Christmas Sugar Cookies

Santa face sugar cookies, red truck sugar cookies in background.

Christmas Sugar Cookies are made using simple ingredients and a cookie cutter. Use a simple roll out sugar cookie and royal icing.

Course Crafts, Dessert

Cuisine American, Holiday Baking

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 12

Total Time 27

Servings cookies

Calories 355kcal

Author Jessica Robinson

Equipment

Ingredients

Sugar Cookies

1 ½ cups unsalted butter (softened)
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs (room temperature)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
5 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Royal Icing

4 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons meringue powder
5 tablespoons water

Instructions

Sugar Cookies

In a large mixing bowl, using a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth and fluffy.
Beat in the eggs, vanilla, and almond extract. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix until combined thoroughly. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula occasionally.
Place the cookie dough into a large zip-style bag and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured work surface to about ¼-inch thick. Cut into shapes with cookie cutters. Place the cookies carefully onto parchment lined half sheet pans, leaving a little space for them to expand.
Bake for 12-14 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Cool completely before decorating.

Royal Icing

In a large mixing bowl of a stand mixer, beat all ingredients at medium speed until icing forms peaks and loses its sheen, 7-10 minutes.
If peaks are not forming, increase the mixer speed and continue to beat. To prevent drying, cover the bowl with a damp cloth while working with icing.

Video

Notes

Christmas Cookies

Prepping cookies ahead of time:

Cookie dough will keep in the fridge for about 2-3 days.

Baked cookies will keep up to 2 weeks and remain fresh if packaged in clear baggies to maintain freshness.

Remember to rotate your baking pans about half way through baking. Rotate the pans 180 degrees and if baking two pans at a time also rotate them from top to bottom rack, and vis versa.

Because everyone's ovens are slightly different, it's a good idea to have an oven thermometer. Use this to monitor the temperature of the oven. Baking times can vary.

We like our sugar cookies very lightly browned, but baked all the way. This creates a very soft cookie. We estimate the baking time to be 12-14 minutes. But, it can vary depending on your oven.

Let cookies cool completely before attempting to apply icing.

Making Royal Icing:

For royal icing you need to make certain your mixing bowl and spatula are clean and free of any grease. If not, the icing will not set correctly.

To thin out royal icing, beat egg whites with a few teaspoons of water. Gradually add to your individual bowls of icing to get different consistencies of icing. Be sure and cover icing bowls with damp cloths or it will harden!

This is the meringue powder I prefer.

Nutrition