These decorative Christmas sugar cookies are a festive treat perfect for holiday celebrations. With their soft texture and sweet flavor, they are ideal for decorating with colorful icing and sprinkles.
This recipe is simple and allows for creativity in decorating. Gather your family and friends to join in the fun of baking and decorating these delightful cookies.
Creating Festive Sugar Cookies
Christmas sugar cookies are a delightful addition to any holiday celebration. Their soft texture and sweet flavor make them a favorite among both kids and adults.
With a simple recipe, you can create cookies that are not only delicious but also perfect for decorating. Gather your loved ones and enjoy the fun of baking together!
Perfect Dough for Decorating
The key to beautiful decorative cookies lies in the dough. A well-prepared sugar cookie dough holds its shape during baking, allowing for intricate designs and festive shapes.
This recipe yields approximately 24 cookies, making it ideal for sharing with family and friends during the holiday season.
Essential Ingredients
To create these charming cookies, you will need a few basic ingredients. All-purpose flour, unsalted butter, and sugar form the foundation of the dough.
Adding eggs and extracts like vanilla and almond enhances the flavor, while powdered sugar is essential for making colorful icing. Don’t forget the sprinkles and edible decorations to add that extra festive touch!
Step-by-Step Baking Process
Start by preheating your oven to 375°F (190°C). Mixing the dry ingredients separately ensures an even distribution before combining them with the wet ingredients.
Once the dough is ready, roll it into balls and flatten them for baking. The cookies will take about 8 to 10 minutes to achieve that perfect golden hue.
Decorating Your Cookies
Once the cookies have cooled, it’s time for the fun part—decorating! Prepare your icing by mixing powdered sugar with a little water or milk until smooth.
Feel free to divide the icing into bowls and add food coloring for vibrant designs. Use piping bags or spatulas to create beautiful patterns, and finish off with sprinkles for a festive flair.
Creating a Festive Atmosphere
To truly embrace the holiday spirit, arrange your decorated cookies on a beautiful plate. Surround them with twinkling lights, pine branches, and other holiday decorations to create an inviting scene.
These cookies not only taste great but also add a cheerful touch to your holiday gatherings, making them a memorable treat for everyone!
Easy Christmas Sugar Cookies for Decorating
These sugar cookies are made with a basic dough that holds its shape well when baked, making them perfect for festive designs. The recipe yields about 24 cookies and takes approximately 1 hour to prepare and bake.
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 3 to 4 cups powdered sugar (for icing)
- Food coloring (optional)
- Sprinkles and edible decorations (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and baking powder.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract.
- Combine Ingredients: Gradually blend in the dry ingredients until just combined.
- Roll and Cut: Roll rounded teaspoonfuls of dough into balls, and place onto ungreased cookie sheets. Flatten each ball with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar.
- Bake: Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden. Let cool on wire racks.
- Prepare Icing: In a bowl, mix powdered sugar with a small amount of water or milk until smooth. Divide into separate bowls and add food coloring if desired.
- Decorate: Use piping bags or a small spatula to decorate the cooled cookies with icing and add sprinkles or edible decorations.
Cook and Prep Times
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Servings: 24 cookies
- Calories: 120kcal
- Fat: 5g
- Protein: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 18g