Description
These classic Christmas cookies are soft, buttery, and perfect for the holiday season. With a simple dough flavored with vanilla and almond extracts, they can be cut into festive shapes and decorated with colorful sprinkles or icing for a joyful treat everyone will love.
Ingredients
Scale
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp almond extract (optional)
Dry Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
Decoration
- Sprinkles or colored sugar for decorating
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper to prepare for baking the cookies.
- Cream the Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together until the mixture becomes light and fluffy. Then add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract if using, and continue beating until all ingredients are well combined.
- Mix the Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, salt, and baking powder. Gradually add these dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir until a smooth dough forms.
- Roll and Cut the Dough: Lightly flour your work surface and roll out the dough to about 1/4-inch thickness. Use your favorite holiday-themed cookie cutters to create shapes, then place the cut cookies evenly spaced on the prepared baking sheet.
- Decorate: Before baking, sprinkle the cookies with colored sugar or festive sprinkles to add color and texture. Alternatively, you can leave them plain to decorate later with icing.
- Bake: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges just start to turn a light golden color. This ensures the cookies remain soft inside while having a slight crisp on the edges.
- Cool and Decorate: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes after baking, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cool, decorate further with icing if desired for a personalized touch.
Notes
- For best results, make sure butter is softened but not melted before creaming with sugar.
- Chill the dough for 30 minutes if it becomes too soft to handle when rolling out.
- The almond extract is optional but adds a lovely nutty flavor complementing vanilla.
- You can store cooled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.
- Decorate with royal icing or colored frosting for festive designs.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
