These easy Holiday Sugar Cookies are a classic holiday treat that satisfies your sweet tooth and makes perfect heartfelt gifts. Each cookie has a delicious texture that's soft and buttery with a crisp edge. When you bite into one, you’ll experience a tender crumb that melts in your mouth, paired with a smooth, creamy buttercream frosting that adds the perfect touch of sweetness.
Why You Will Love My Sugar Cookie Recipe
You'll love this recipe for its simplicity and versatility. With just a handful of common ingredients, it's easy to whip up a batch of these delicious sugar cookies in no time. Plus, you can get creative with your cookie shapes and decorations, making them perfect for any occasion.
But the real magic happens when you take a bite. These cookies are soft, buttery, and oh-so-satisfying. With each bite, you'll experience the perfect balance of sweetness and vanilla flavor, leaving you craving just one more.
Ingredients Used To Make Sugar Cookies
Unsalted Butter: Provides rich flavor and a tender texture to the cookies.
White Sugar: Adds sweetness to the dough, contributing to the cookie's classic flavor.
Vanilla Extract: Use the best quality you can afford. Enhances the overall flavor of the cookies with a sweet and aromatic note.
Large Egg: Acts as a binding agent, contributing to the structure and texture of the cookies.
All-Purpose Flour: The main dry ingredient, providing structure and body to the cookies.
Baking Powder: Helps the cookies rise slightly, creating a softer texture.
Pinch of Salt: Enhances the flavor of the cookies by balancing sweetness and adding depth.
How To Make Sugar Cookies
Creaming: Beat together softened butter and white sugar until light and fluffy.
Adding Wet Ingredients: Mix in vanilla extract and a large egg until well combined.
Sift Dry Ingredients: Sift the flour, baking powder and salt over the butter.
Mixing Dough: Mix on low to form a soft cookie dough finishing off by kneading lightly with your hands. Do not overmix.
Rolling and Cutting: Divide the dough, roll it out, and use round and/or star-shaped cookie cutters to create stars of various sizes.
Baking: Bake the star-shaped cookies until lightly golden around the edges. Cool on wore rack before decorating.
Preparing Buttercream: Beat softened butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract to make a smooth buttercream filling.
Assembling Trees: Spread or pipe buttercream between layers of star-shaped cookies to create Christmas tree stacks. Leftover cookies can be decorated or made into sugar cookie sandwiches.
Optional Decorations: Add festive touches like sprinkles or edible glitter.
Enjoy: Allow the assembled Christmas Tree Sugar Cookies to cool and then savour the festive and delicious treats!
Fay's Top Tips
One important tip for this recipe is to use a rolling pin with spacers to ensure all your cookies have a uniform thickness. This helps them bake evenly and maintain their shape.
Another important tip is to avoid overmixing the dough after adding the dry ingredients. Mix just until the dough comes together to prevent the cookies from becoming tough.
How To Store Decorated Sugar Cookies
Room Temperature:
- For Short-Term Storage (1-2 Days): ONLY if cookies have been decorated with Royal Icing you can store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. Buttercream-decorated cookies will need to be stored in the refrigerator.
- For Longer Storage (Up to a Week): Layer cookies between sheets of wax paper or parchment paper in an airtight container. Keep the container in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.
Refrigeration: For Cookies with Perishable Ingredients (e.g., buttercream or cream-filled cookies): Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Bring them to room temperature before serving for the best texture and flavor.
Freezing: For Extended Storage (Up to 3 Months): Most cookies freeze well. Place them in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Then, transfer them to a freezer-safe container or bag with layers separated by parchment paper. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
Airtight Containers: Use airtight containers made of plastic or metal to prevent air and moisture from affecting the cookies. Glass containers with tight-sealing lids are also suitable.
Gifting Ideas for Sugar Cookies
Cookie Gift Boxes: Package a variety of your beautifully decorated sugar cookies in festive boxes or cake boxes with a clear lid. Mix and match shapes and designs for a visually appealing assortment. Tie it up with a ribbon and a personalized holiday tag for that extra special touch.
Custom Cookie Jars: Fill decorative jars with an assortment of your homemade sugar cookies. Layer them by size or mix and match them for a colorful display. Attach a recipe card so your friends and family can recreate the magic at home.
Personalized Cookie Tins: Select decorative tins and fill them with an assortment of your sugar cookies. Personalize each tin with the recipient’s name or a festive message. These tins can be reused long after the cookies are enjoyed.
More Cookie Recipes
- Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwiches
- Chocolate Chip Cookies (Chunky NYC Style)
- Pistachio Shortbread Cookies
- Foolproof Meringue Kisses
Common Questions
Yes, you can, but it's recommended to use unsalted butter to control the amount of salt in the recipe. If you use salted butter, consider reducing the added salt in the recipe.
Absolutely! Chilling the dough can make it easier to handle and can help the cookies maintain their shape while baking.
Sugar cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for about 1 week. For longer storage, they can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Yes, you can freeze sugar cookie dough. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container before freezing. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before using.
If you don't have cookie cutters, you can use the rim of a drinking glass or a knife to cut out shapes from rolled-out dough.
Yes, you can experiment with different extracts like almond, lemon, or orange to add different flavors to your sugar cookies.
Easy Holiday Sugar Cookies
INGREDIENTS
Sugar Cookies
- 225 g (8 oz) butter unsalted
- 220 g (1 cups) sugar superfine sugar
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) vanilla or to taste
- 1 (1) egg large
- 450 g (3 ⅗ cups) all purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon (¾ teaspoon) baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon (⅛ teaspoon) salt
Buttercream
- 225 g (8 oz) butter unsalted
- 2 cups (2 cups) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) vanilla or to taste
- food colouring more or less
INSTRUCTIONS
Sugar Cookies
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and white sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the vanilla extract and egg, and continue mixing until well combined.
- Using a fine mesh strainer, sift the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt over the butter mixture.
- Mix with a hand mixer on low speed just until to dough comes together. Finish off with hands in the bowl until flour is no longer visible.
- Divide the dough into two equal portions.
- Roll out each portion between parchment paper to about ¼-inch thickness. Using a rolling pin with spacers helps with uniform thickness.
- Use star, or circle-shaped cookie cutters in various sizes to cut out shapes. Aim for 5-6 cookies of decreasing size for each Christmas tree.
- Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets, leaving some space between them.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Buttercream
- In a large bowl, beat the softened butter until creamy.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar, beating well after each addition.
- Add the vanilla extract and green food coloring (if using) and continue to beat for 5 minutes or until the buttercream is smooth and has a creamy consistency.
Stacking Christmas Trees
- Once the cookies are completely cooled, spread or pipe a layer of buttercream on the largest star/circle.
- Place the next largest star/circle on top and repeat the process until all cookies are stacked, creating a Christmas tree shape. I have used 5 cookies for the layers and one smaller cookie standing on top of the tree.
- Dust with powdered sugar for a festive touch!
- Feel free to add edible decorations like sprinkles, edible glitter, or small fondant ornaments to enhance the festive look of your Christmas tree cookies.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
NOTES
if making stacked Christmas Trees, use any extra dough to make individual cookies using different-shaped cookie cutters.
NUTRITION
3 Holiday Dessert Tutorials
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