Description
These classic Christmas Sugar Cookies are tender, buttery, and perfect for holiday celebrations. They feature a simple dough that’s easy to roll out and cut into festive shapes, then baked to a golden perfection. Ideal for decorating with icing or enjoying plain with a glass of milk.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (measured correctly)
- 1 Tbsp baking powder (aluminum free)
- 1/4 tsp salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter (softened at room temperature)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350 °F (175 °C) and position a rack in the center to ensure even baking.
- Prepare Dry Ingredients: In a small bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside to combine the leavening and seasoning evenly.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, use a stand-up or handheld mixer to beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy. This incorporates air to help create a tender texture.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Mix in the egg and vanilla extract to the butter and sugar mixture, blending well until fully combined for a smooth dough.
- Incorporate Flour: Gradually add the flour mixture in three parts to the wet ingredients, beating or folding after each addition until the dough comes together fully.
- Roll and Cut Dough: Divide the dough into two equal portions. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion out to about 1/4-inch thickness. Use festive cookie cutters to cut out desired shapes.
- Bake Cookies: Place the cut-out cookies on a parchment paper or silicone-lined baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes or until the edges just start to turn golden, indicating perfect doneness.
- Cool and Decorate: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes to firm up before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cool, decorate as desired with icing or sprinkles.
Notes
- Ensure butter is softened at room temperature for easier creaming with sugar.
- Use aluminum-free baking powder to avoid any metallic aftertaste.
- Rolling dough to uniform thickness helps cookies bake evenly.
- Do not overbake; cookies will continue to firm up as they cool.
- Decorate cool cookies to prevent icing from melting.
- Store in an airtight container to keep cookies fresh for up to one week.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Christmas cookies, sugar cookies, holiday baking, cookie recipe, festive cookies
