Description
Festive Christmas butter cookies bring joy to holiday gatherings with their delicate, melt-in-your-mouth texture. Buttery goodness and sweet memories combine in these simple yet irresistible treats you’ll cherish and share with loved ones.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (100 g) powdered sugar, sifted
Flavoring and Seasoning:
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Decoration:
- Holiday sprinkles
- Colored sugar
- Royal icing (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the baking workspace by positioning the oven rack in the center and heating to 350F (175C). Cover baking sheets with parchment paper, ensuring a smooth, non-stick surface.
- In a spacious mixing bowl, whip softened butter and powdered sugar together until the mixture becomes airy and pale, creating a smooth, creamy texture that takes approximately 2-3 minutes.
- Introduce vanilla extract to the butter mixture, stirring thoroughly to distribute the aromatic flavor evenly throughout the dough.
- Gently fold sifted flour and salt into the creamy base, using low-speed mixing to prevent overmixing and maintain a delicate, tender cookie texture.
- Choose your preferred cookie style: drop method involves scooping rounded tablespoons onto prepared sheets and gently flattening; rolled technique requires chilling dough for 30 minutes before rolling to 1/4-inch thickness and cutting festive shapes; piping approach uses a star-tipped bag to create elegant rosettes and swirls directly on the baking surface.
- Embellish cookie surfaces with holiday sprinkles, sparkling colored sugar, or decorative elements that enhance the Christmas spirit.
- Slide trays into the preheated oven and bake until cookie edges transform into a delicate golden hue, typically 10-12 minutes. Allow cookies to rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
- After complete cooling, elevate the cookie presentation by drizzling with royal icing or melted chocolate, adding a sophisticated and festive final touch to your Christmas treats.
Notes
- Butter temperature matters significantly for achieving the perfect cookie texture, so let softened butter should be at room temperature but not melty.
- Chilling the dough helps prevent spreading and maintains crisp cookie shapes, especially for cut-out designs.
- For gluten-free variations, substitute all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend to maintain similar texture and taste.
- Reduce sugar content by 25% if you prefer less sweetness, which works well without compromising the cookie’s delicate structure.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 50 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg