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Decorated Sugar Cookies
4.4 from 114 votes

Decorated Sugar Cookies

Decorated Sugar Cookies are tender butter-sugar cookies baked to a pale golden edge, then topped with a rich buttercream frosting. The dough is rolled thin and cut into shapes before baking, resulting in cookies with a delicate crumb that holds their form for decoration. The frosting is buttery and smooth, ideal for embellishing the cookies with various colors or designs.

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
12 mins
Total Time
42 mins
Course: Baked Goods

Ingredients

For the cookies:
  • 1 cup unsalted butter Challenge brand, 2 sticks, softened
  • 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 3 ½ cups flour
  • Pinch salt
For the frosting:
  • 1 ½ cups unsalted butter Challenge brand, 3 sticks, room temperature
  • 5 cups confectioners’ sugar sifted
  • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
  • 2-3 tablespoons milk or heavy cream

Instructions

Make the cookies:
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  1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs and vanilla and beat until combined.
  3. Slowly add the flour and salt, stirring just until combined. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and use your hands to form into a disk. Roll the dough to 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick and cut with lightly floured cookie cutters. Place cookies on the prepared baking sheets.
  4. Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes, or just until the edges barely start to turn golden. Remove from the baking sheets to a rack to cool before frosting.
Make the frosting:
  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, cream butter on medium-high speed for about 6 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add in confectioners’ sugar, and continue beating until well blended.
  2. Add in vanilla and 2 tablespoons of heavy cream or milk. Mix on low speed until moistened.
  3. Add up to an additional tablespoon of heavy cream or milk until you reach the desired consistency. Beat at high speed until frosting is smooth and fluffy; about 5 more minutes.
  4. If desired, use gel dye to color the frosting before spreading or piping frosting onto cooled cookies