Description
These Christmas Cookies are soft, buttery, and perfect for decorating. A holiday classic made with simple pantry staples, they hold their shape beautifully when baked and can be dressed up with icing, sprinkles, or left plain for a sweet, nostalgic bite.
Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Optional: colored sanding sugar, icing, sprinkles for decorating
Instructions
1. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (2–3 minutes).
2. Add the egg and vanilla extract. Mix until fully combined.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing until a dough forms.
5. Divide dough in half, shape into discs, wrap in plastic, and chill for at least 1 hour.
6. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Roll dough to 1/4-inch thick on a floured surface.
7. Cut into shapes and place on parchment-lined baking sheets.
8. Bake for 8–10 minutes, until edges are just golden.
9. Cool 5 minutes on sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
10. Decorate as desired or enjoy plain.
Notes
Chill the dough thoroughly for clean cookie cutter shapes.
For extra flavor, add a splash of almond extract to the dough.
Let cookies cool fully before decorating to prevent icing from melting.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 45mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 15g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 20mg
Keywords: holiday cookies, sugar cookies, cut-out cookies