Mister Rogers’ Sweater Cookies Inspired by A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood! And it’s the perfect time to watch the new movie about Fred Rogers!

As a Pittsburgh local, this movie was immediately added to my watch-list. I grew up watching Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood and since this movie was filmed here in Pittsburgh with one of my favorite actors, Tom Hanks, I knew I couldn’t miss it!

I didn’t make it to the theaters to see this film, but now that it is available to purchase on Blu-ray I grabbed a copy and am ready for a movie night!

Tom Hanks portrays Mister Rogers in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, a timely story of kindness triumphing over cynicism, based on the true story of a real-life friendship between Fred Rogers and journalist Tom Junod. After a jaded magazine writer (Emmy winner Matthew Rhys) is assigned a profile of Fred Rogers, he overcomes his skepticism, learning about kindness, love and forgiveness from America’s most beloved neighbor.

— A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood Website

And my movie nights are never complete without a themed snack! This weekend, I baked a batch of sweater cookies inspired by Mister Rogers’ iconic cardigan style that are SUPER simple and look amazing.

These cookies will have you singing “won’t you be my neighbor?” in no time!

Mister Rogers Cookie Decorations Inspired by His Cardigan Sweater

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What You Need:

• Sweater sugar cookies (here’s a recipe I love to use for sugar cookies and my sweater cookie cutter)
• 2 sticks of salted butter, room temperature
• 1 lb. of powdered sugar (half of a bag)
• 1 tsp. of vanilla extract
• 2-3 tbsp. milk
• Food coloring — red, white, blue
• 3 icing bags
• 3 icing couplers
• Icing tips — rigged basketweave tip, two straight basketweave tips

First prepare your “sweaters” — aka your sugar cookies! Prepare your favorite sugar cookie dough and cut your cookies out with this sweater cookie cutter. Need a sugar cookie recipe? Here’s one I often use.

Next prepare your buttercream icing. While cookies aren’t always iced with buttercream, but more commonly royal icing, I chose to use buttercream since I knew it would easily hold the “sweater fabric” design I was after. (And it’s also delicious!)

Using a stand or hand mixer, first beat the softened butter (I let my stand mixer go for several minutes until the butter mixture is creamy). Then add the vanilla and a tablespoon or so of milk until blended and smooth. Slowly add your powdered sugar until all of it is incorporated. Next, add an additional tablespoon of milk or so, if needed, until you reach your desired frosting consistency. Taste test to be sure it’s perfect!

First, scoop out a small amount of icing and place it in two small bowls.  Color one with blue food coloring and leave the second bowl white. Prepare two icing bags with your straight basketweave tips and fill them with each icing color. Set aside.

With the remaining majority of icing, color it with red food coloring and place it in a prepared icing bag with your rigged basketweave tip.

To begin your decorating, first ice a V shape at the top of your cookie with white icing to form the collar of Mister Rogers’ shirt. Next, ice his tie with blue icing.

Working on the sleeves next, use your red icing to ice straight lines to form a sweater-knit pattern. Repeat for both arms.

Next, fill in the remaining middle section and allow your red icing to lay over the bottom of your tie to give your cookie a cardigan vibe.

It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood! Grab your favorite cardigan, bake some cookies to match, and have a movie night to watch A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood!

Mister Rogers sweater cookies might be my new favorite. 🙂