Holiday Sugar Cookies
These perfect Holiday Sugar Cookies offer the ideal balance of sweetness with a tender, buttery crumb. They're designed to be foolproof and versatile—perfect for decorating with family, gifting to neighbors, or serving at holiday gatherings.
Equipment
- Electric Mixer
- Baking Sheets
- Cookie Cutters
- Rolling Pin
- Cooling Rack
- Piping Bags
Ingredients
For the Cookies
- 3 cups all-purpose flour plus extra for rolling (375g)
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature (2 sticks/226g)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp almond extract optional
For Basic Icing
- 3 cups powdered sugar (360g)
- 3-4 tbsp milk
- 2 tbsp light corn syrup creates shine
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- food coloring as desired
Instructions
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl until thoroughly mixed.
- In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract (if using) to the butter mixture. Beat on medium speed until fully incorporated and smooth, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
- Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed after each addition until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
- Divide the dough in half and flatten each portion into a disc about 1 inch thick. Wrap each disc tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll one disc of dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes and transfer to prepared baking sheets, spacing cookies about 1.5 inches apart.
- Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes until edges are just set but not browned. For softer cookies, pull them from the oven when the centers still look slightly underdone.
- Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- While cookies cool, whisk together powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons of milk, corn syrup, and vanilla extract until smooth. Adjust consistency as needed. Divide into separate bowls and add food coloring as desired.
- Once cookies are completely cool, decorate with icing using piping bags, squeeze bottles, or zip-top bags with corners snipped off. Allow base layers to set before adding details.
Notes
- For perfectly even cookies, use rolling pin rings or guide sticks when rolling the dough.
- If the dough becomes too soft while cutting, return it to the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes.
- For professional-looking results, use the "flood" technique—pipe an outline around the cookie edge with slightly thicker icing, then fill the center with thinned icing.
- Allow decorated cookies to dry completely (8-12 hours) before storing to prevent smudging.
- Undecorated cookies store well for up to 1 week at room temperature in an airtight container.
- If the dough becomes too soft while cutting, return it to the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes.
- For professional-looking results, use the "flood" technique—pipe an outline around the cookie edge with slightly thicker icing, then fill the center with thinned icing.
- Allow decorated cookies to dry completely (8-12 hours) before storing to prevent smudging.
- Undecorated cookies store well for up to 1 week at room temperature in an airtight container.
Nutrition
Calories: 185kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 2gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 28mgSodium: 55mgFiber: 0.5gSugar: 15g
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