12 Days of Christmas Cookies: Sugar Cookies

On the fifth day of Christmas,

My true love sent to me

Five Sugar Cookies,

Four Viennese Crescents,

Three Candy Cane cookies,

Two Toffee Squares,

And a cookie shaped like a Christmas tree.

A classic favorite, sugar cookies are fun for the entire family to make and decorate. And the decorating possibilities are endless – ice cookies with the Royal icing recipe here and then sprinkle with sugar crystals, nonpareils, or sugar pearls in festive colors.

Holiday Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (clear, preferably)

Instructions:

1. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
2. Beat together butter and sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla.
3. Reduce speed to low and gradually add flour mixture until combined.
4. Shape dough into a disk and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate until firm but still pliable, at least 30 minutes or up to 3 days.
5. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
6. Transfer half of dough to a lightly floured piece of parchment paper; roll to just under 1/4-inch thick. Transfer dough on parchment to a baking sheet and freeze until firm, 30 minutes. Repeat with other half of dough.
7. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Using cookie cutters, cut out cookies and space 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes.
8. Bake about 12 to 15 minutes, until edges are golden. Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks.
9. When cookies are cooled, decorate.

Royal Icing

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds confectioners’ sugar, plus more if needed
• 2/3 cup water, plus more if needed
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons meringue powder
• Gel-paste food coloring

Instructions:

1. Mix sugar, water, and meringue powder with a mixer on low speed until smooth, about 7 minutes. Icing should be the consistency of glue. (If icing is too thick, mix in a little more water. If icing is too thin, add more confectioners’ sugar.)
2. Add food coloring, 1 drop at a time, until desired color is achieved. If you are making more than 1 color, divide icing first.

Use immediately, or refrigerate for up to 1 week. Stir before using.

Christmas cookies look beautiful in pastel colors.

Bright colors are also fun!

Decorate cookies and store in sealed containers or cookie boxes.

Resources: 

WILTON 25 Piece Cake Decorating Set

Holiday Mega Sprinkle Set

Colored Sugars Set

White Sugar Pearls

Blue Sugar Pearls

White Nonpareils

White Sparkling Sugar

Christmas Jumbo Nonpareils

This information has been made available by Ready Nutrition