto each cooled cookie using a piping bag with a medium round tip, leaving a little gap near the edge. Flip the frosted cookie onto parchment and freeze briefly to flatten and set the surface.
2. When the white icing is dry, remove from parchment and place cookies back on the baking sheet to finish decorating.

Step 6: Add the stitch lines

1. Fit a piping bag with a small round tip and fill with red frosting. Use a round cookie cutter or a steady hand to mark two curved seam lines on each cookie, then pipe along those curves to create the baseball seams.
2. Pipe five short diagonal stitches across each curved line to mimic baseball stitching. Allow the red icing to dry before storing or packing.

Tips & Variations

• Butter temperature: Room-temperature butter yields the creamiest frosting.
• Gel coloring: Gel food coloring gives richer reds and requires less product than liquid coloring. Colors often deepen as they sit.
• Softball version: Swap the white icing for yellow and use red stitching to create softball-inspired cookies.

Storage & Freezing

• Storage: Frosting made with butter and powdered sugar can sit at room temperature for 2–3 days. Store unfrosted dough or extra frosting in an airtight container in the refrigerator; bring frosting to room temperature and re-whip before using.
• Freezing: Freeze decorated cookies in a single layer up to one month in an airtight container. Use parchment between layers to prevent sticking.

Frequently Asked Questions: