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Christmas Sugar Cookies

Delicious and festive Christmas Sugar Cookies with a soft center and crispy edges, decorated with shiny icing.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 24 cookies
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Calories: 120
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Dough
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened Use real butter for best flavor.
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract Pure vanilla extract is preferred.
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract Optional, but adds great flavor.
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled Measure flour carefully to avoid dry cookies.
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt Enhances flavor.
For the Icing
  • 2 cups powdered sugar Sift for smooth icing.
  • 2-3 tablespoons milk Adjust to get desired consistency.
  • 1 tablespoon light corn syrup Gives icing a shiny finish.
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method
 

Make the Dough
  1. Cream room temperature butter with sugar until light and fluffy, about two minutes.
  2. Add the egg, vanilla, and almond extract, and mix until combined.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
  4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet in two parts and mix until the dough comes together.
  5. Divide the dough in half, pat each half into a disc, wrap, and chill for 45 to 60 minutes.
Roll, Cut, and Bake
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Roll the chilled dough on a floured surface to about 1/4 inch thickness.
  3. Use floured cookie cutters to cut shapes and place them on prepared sheets.
  4. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until slightly golden on the bottom.
  5. Let cookies rest on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Make the Icing
  1. Whisk powdered sugar with milk, corn syrup, and vanilla until smooth.
  2. Adjust consistency as needed with more milk or sugar.
  3. Outline and fill in cooled cookies, adding sprinkles if desired while the icing is wet.

Notes

Let cookies cool completely before icing. Decorated cookies should dry uncovered at room temperature for 6 to 8 hours before stacking.