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christmas all butter sugar cookies

(2 ratings)
spatdi avatar
Blue Ribbon Recipe by
Susan Din
@spatdi
Houston, TX

Not only are they pretty, but they are delicious too! Easy to make and they bake up flat without warping in shape. I don't like the taste of royal icing which is traditionally used for decorating cookies. I use this modified buttercream version. It hardens well and tastes delicious!

Blue Ribbon Recipe

We loved everything about this yummy sugar cookie recipe. Adding almond flavoring is an excellent choice and makes them a little more unique than traditional sugar cookies. The dough is easy to work with and bakes perfectly. The frosting on top is the perfect pairing with the cookie. We used a snowflake cutter and followed the decorating directions somewhat. They were super easy to decorate. These are the perfect Christmas sugar cookie but, by swapping out the cutter, you could make these for any occasion.

— The Test Kitchen @kitchencrew
(2 ratings)
yield 4 dozen
prep time 1 Hr 10 Min
cook time 10 Min
method Bake

Ingredients For christmas all butter sugar cookies

  • DOUGH
  • 1 c
    softened butter
  • 1 c
    granulated sugar
  • 1 lg
    egg
  • 1 tsp
    almond extract
  • 3 c
    all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp
    salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp
    baking powder
  • FROSTING
  • 2 Tbsp
    softened butter
  • 1/4 tsp
    almond extract
  • 3 c
    confectioners' sugar
  • 1 pinch
    salt
  • 1 - 3 Tbsp
    milk

How To Make christmas all butter sugar cookies

  • Creaming butter and sugar.
    1
    In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar.
  • Mixing egg and vanilla into butter/sugar.
    2
    Add in the egg and almond extract. Beat to combine.
  • Slowly adding dry ingredients.
    3
    Add in the flour, salt, and baking powder.
  • Beating dough until mixed.
    4
    Beat until thoroughly mixed.
  • Placing dough in plastic wrap.
    5
    Turn the dough out. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
  • Rolling out dough.
    6
    Roll out to between a 1/8 - 1/4" thickness. I use the silicone rolling pin guides; they look like thick rubber bands.
  • Using a cookie cutter to cut out dough.
    7
    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Use a floured cookie cutter of your choice to cut out the cookies. Reroll the excess.
  • Cookie cutouts on baking sheet.
    8
    Transfer the shapes to a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Leave 1 - 2" between the cookies. They don't spread, but they will cook more evenly this way.
  • Cookies baking in the oven.
    9
    Bake for 8-12 minutes, depending on how you like your cookies. I prefer mine somewhat crisp (they will soften a tad after being decorated), so I bake mine until they are not colored much on top but the bottoms are golden.
  • Cookies cooling on a wire rack.
    10
    Allow to sit on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes. Then remove to a cooling rack.
  • Butter, almond extract, milk and salt in a bowl.
    11
    To make the frosting, beat the butter, almond extract, salt, and 1 Tbsp milk until combined.
  • Adding powdered sugar to butter.
    12
    Add all the powdered sugar.
  • Mixing until a piping consistency.
    13
    Add more milk as needed, 1 tsp at a time until you get a good piping consistency. You can adjust as needed adding more powdered sugar or milk. I tinted mine lightly with Wilton cornflower blue gel colors.
  • Decorating the sugar cookie.
    14
    Use a 12" decorating bag and a #3 round decorating tip to pipe the lines on the snowflake. I piped straight from tip to tip first. Then place a dot in the center, at the intersection of the lines. Then begin making the side lines to each arm of your snowflake. After piping the snowflake, I gently turn it over in a small shallow bowl of white sparkling sugar to give it a light sparkle.
  • Decorated cookie setting-up.
    15
    Allow to dry/harden on a sheet pan.
  • 16
    Pack in an airtight container, stacked with wax paper between layers. Cookies stay fresh for several days at room temperature. You can bake the cookies ahead and freeze them undecorated in airtight containers. Then decorate when desired. No need to defrost, you can begin decorating frozen cookies. Just be sure to leave the container open as cookies come to room temperature, so they don't create condensation in the container.
  • Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!
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