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Christmas Sugar Cookies Recipe

Christmas Sugar Cookies Recipe
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★★★★★

4.9 from 12 reviews

These festive Christmas Sugar Cookies are delightfully soft, buttery, and bursting with colorful sprinkles, topped with a creamy, rich cream cheese frosting. Perfect for holiday gatherings, these cookies strike the perfect balance of sweetness and texture, making them a memorable seasonal treat.

Ingredients

Scale

Cookie Dough

  • 270 g (2¼ cups) all-purpose flour
  • 4 g (1 tsp) baking powder
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 170 g (1½ sticks / ¾ cup) unsalted butter, softened (68-72°F)
  • 200 g (1 cup) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
  • ¼ tsp almond extract (optional)
  • 54 g (⅓ cup) Christmas jimmies sprinkles

Frosting

  • 283 g (1¼ bricks / 10 oz) full-fat cream cheese, softened (68-72°F)
  • 184 g (13 Tbsp) salted butter, softened (68-72°F)
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • ⅛ tsp salt
  • 150 g (1¼ cups) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 80 ml (⅓ cup) heavy cream, very cold
  • 24 g (2 Tbsp) Christmas sprinkles (jimmies, nonpareils, trees, etc.)

Instructions

  1. Preheat Oven and Prepare Pans: Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C) and line 2-3 baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure even baking.
  2. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside to keep dry ingredients ready for incorporation.
  3. Cream Butter and Sugar: Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
  4. Add Egg and Flavorings: Add the egg and vanilla extract to the creamed mixture and beat on medium-low speed until fully combined, about 30 seconds. If using, add almond extract here as well.
  5. Combine Wet and Dry Mixtures: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in two parts. Mix on low speed until just combined; avoid overmixing to maintain a tender crumb.
  6. Fold in Sprinkles: Gently fold the Christmas jimmies sprinkles into the dough with a spatula, ensuring even distribution without breaking them.
  7. Portion Dough: Use a 3-Tablespoon cookie scoop to evenly portion the dough, about 48-50 g each.
  8. Shape Cookies: Roll each portion into a ball and place on prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart to allow for spreading.
  9. Flatten Dough Balls: Slightly flatten each dough ball using your fingers or the bottom of a glass, maintaining a minimum thickness of ½ inch.
  10. Bake Cookies: Bake for 9-11 minutes until the edges are set, the tops look soft and no longer glossy, but without browning.
  11. Shape Edges: Remove from oven and immediately use a cookie cutter or glass larger than the cookie to lightly rotate and shape each cookie into a perfect circle, bringing the edges in gently.
  12. Cool Cookies: Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
  13. Prepare Frosting Basics: In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment or hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter on low speed until smooth, creamy, and lump-free, approximately 1-2 minutes, scraping margins as needed.
  14. Add Flavor and Salt: Beat in vanilla extract and salt on low speed until just combined.
  15. Incorporate Powdered Sugar: Add powdered sugar in three parts, whisking on low speed until each addition is just combined, about 10-15 seconds each. Scrape bowl as necessary.
  16. Add Heavy Cream and Whip: Slowly drizzle in cold heavy cream about 1 tablespoon at a time while whisking on low speed until stiff peaks form, approximately 1 to 1½ minutes. Take care not to overwhip to avoid separation.
  17. Frost the Cookies: Pipe frosting in a spiral pattern on each cooled cookie using a #2A or #1A piping tip starting from the center outwards, or alternatively spread frosting with a spatula to create decorative swirls.
  18. Decorate: Sprinkle Christmas-themed sprinkles over the frosting just before serving, using a light hand for the best effect.

Notes

  • For best results, ensure butter and cream cheese are softened to room temperature before starting.
  • Do not overmix the dough to keep cookies tender and soft.
  • Use cold heavy cream for the frosting to achieve proper stiffness and prevent separation.
  • You can store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate the frosted cookies for up to 5 days.
  • Almond extract is optional but gives a lovely complementary flavor to vanilla.
  • If you do not have Christmas-themed sprinkles, any colorful jimmies or nonpareils will work well.
  • Allow cookies to cool completely before frosting to prevent melting the frosting.

Nutrition

Keywords: Christmas sugar cookies, holiday cookies, cream cheese frosting, festive cookie recipe, sprinkles cookies

Find it online: https://nayabaker.com/christmas-sugar-cookies-recipe/