Christmas Sugar Cookies

Sugar cookies are a staple around the holidays and they come in so many different varieties. These Christmas sugar cookies are decorated with brightly colored frosting and festive sprinkles for an elegant presentation.

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HOW DO YOU MAKE CHRISTMAS SUGAR COOKIES?

This is a basic sugar cookie recipe with the classic ingredients including butter, sugar, eggs, flour and vanilla. The one thing these cookies don’t contain is baking powder, because baking powder will make the cookies spread and lose their shape. The cookies bake until they’re light golden brown around the edges, then you can decorate them with frosting and sprinkles.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Chill Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Servings: 30 cookies

INGREDIENTS

For the cookies

  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened

  • 1 cup sugar

  • 2 eggs

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour

  • 3/4 cup Christmas sprinkles

For the frosting

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  • 1 cup unsalted butter softened

  • 5 cups powdered sugar plus more if needed

  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

  • 1/4 cup heavy cream plus more if needed

  • gel food colorings

INSTRUCTIONS

For the cookies

  1. In the bowl of a mixer, beat the butter and sugar until smooth, about 2 minutes

  2. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition

  3. Add the vanilla and salt, then slowly mix in the flour until thoroughly combined

  4. Remove the dough from the bowl. Place the dough on a large piece of plastic wrap and shape it into a disc. Wrap the plastic wrap around the dough and chill for at least 1 hour, or up to 1 day before you plan to bake your cookies.

  5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat.

  6. Divide the dough in half. Re-wrap one half of the dough and place it in the fridge. Roll the remaining dough into a 1/4 inch thick rectangle.

  7. Using a 3-4 inch sized Christmas cookie cutters, cut out as many shapes as you can from the dough.

  8. Re-roll the dough and repeat the process until you've filled your first baking sheet. Cookies should be spaced 1 1/2 inches apart on the sheet.

  9. Place the pan of cookies in the fridge and chill for 20 minutes

  10. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until cookies are set and the edges are just barely turning brown.

  11. Cool the cookies completely

  12. Repeat the same process with the other half of the dough that you previously put in the refrigerator.

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For the frosting

  1. Place the butter in the bowl of a mixer. Beat for 1 minute or until light and fluffy.

  2. Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating after each addition.

  3. Add the vanilla extract and heavy cream. Beat until smooth and creamy.

  4. If the frosting seems too thick, you can add 1 teaspoon of heavy cream at a time until the desired consistency is reached.

  5. If the frosting seems too thin, you can add 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar at a time until the desired consistency is reached.

  6. Divide the frosting into bowls, and add your desired food colors to each bowl; stir to combine.

  7. After the cookies have cooled, spread a layer of frosting over each one and add sprinkles on top.

  8. Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

NOTES

  1. The best way to keep your cookies soft is to make sure you don’t over-bake them. The cookies should be faintly golden brown around the edges, but you don’t want to bake them any longer than that, or they’ll get crispy. You should also be sure to store your cookies in a covered container to preserve their soft texture.

  2. The dough can be frozen for up to two months; thaw in the refrigerator before using.

  3. Plain cookies can be frozen for up to one month, then thawed and frosted.

  4. I use gel food coloring to tint my frosting. It takes quite a bit of food color to get the bold colors in these photos. You can add a few drops at a time, stir until combined, then keep adding a little more in increments so you get to your desired color.

  5. Add the sprinkles to your cookies immediately upon frosting them, so the sprinkles will stick before the frosting has time to dry.

  6. Baked frosted cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

NUTRITION

Calories: 134kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 5mg | Potassium: 19mg | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 205IU | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 0.6mg

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FoodSydelle AndersonDessert, Cookies, Holidays, AmericanComment