Description
Christmas Sugar Cookies with a classic recipe featuring butter, sugar, and vanilla, perfect for festive baking fun!
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract (optional)
- 3 cups (360g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 tablespoons meringue powder
- 5–6 tablespoons warm water
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (clear vanilla for pure white icing)
- Food coloring (gel colors work best)
Instructions
- Step 1: Prepare the dough In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until completely smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract (if using) and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Step 2: Form the cookie dough Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed just until combined. If the dough seems too soft, you can add 1 tablespoon more flour. The dough should be thick and not sticky. If it’s still sticky, add up to 1-2 more tablespoons of flour.
- Step 3: Roll and cut cookies Divide the dough into two equal parts. Place parchment paper on your work surface, put one portion of dough on it, place another piece of parchment on top, and roll to about ¼-inch thickness. Repeat with the second portion. Using Christmas-themed cookie cutters, cut the dough into shapes. Re-roll any remaining dough and continue cutting until all dough is used.
- Step 4: Bake Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Arrange cookies on baking sheets about 3 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until barely golden around the edges. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.
- Step 5: Prepare royal icing In a large bowl, combine the powdered sugar and meringue powder. Add the warm water and vanilla extract, then beat with a mixer on medium-high speed for 4-5 minutes until stiff peaks form. If the icing is too thick, add more water a teaspoon at a time; if too thin, add more powdered sugar.
- Step 6: Decorate Divide the icing into separate bowls and add gel food coloring as desired. For outlining, the icing should be thicker (like toothpaste); for flooding (filling in), add a few drops of water to thin it slightly. Transfer icing to piping bags with small tips or squeeze bottles. Outline cookies first, then flood the centers. Add sprinkles or additional decorations while icing is still wet. Allow the icing to harden completely, at least 4-6 hours or overnight.
Notes
Fresh ingredients will always yield the best flavor results.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 160
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 85mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 22g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 25mg