Soft Christmas Cookies

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Soft Christmas Cookies 🎄🍪

These Soft Christmas Cookies are perfect for holiday decorating! They’re tender, buttery, and lightly sweet, with a versatile icing for creative designs.

Ingredients

For the Cookies:

  • 3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract
  • 4 tablespoons milk

For the Icing:

  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 4 tablespoons milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Food coloring (optional)
  • Sprinkles (optional)

Instructions

Step 1: Prepare the Cookie Dough

  1. Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
  2. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
  3. Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy (about 2–3 minutes).
  4. Add Wet Ingredients: Beat in the eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract until fully incorporated.
  5. Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, alternating with the milk, and mix until a soft dough forms. If the dough feels too sticky, cover and chill it in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Step 2: Roll and Cut the Cookies

  1. Roll the Dough: Lightly flour a clean surface and roll out the dough to about ¼-inch thickness.
  2. Cut Festive Shapes: Use holiday cookie cutters to cut the dough into your desired shapes. Transfer the shapes to the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch between each cookie.

Step 3: Bake the Cookies

  1. Bake: Bake in the preheated oven for 6–8 minutes, or until the edges are just barely golden. Avoid overbaking to keep the cookies soft.
  2. Cool: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.

Step 4: Prepare the Icing

  1. Mix the Icing: In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Adjust the consistency by adding more powdered sugar for thicker icing or more milk for thinner icing.
  2. Add Color (Optional): Divide the icing into bowls and mix in food coloring as desired.

Step 5: Decorate the Cookies

  1. Frost the Cookies: Use a piping bag, spoon, or offset spatula to decorate the cookies with icing.
  2. Add Sprinkles: Before the icing sets, sprinkle on your favorite decorations like sprinkles, edible glitter, or sanding sugar.
  3. Let Set: Allow the cookies to sit at room temperature for 1–2 hours for the icing to set.

Tips for Success

  • Chill the Dough: Chilling helps prevent the cookies from spreading too much while baking, ensuring they keep their shape.
  • Even Rolling: Use rolling pin guides or stack two dowels on either side of your dough for an even thickness.
  • Flavor Variations: Swap almond extract for lemon or peppermint extract for a festive twist.

Storage

  • At Room Temperature: Store decorated cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
  • Freezing: Freeze undecorated cookies for up to 3 months. Thaw, then decorate as desired.

These cookies are a festive favorite and a great way to add holiday cheer to your dessert table! Enjoy! 🎅🎨

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