Description
Celebrate the holiday season with these classic Christmas Sugar Cookies with Icing. These soft and flavorful cookies are infused with warm spices like cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, perfect for the festive mood. Topped with a smooth, sweet vanilla icing, they make an irresistible treat for decorating parties or gifting.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 2 ¾ cups all purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ginger
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ⅔ cup salted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Icing
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon meringue powder
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 5 tablespoons + 1 1/2 teaspoons water
Instructions
- Prepare Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and nutmeg until well combined to evenly distribute the spices and leavening.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the room temperature salted butter with granulated sugar and brown sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes, to ensure proper texture.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Beat in the large egg and vanilla extract until fully incorporated, creating a smooth dough base.
- Mix in Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed just until combined to prevent tough cookies.
- Chill Dough (Optional but Recommended): Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to make it easier to roll out and cut shapes cleanly.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll and Cut Dough: On a floured surface, roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut festive shapes and place them on the prepared baking sheets, spaced about 1 inch apart.
- Bake Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes or until edges are lightly golden. Avoid overbaking to keep cookies soft.
- Cool Completely: Remove cookies from oven and allow them to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Make Icing: In a large bowl, combine powdered sugar, meringue powder, vanilla extract, salt, and water. Beat on low speed until icing is smooth and glossy, adding extra water a teaspoon at a time if needed for desired consistency.
- Decorate Cookies: Use a piping bag or spoon to decorate the cooled cookies with icing as desired. Let the icing set completely before stacking or storing.
Notes
- For best results, chill dough before rolling to prevent sticking and maintain shape during baking.
- If you prefer crisper cookies, bake a minute or two longer until edges are more browned.
- Meringue powder helps stabilize the icing for a smooth, firm finish; you can find it in most baking supply stores.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
- Decorated cookies can also be frozen for up to 3 months if wrapped properly.
