The dawning of December 1 makes for the official beginning of a festive season marker: holiday cookies! Bakers of all different skill levels begin to whip out cookbooks or make classics more inventive. But what fun are normal, circle cookies when December 1-7 is also marked as National Cookie Cutter Week? Didn’t know that was a thing? Yeah, me neither. But I’m glad I do now. For this article, I thought it’d be fun to show you just some of the stinking cute cookie cutters that are on the market and share a corresponding cookie recipe to maximize festivity fun!
Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen, the reindeer cookie cutter is one that is sure to make you glow red with happiness like Rudolph’s nose when you put it to use this cookie season. For the corresponding recipe, I thought because carrots are a natural treat for Santa’s reindeers on Christmas Eve, it should be a carrot cake sandwich cookie—a perfect snack for all.
INGREDIENTS:
For the COOKIES:
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1/2 cup unsalted butter softened slightly
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1/2 cup brown sugar packed
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1/2 cup granulated sugar
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1 large egg
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1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
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1 cup plus 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
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1/2 teaspoon baking soda
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1/2 teaspoon baking powder
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3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
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1/4 teaspoon salt
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1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats not quick oats
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1/2 cup shredded coconut sweetened or unsweetened
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2/3 cup finely grated carrots NOT packed, see note
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1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts optional
For the FROSTING:
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4 ounces cream cheese softened
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4 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
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1 1/2 cups powdered sugar plus more, if needed
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1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
BAKING INSTRUCTIONS:
For the COOKIES:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper (do not place the cookies directly on the baking sheets, they will spread too much).
2. Beat butter and sugars for 1-2 minutes until light and creamy. Add egg and vanilla and beat to combine, scraping the bowl if necessary.
3. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat on low until just combined. Add the oats, coconut, carrots and walnuts and mix until just combined.
4. Place the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Scoop the dough evenly into 2 teaspoon sized mounds and place a couple inches apart on the cookie sheets (make sure they are mounded and not flat). Ensure that the cookies will be similar in size since the cookies will be sandwiched.
5. Bake for 9-11 minutes, until golden brown and still slightly soft in the center. Rotate your cookie sheets halfway through the baking time to ensure even baking. Cool the cookies completely on the baking sheets. Once cool, place the cookies in the refrigerator to firm up a little while you prepare the frosting.
For the FROSTING:
1. Beat cream cheese and butter for several minutes, until combined. Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Beat for a couple more minutes until smooth and creamy. If the frosting appears too thin, add a little more powdered sugar or place it in the refrigerator for 20 minutes to slightly firm up.
2. Spread frosting on the underside of half of the cookies and top with another cookie.
3. These cookies are best within 1-2 days of making them. Store them in the refrigerator and eat them from the fridge or bring to room temp before serving.
*RECIPE NOTES: Adding an additional 3 tablespoons flour to the recipe and accounting for 30-minute chill time will make for a sturdier and (slightly) thicker cookie. Do NOT use carrots packaged in water because they could add too much moisture; instead, grate your own! Measure carrot shavings loosely, do not pack into measuring cups.*
Next, one of my all-time favorite holidays specials is Frosty the Snowman. Head to William Sonoma, either in-store or online, to pick up this adorable and FUNCTIONAL handled snowman cookie cutter. This will be a Snowman Sugar Cookie.
INGREDIENTS:
For the DOUGH:
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2 and ¼ cups all-purpose flour (spoon and leveled)
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½ teaspoon baking powder
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¼ teaspoon salt
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¾ cup (or 1 and ½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
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¾ cup granulated sugar
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¾ one large egg, room temperature
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2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the ROYAL ICING:
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4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
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3 tablespoons meringue powder
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6-8 tablespoons of room temperature water
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Black, orange, and red food coloring
INSTRUCTIONS:
MAKE BATTER
1. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until completely smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla, and almond extract (if using) and beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to combine.
3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low until combined. If the dough seems too soft, you can add 1 Tablespoon more flour until it is a better consistency for rolling.
4. Divide the dough into 2 equal parts. Roll each portion out onto a piece of parchment paper or a lightly floured silicone baking mat (I prefer the nonstick silicone mat) to about 1/4-inch thickness. The rolled-out dough can be any shape, as long as it is evenly 1/4-inch thick.
5. Stack the pieces, with parchment paper between the two, onto a baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours and up to 2 days. If chilling for more than a couple hours, cover the top dough piece with a single piece of parchment paper.
6. Once chilled, preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Remove one of the dough pieces from the refrigerator and using a snowman cookie cutter, cut into shapes. Re-roll the remaining dough and continue cutting until all is used. Repeat with 2nd dough piece.
7. Arrange cookies on baking sheets 3 inches apart. Bake for 11-12 minutes, until lightly browned around the edges. Make sure you rotate the baking sheet halfway through bake time. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating. I like to decorate cookies directly on baking sheets so I can stick the entire baking sheet in the refrigerator to help set the icing. So place the cooled cookies back on baking sheets.
MAKE ICING
1. Watch the video of the icing above so you get an idea of what the final consistency should be. In a large bowl using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat all of the icing ingredients together on high speed for 5 minutes. (I always start with 6-7 Tablespoons and usually need to add 8. On particularly dry days, up to 9-10!) When lifting the whisk up off the icing, the icing should drizzle down and smooth out within 10-15 seconds. If it’s too thick, add a little more water. If it’s too thin, add a little more sifted confectioners’ sugar.
2. You’ll need 3 small bowls: one for red icing, one for black icing, and one for orange icing. Spoon 1/4 cup of icing into each bowl. The rest of the icing will remain white. Stir red food coloring into 1 bowl until you reach your desired shade. Stir black food coloring into another bowl until you reach your desired shade. (I find that black always dries darker so stop adding coloring when you reach a dark gray.) Finally, stir orange food coloring into the last bowl until you reach your desired shade. Spoon icings into piping bags.
DECORATE
You can watch the video of me decorating the cookies in the beginning of this blog post. Using round icing tip #5, outline and flood the snowmen with white. (Leave room for the black hat!) Allow to set. I put the baking sheet in the refrigerator to speed it up. Using this same piping tip, pipe the scarf with red icing on top of the white icing. Using round icing tip #1, pipe the hat, eyes, and buttons with black icing. Using this same piping tip, pipe the nose with orange icing. Icing will completely set in about 2 hours at room temperature.
Finally, the last cookie is a CLASSIC. Who doesn’t love cheery, gingerbread men? Plus, there are so many decorating opportunities with candy canes, gum drops, sprinkles, you NAME it!
INGREDIENTS:
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½ cup butter, softened
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¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
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⅓ cup molasses
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1 large egg
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2 tablespoons water
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2 & ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
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1 teaspoon baking soda
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½ teaspoon salt
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2 teaspoons ground ginger
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½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
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½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
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½ teaspoon ground allspice
INSTRUCTIONS:
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Cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in molasses, egg and water. In another bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients minus frosting; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Divide dough in half. Shape each into a disk; cover. Refrigerate until easy to handle, about 30 minutes.
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Preheat oven to 350°. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion of dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 4-in. gingerbread man cookie cutter. Place 2 in. apart on greased baking sheets.
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Bake until edges are firm, 8-10 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Frost as desired.
I hope after reading this article that you’re salivating for some seasonal sweetness and take advantage of National Cookie Cutter Week. I’d love to see if you make the recipes or use the cutters I linked! Happy baking :)