Christmas Cut-Out Cookies
These easy to make Christmas Cut-Out Cookies are a family favorite during the holidays.
I love this time of year, I feel like everyone is in a good mood and it’s so fun to spend time with family & friends.
It’s been a family tradition in our house to make and decorate Christmas Cut-Out Cookies.
Since I was little I’ve always looked forward to making these cookies.
The sugar cookie dough is honestly the BEST, you always know the cookies are going to be good when the cookie dough tastes amazing.
I try not to eat too much cookie dough but it’s just so dang good.
Also, these cut-out cookies are topped with the BEST sugar cookie frosting EVER!!
This Christmas cut-out cookie and frosting recipe have been passed down through generations of our family.
Everyone always looks forward to when I make these cookies for Christmas.
So if your looking for the best Christmas cut-out cookies recipe, look no further. I promise your family will love them and you will be making them every year.
Happy Baking!
CHRISTMAS CUT-OUT COOKIES INGREDIENTS
CUT-OUT COOKIES INGREDIENTS:
● POWDERED SUGAR: 1 cup of powdered sugar. This is our family’s secret ingredient to the best tasting cut-out cookie.
● SUGAR: 1/2 cup of granulated sugar.
● EGG: 1 large egg.
● VANILLA EXTRACT: 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
● ALMOND EXTRACT: 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract.
● BUTTER: 1 cup ( 2 sticks) of unsalted butter. Make sure your butter is at room temperature. If your butter is TOO WARM, it will also result in cookies that will SPREAD and won’t hold their shape. So the best thing to do is let the butter sit out on the counter for only 1 hour before you start baking and it will be perfect!
● SELF RISING FLOUR: 2 1/2 cups of self-rising flour. This is another secret ingredient, that makes these cookies the best.
SUGAR COOKIE FROSTING INGREDIENTS:
● POWDERED SUGAR: 6 cups powdered sugar.
● SHORTENING: 1 cup shortening, I like to use the butter flavored shortening.
● HEAVY WHIPPING CREAM: 8 Tablespoons heavy whipping cream.
● VANILLA EXTRACT: 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
● ALMOND EXTRACT: 1/2 teaspoon almond extract.
● SALT: 1 teaspoon of salt.
● FOOD COLORING: any colored food coloring or just keep it white.
HOW TO MAKE CHRISTMAS CUT-OUT COOKIES
To make these Christmas Cut-Out Cookies, simply:
MAKE COOKIE DOUGH:
STEP 1:Using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat powdered sugar, granulated sugar, egg, vanilla extract, almond extract and softened butter on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes.
STEP 2: Add flour and mix until just combined.
STEP 3: Divide dough into 2 pieces, wrap in plastic wrap and flatten dough to make it easier to roll out later. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
BAKE COOKIES:
PRE-STEP: Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
STEP 1: Roll out dough to about 1/8 inch thick.
STEP 2: Using cookie cutters, cut dough into shapes.
STEP 3: Place cookie shapes onto prepared baking pan. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack. Let cookies cool completely before icing and decorating.
MAKE FROSTING:
STEP 1: Using a hand or stand mixer, beat powdered sugar, shortening, heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract, almond extract and salt for about 2 minutes or until smooth.
STEP 2: Scoop small amounts of frosting into several small bowls, use food coloring to make frosting different colors or just keep the frosting white. Frost cookies and add sprinkles on top.
STEP 3: Place frosted cookies in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes if you want the frosting to harden so that the cookies don’t stick together when placing the cookies into a plastic container or cookie tin.
ADDITIONAL BAKING TIPS & FAQ’S
COLD COOKIE DOUGH: It’s important to make sure to place the cookie dough in the fridge for at least 1 hour before you start rolling out the dough. I actually like to make the dough the day before and keep it in the fridge overnight but if you’re short on time, 1 hour in the fridge will be totally fine.
HOW MANY COOKIES DOES THIS COOKIE DOUGH MAKE? It depends on how BIG your cookie cutters are. If your using bigger sized cookie cutters you might only get 16-20 cookies from one batch of dough. If your using smaller cookie cutters, you could get up to 24 cookies. For Christmas, I usually TRIPLE this recipe which makes about 60 cookies using a mix of big and small cookie cutters.
COOKIE CUTTERS: Here is a tip I learned to make it easy to use cookie cutters. I spray my cookie cutters with butter flavored non-stick cooking spray, this way the dough doesn’t stick to the cookie cutter and the shapes come out perfect every time.
SUGAR COOKIE FROSTING: It’s all about the frosting when it comes to a good Christmas Cut-Out Cookie. I highly recommend using heavy whipping cream instead of milk because the frosting will be a lot creamier. Also, if you don’t have any shortening you can use unsalted butter but make sure that the butter is super soft before making the frosting. You don’t want chunks of butter in the frosting. Here is the recipe for THE BEST SUGAR COOKIE FROSTING!
BAKING TOOLS NEEDED
MIXER: I love my KitchenAid Mixer, I use it for everything. Makes baking so much easier!
BAKING SHEET: You will need a large 16×11 inch baking sheet.
SILICONE BAKING MAT OR PARCHMENT PAPER: If you don’t have a silicone baking mat…YOU NEED ONE!
COOKIE CUTTERS: These are my favorite cookie cutters and you get a TON of different shapes.
ICING SPATULA: Makes frosting cookies SO MUCH easier!
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Christmas Cut-Out Cookies
Ingredients
COOKIES:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened, 2 sticks
- 2 ½ cups self rising flour
FROSTING:
- 6 cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup shortening, butter flavor
- 8 tablespoons heavy whipping cream or milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon salt
- food coloring
Instructions
MAKE COOKIE DOUGH
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat powdered sugar, granulated sugar, egg, vanilla extract, almond extract and softened butter on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes.
- Add flour and mix until just combined.
- Divide dough into 2 pieces, wrap in plastic wrap and flatten the dough out to make it easier to roll out the dough once it's chilled. Place in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
- Roll out dough to about 1/8 inch thick.
- Using a cookie cutters, cut dough into shapes.
- Place cookie shapes onto prepared baking pan. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack. Let cookies cool completely before icing and decorating.
MAKE FROSTING
- Using a hand or stand mixer, beat powdered sugar, shortening, heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract, almond extract and salt for about 2 minutes or until smooth.
- Scoop small amounts of frosting into several small bowls, use food coloring to make frosting different colors or just keep the frosting white. Frost cookies and add sprinkles on top.
- Place frosted cookies in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes if you want the frosting to harden so that the cookies don't stick together when placing the cookies into a plastic container or cookie tin.
Notes
- STORE cookies in a container at room temperature for up to 7 days.
- UNFROSTED Cut-Out Cookies can be frozen for up to 2 months. When your ready to bake the frozen cookies, you will not need to thaw them, just place the cut-out cookies onto baking sheet and bake for 9-10 minutes.
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CHRISTMAS CUT-OUT COOKIES
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I Absolutely love this recipe! Made it with my kids earlier. The cookies turned out soft and kept form very well! I used granulated sugar, since that’s all I had on hand. Thanks for posting!
One of the cutest Christmas Cookies recipes I tried! They’re very easy to make and satisfyingly good. I’ll definitely add this again for our Christmas treats. Exciting!
Our favorite recipe! My kids love to help too! Thank you.