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Christmas Sugar Cookie Recipe

These Christmas Sugar Cookies are simple, soft, and buttery! They bake up perfectly shaped, stay soft and tasty for days, and are fantastic to cover in sweet icing and give away as gifts for the holidays!

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Chill Time
1 hr 10 mins
Total Time
1 hr 42 mins
Servings: 30 sugar cookies
Calories: 79 kcal
Cuisine: Canadian

Ingredients

Sugar Cookies
  • 2 1/4 cups 280 g all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 and 1/2 stick 3/4 cup; 170g unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup 150g granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg at room temperature
  • 2 tsp 10 mL vanilla extract
  • powdered sugar for rolling and dusting
Royal Icing
  • 4 egg whites or 4 oz pasteurized egg whites
  • 2 tsp 10 mL vanilla extract
  • 4 cups 560 g powdered sugar

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat the unsalted butter and sugar together on high speed until completely light-colored and creamy, or for 3 minutes.
  3. Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat on high speed until completely combined. Scrape down the sides with a silicone or rubber spatula and beat again as needed to ensure all ingredients are combined.
  4. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix on low until all the flour is just combined. Your dough will be soft; when you touch it, it won't stick to your fingers. If the dough seems too sticky to roll out, mix in one more tablespoon of flour.
  5. Split the dough into 2 equal parts. Place each portion onto a piece of parchment paper or silicone baking mat that has been lightly dusted with powdered sugar. Sprinkle some powdered sugar on your rolling pin then roll the dough out to about 1/4-inch thickness. The shape doesn't matter.
  6. Cover the rolled-out dough with plastic wrap then refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days.
  7. Line 2-3 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Using cookie cutters, cut the dough into shapes. Re-roll the remaining dough (give it a quick chill in the freezer to ensure great cookies, no more than a couple of minutes) and continue cutting until all the dough is used. Repeat with 2nd rolled out dough.
  8. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).
  9. Arrange cut out cookies on baking sheets 2 inches apart. Give a quick chill in the freezer while the oven is preheating. The cooler the cookies, the better shaped they'll come out once baked.
  10. Bake for 11-12 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. Rotate the baking sheet halfway through the bake time to ensure even baking.
  11. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.
  12. Royal Icing
  13. In a large bowl of a stand mixer combine the egg whites and vanilla and beat until the egg whites are frothy.
  14. Gradually add powdered sugar to the egg whites and mix on low speed until sugar is well incorporated and the mixture is shiny. Turn the speed up to high and beat until the egg whites form stiff, glossy peaks. This should take about 5-7 minutes.
  15. If you want coloring in your icing, spoon small amounts of the icing into separate bowls and use gel food coloring sparingly.
  16. Transfer icing to a piping bag and decorate the cookies. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
  17. Once the icing has set, eat them or prepare them for gifting. The cookies stay soft for about 5 days covered tightly at room temperature or keep in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 10 days.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1g Calories 79kcal (4%) Carbohydrates 12g (4%) Protein 2g (4%) Fat 3g (5%) Saturated Fat 2g (10%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g Cholesterol 12mg (4%) Sodium 62mg (3%) Sugar 5g (10%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 30sugar cookies

Amount Per Serving

Calories 79

% Daily Value*

Serving 1g
Calories 79kcal 4%
Carbohydrates 12g 4%
Protein 2g 4%
Fat 3g 5%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Cholesterol 12mg 4%
Sodium 62mg 3%
Sugar 5g 10%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.