Christmas Sugar Cookies
Christmas Sugar Cookies are a classic holiday treat. They're soft, sweet, and decorated with festive sprinkles and frosting. These cookies are perfect for Christmas parties, family gatherings, or just a quiet night at home.
Servings 64 Cookies
Ingredients
Cookie dough:
- 1 1/4 c sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1 1/2 c salted butter room temperature
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 4 1/3 c all purpose flour
Icing:
- 3 c powdered sugar
- 2 Tbs meringue powder
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 6 1/2 Tbsp hot water
- Red Green and light blue food coloring
Instructions
Cookie dough:
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment combine sugar, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Add in the butter and beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Add in the eggs and mix to combine. Add in the vanilla and almond extract and mix to incorporate. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add in the flour and mix until just combined.
- Turn the dough out onto a clean, lightly floured surface. Roll the dough out to 1⁄4” thickness and use cookie cutters to cut out desired cookies. You will need to reroll the dough until all of it has been used. Transfer 12 of the cut out cookies onto the prepared baking sheet leave at least 1⁄4" space between them. Place the cookies into the preheated oven on the center rack and bake for 10 minutes.
- Once baked, remove from the oven and let the cookies sit on the baking sheet for a few minutes to allow them to set. Once set, transfer them to a wire cooling rack to let cool completely before frosting. Add 12 more unbaked cookies to the baking sheet and repeat the baking process until all of the cookies have been baked.
Icing:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment combine powdered sugar, meringue powder and vanilla. While the mixer is running, stream in the hot water. Once all of the water has been added, whisk on medium-high speed for 3 minutes or until the consistency is as thick as toothpaste. The longer you whisk, the thicker it will become so avoid mixing it for too long.
- Set out 8 small, clean bowls. Scoop 1⁄3 cup of icing into 4 of the bowls. Add drops of food coloring into each bowl until the desired color is reached. Add 1 Tbsp. of hot water to the frosting that remains in the mixing bowl and whisk on medium speed for 2 minutes.
- Divide the icing into the remaining 4 bowls. Add drops of food coloring until the colors mimic those of the first 4 bowls. These are going to be used for the flood frosting. Spoon each bowl of icing into separate piping bags. Mark the flood frosting bags with an F for an easy way of telling them apart from the regular icing. Cut the very tip of each piping bag.
Decorating:
- Hold the top of the piping bag with one hand. This will make it easier to apply pressure more evenly. With your other hand, either hold the cookie or use it to stabilize the piping bag. When you are ready to pipe onto the cookie, hold the bag directly above the cookie at a 90° angle. Use medium pressure when piping and make sure to go slowly, to ensure that the icing comes out in a smooth and steady line. You can practice piping lines onto a piece of parchment paper before decorating the cookies to allow you to figure out the kind of pressure you need for decorating. Once all of the cookies are completely iced, let them set at room temperature, open air to allow them to dry before consuming.