The holidays are one of the most special times of the year, and what better way to celebrate than by decorating sugar cookies! Nothing says the holiday season quite like the fun shapes of snowmen, stars, Christmas trees, or even a menorah. Preheat your oven, grab a mixing bowl, and get ready to make some delicious creations!
Sugar Cookie Dough
3 sticks (24 tablespoons) softened, unsalted butter
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
3 tablespoons room temperature cream cheese
1 large egg
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 ½ cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting
½ teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
Royal Icing
4 cups powdered sugar
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup pasteurized egg white
Gel food coloring (if you choose)
Water, as needed
First, make the dough in order to allow adequate time to chill. In a large mixing bowl, add the butter, sugar, and cream cheese. Cream together for 5 minutes with a whisk or electric mixer on high speed. The mix should become fluffy and the sugar should be dissolved. Add the egg and 2 egg yolks, vanilla, and almond extract. Mix well until all ingredients are combined. Then, add the salt, flour, baking powder, and cream of tartar into the bowl. Instead of mixing, fold the dry ingredients in until well incorporated. If needed, use the electric mixer on low speed until the dough is formed or until the right consistency. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or up to 3-4 days.
When you are ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350˚F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Remove the dough from the fridge and place it on a lightly floured surface. Roll out the cookie dough with a rolling pin until it’s ¼-inch thick.
Cut out shapes from the dough using cookie cutters of your choice. Gather any excess dough into a ball and then re-roll to cut out more cookies. Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet and bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges start to turn golden brown. Allow the cookies to cool completely on a wire rack before decorating with royal icing.
To make the royal icing, sift the powdered sugar into a large bowl and add the salt. Make a well within the powdered sugar and salt, then add the vanilla and egg whites. Slowly begin whisking, starting from the edge of the well outwards, gathering a bit more powdered sugar as you whisk to prevent lumps from forming. Do this until all of the powdered sugar is incorporated. If you want colored icing, add food coloring. You can divide the icing into smaller bowls to make more than one color. If you would like the frosting to be thinner to flood or dip your cookies, add a few tablespoons of water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it reaches your desired consistency. If you want it to be thicker to keep a border on your cookies, don’t add any water.
Decorate the cookies by shape or however you would like!
Enjoy eating your own beautifully decorated cookies, or share with your friends and family to spread the holiday joy! You can even invite them to decorate the cookies with you!