Frosted Sugar Cookie Cut-Outs

Few things say Christmas like a kitchen table covered in cookie cutters, flour and little bowls of colored icing. These are the classic cut-out sugar cookies: soft in the middle, lightly crisp at the edges, with a buttery vanilla flavor, and a dough that keeps its shape in the oven so your stars still look like stars.

The icing is simple to make, spreads smoothly, and dries with a soft shine so you can stack the cookies in a tin or give them away. Get the kids involved with sprinkles and colored sugar. Find more festive treats in our Holiday Delights collection.

Frosted Sugar Cookie Cut-Outs

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Classic soft, buttery Christmas sugar cookies that hold their shape, cut into stars, trees and bells and decorated with an easy glossy icing that sets firm enough to stack. The cookie every American holiday tray needs.

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Prep Time 40 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Chill Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 2 hours hrs

Servings: 36 cookies

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

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For the Cookies

• 3 cups all-purpose flour plus more for rolling
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter softened (2 sticks)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract optional
• 1 tablespoon milk

For the Icing

• 3 cups powdered sugar sifted
• 3 to 4 tablespoons milk
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup gives the icing its shine
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• gel food coloring red, green, or your favorites
• sprinkles and colored sugar for decorating

Method

 

Make and Chill the Dough

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
2. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with a mixer on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla, almond extract and milk.
3. Add the flour mixture in two additions and mix on low just until a soft dough forms. Divide it in half, flatten each half into a disk, wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or up to 3 days).

Cut and Bake

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll one disk of dough to about 1/4 inch thick. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters and place them 1 inch apart on the baking sheets. Gather and re-roll the scraps once.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are just barely turning golden. Let the cookies rest on the pan for 5 minutes, then move them to a wire rack to cool completely before icing.

Ice and Decorate

1. Whisk the powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons of milk, corn syrup and vanilla until smooth. It should be thick but spreadable; add more milk a few drops at a time if needed. Divide into bowls and tint with food coloring.
2. Spread or pipe the icing onto the cooled cookies and add sprinkles right away, while the icing is still wet. Let the cookies sit at room temperature for 4 to 6 hours, until the icing is firm, before stacking.

Notes

Keep the dough cold: if the dough gets soft while you work, pop the cut cookies on their baking sheet into the fridge for 10 minutes before baking. Cold dough keeps sharp edges.

Storage: iced cookies keep in an airtight tin at room temperature for up to 1 week. Un-iced baked cookies freeze well for up to 3 months, and the raw dough can be frozen for up to 3 months as well.

Many colored sprinkles and some decorations contain gelatin or carmine; check labels for vegetarian-friendly brands.

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