Christmas Sugar Cookies
The edges are the first clue with cutout cookies: they should look set and just start to turn golden while the centers stay pale. Pulling the tray at that point…
By Ava
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Reading time: 10 min
Tip: save now, make later.
The edges are the first clue with cutout cookies: they should look set and just start to turn golden while the centers stay pale. Pulling the tray at that point keeps these Christmas sugar cookies tender instead of turning them crisp all the way through. I roll the dough between parchment, too, so the shapes lift cleanly without dusting in extra flour.
Chilling the dough before rolling gives the butter time to firm up, which makes the dough easier to handle and helps the cutouts keep their outlines in the oven. The icing is a simple powdered sugar mixture, and a little light corn syrup gives it a smooth finish. Add the red and green sprinkles while the icing is still wet, and each cookie comes out festive, neat-edged, and ready to share.
Kitchen Note
Let the decorated cookies sit until the icing has set, about 1 hour. If you move them while the icing is wet, the surface smears and the sprinkles shift out of place.
Save these Christmas sugar cookies for a batch of clean-cut shapes with smooth icing and red-and-green sprinkles.
Why Chilling the Dough Makes Cleaner Christmas Cutouts
Warm sugar-cookie dough can feel soft and pliable, but it’s much harder to roll to an even thickness and lift into crisp shapes. The butter softens as you handle the dough, so the edges can drag or stretch when you cut and transfer the cookies. Chilling each half as a flattened disk firms the dough throughout, not just around the outside.
Give the dough at least an hour in the refrigerator before rolling. The parchment sheets do double duty: they keep the dough from sticking to the counter and let you roll without working extra flour into it. That matters because excess flour can make a cutout cookie dry and firm. If a disk feels too stiff right out of the refrigerator, let it sit briefly until you can roll it without cracking; don’t force it with the rolling pin. Aim for an even 1/4-inch thickness, since thin spots bake faster than the rest and can turn brown before the larger areas are ready.
What Butter, Flour, and Corn Syrup Each Bring to These Cookies
- Unsalted butter — It gives the cookies their rich, tender crumb and creams smoothly with the sugar when softened. Use butter that yields to a light press but isn’t melted; melted butter won’t trap air during creaming. Unsalted butter also leaves the measured fine salt in control.
- Granulated sugar — This sweetens the dough and helps create its light texture when beaten with the butter. Regular granulated sugar is the right choice here; coarser crystals won’t cream in quite the same way.
- Egg and vanilla — The egg brings the dough together and adds structure, while vanilla rounds out the buttery flavor. A large egg is important for keeping the dough balanced. Good vanilla is noticeable in a simple cookie like this, but the standard extract you already use for baking works well.
- All-purpose flour — Flour gives the cutouts enough structure to hold their shape. Spoon it into the measuring cup and level it rather than scooping and packing; too much flour can leave the dough dry and the baked cookies dense.
- Baking powder and fine salt — Baking powder gives the cookies a gentle lift without turning them into puffy drop cookies. Fine salt disperses evenly through the dough and balances the sweetness.
- Powdered sugar and milk — Powdered sugar makes a smooth, spreadable icing, and milk lets you adjust its thickness. Add the milk gradually; it’s easy to loosen icing, but a splash poured in all at once can make it runny.
- Light corn syrup — This helps the icing look smooth and gives it a little shine. It works alongside the powdered sugar rather than replacing it, so keep both in the bowl for the icing texture this recipe is designed for.
- Red and green sprinkles — Their color makes the cookies feel festive, and they add a little crunch against the smooth icing. Put them on while the icing is wet so they stay attached.
From Fluffy Butter to Iced Cutouts: The Stages That Matter
Cream the Butter and Sugar Until Fluffy
Beat the softened butter and granulated sugar with a hand mixer on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes. The mixture should look lighter and fluffy, not just stirred together. Beat in the egg and vanilla until they’re combined. If the butter is cold, it won’t cream smoothly; if it’s melted, the mixture won’t build the same airy texture.
Add the Dry Mixture Without Overworking the Dough
Whisk the flour, baking powder, and fine salt together in a separate medium bowl so the leavening and salt are distributed. Add the dry mixture to the butter mixture in 2 additions, mixing on low. Stop as soon as the dough comes together; continuing to mix after that develops the flour and can make the cookies tougher. The dough should be cohesive rather than dusty or separated into crumbs.
Chill, Roll, and Cut Even Shapes
Divide the dough in half, flatten each portion into a disk, wrap it, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Heat the oven to 350°F and line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper while the dough chills. Roll each disk between sheets of parchment to 1/4-inch thickness, then cut with 3-inch cookie cutters and space the shapes about 1 inch apart. Reroll scraps as needed, keeping the dough even so the cookies bake at a similar pace.
Bake Until the Edges Just Begin to Color
Bake one sheet at a time for 8 to 10 minutes. Look for set edges that are just beginning to turn golden; the centers should still look pale. If the whole cookie is deeply golden, it has gone past the tender stage these cutouts are meant to have. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Whisk and Spread the Icing
Whisk the powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons of milk and the light corn syrup until smooth. Add up to 1 more tablespoon of milk a little at a time, stopping when the icing is spreadable. Spread it over fully cooled cookies, then add the sprinkles while the surface is still wet. Give the icing time to set before handling the finished cookies.
Three Ways to Change the Look Without Changing the Dough
Cut a Mix of Three-Inch Holiday Shapes
Use different 3-inch cutters for stars, trees, bells, or other seasonal outlines. Keeping the cutter size consistent means the cookies stay close to the same baking window, while the assortment gives the platter more variety.
Make a Thicker, Neater Icing Layer
For a thicker coating, begin with the 2 tablespoons of milk and add only enough of the remaining milk to make the icing spreadable. The icing will sit more visibly on the cookie and give the sprinkles a generous surface to cling to.
Create a Two-Color Sprinkle Pattern
Separate the red and green sprinkles before decorating, then add them in distinct stripes or small clusters on each iced cookie. You get a more graphic finish using the same red-and-green combination, and the sprinkles still need to go on while the icing is wet.
Storage and Reheating
- Refrigerator: These cookies don’t need refrigeration. Once the icing has set, store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Freeze the baked cookies before icing in an airtight container, with parchment between layers, for up to 2 months. Thaw them at room temperature, then decorate.
- Reheating: No reheating is needed; serve at room temperature. A microwave can soften the cookies and make the icing tacky.
Questions That Come Up While Making Christmas Sugar Cookies
Christmas Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and granulated sugar with a hand mixer on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the egg and vanilla until combined.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in 2 additions, mixing on low just until the dough comes together.
- Divide the dough in half, flatten each half into a disk, and wrap the disks.
- Refrigerate the wrapped dough for at least 1 hour.
- Heat the oven to 350°F.
- Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll each disk between sheets of parchment to 1/4-inch thickness.
- Cut the dough with 3-inch cookie cutters and transfer the shapes to the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart.
- Reroll scraps as needed.
- Bake one sheet at a time for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are set and just beginning to turn golden.
- Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes.
- Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and cool completely.
- Whisk the powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of the milk, and corn syrup in a medium bowl until smooth.
- Add up to 1 more tablespoon of milk a little at a time until spreadable.
- Spread icing over the cooled cookies.
- Add the sprinkles while the icing is still wet.
- Let the icing set for about 1 hour.