Description
Whip up festive Christmas Sugar Cookies! This simple recipe brings warmth and cheer to your holiday baking, with tips for soft, delicious treats.
Ingredients
Scale
- Cookie Base Essentials:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- Flavor & Sweetness:
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract (optional)
- Decoration Fun:
- 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 3–4 tablespoons milk or cream
- Optional Sparkle:
- Holiday sprinkles
Instructions
- Creaming the Butter & Sugar:: First things first, grab your cold, cubed butter and granulated sugar. I toss them into my stand mixer, or a large bowl if I’m feeling old-school with a hand mixer. Beat them together on medium speed until they look light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes. You’ll see the color lighten, and it should feel airy. This step is crucial for that tender cookie texture; don’t rush it, or your cookies won’t be as light as they should be. I used to under-cream, and my cookies were always a bit dense.
- Adding Egg & Extracts:: Next up, crack in that large egg. Beat it in until it’s just combined, no more, no less. Then, pour in your vanilla extract and that little splash of almond extract if you’re using it. Mix until everything is incorporated. The mixture should smell wonderfully sweet and fragrant at this point, honestly, it’s one of my favorite kitchen smells! I once overmixed here and the dough got a bit sticky, so just combine and stop.
- Gradually Adding Flour:: Now, slowly add your all-purpose flour, about a third at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition. Mix just until the flour disappears into the dough. Overmixing flour develops gluten, making for tough cookies, and we’re after tender, melt-in-your-mouth cookies here! The dough will be crumbly at first, then come together. It should feel soft, not sticky, to the touch. Oops, I forgot to mention, scraping down the bowl sides helps!
- Chilling the Dough:: Gather the dough into a ball, flatten it into a disc, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and pop it into the fridge for at least an hour. Honestly, I’ve chilled it for up to two days when life happens! This chilling step is non-negotiable for sturdy Christmas Sugar Cookies that hold their shape. If you skip it, your cookies will spread like crazy in the oven. I’ve made that mistake more times than I care to admit.
- Rolling & Cutting:: Once chilled, preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll out half the dough to about 1/4-inch thickness. Grab your favorite cookie cutters – stars, trees, gingerbread men, whatever your heart desires for your holiday baking! Cut out your shapes and carefully transfer them to the prepared baking sheets. Don’t crowd them; leave a little space for breathing room.
- Baking & Cooling:: Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are just barely golden. You want them to still be pale in the center for a soft cookie. My oven runs a little hot, so I usually check at 8 minutes. Let them cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. This is critical before decorating! Warm decorated cookies will melt your beautiful glaze, and that’s just a sad sight.