Description
Classic Christmas Sugar Cookies that are soft, buttery, and perfect for decorating. These festive cookies are easy to make and ideal for holiday baking with family and friends.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, measured correctly
- 1 Tbsp aluminum-free baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350 °F and position a rack in the center of the oven to ensure even baking.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a small bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Set this mixture aside for later use.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: Using a stand-up or handheld mixer, beat the softened butter together with the granulated sugar until light and fluffy. This will help create a tender cookie texture.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: To the creamed butter mixture, add the vanilla extract and egg. Beat until fully combined and smooth.
- Incorporate Flour: Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients in three parts, mixing until the dough comes together and no dry flour is visible.
- Roll Out Dough: Divide the dough into two equal portions. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion out to a 1/4-inch thickness to ensure even baking and ideal cookie texture.
- Cut Shapes: Use your favorite cookie cutters to cut out shapes from the rolled dough. Arrange the cutouts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Bake Cookies: Bake at 350 °F for 10 minutes, or until the edges just begin to turn golden brown, indicating they are perfectly baked.
- Cool Cookies: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating with your choice of icing.
Notes
- Make sure the butter is softened to room temperature for easier creaming with sugar.
- Use aluminum-free baking powder to avoid any metallic taste in your cookies.
- Chilling the dough for 30 minutes before rolling can help prevent spreading, although it’s optional.
- For even baking, do not overcrowd the baking sheet and leave space between cookies.
- Decorate cooled cookies with royal icing, buttercream, or sprinkles as desired for a festive touch.
