Description
Polar bear cookies bring winter’s whimsy to holiday dessert tables with adorable snowflake-shaped treats. Crisp white frosting and cute decorative details make these charming cookies perfect for festive gatherings when you want something sweet and playful.
Ingredients
Scale
Primary Ingredients (Cookies):
- 1 large egg
- 1 stick (113 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 ½ cups (180 grams) all-purpose flour
Dry Ingredients (Baking):
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Decoration Ingredients:
- 2 cups white chocolate chips or candy melts
- Mini marshmallows
- Candy eyes
- Mini chocolate chips or black edible pearls
- Optional: Red or blue sprinkles
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Prepare the kitchen workspace by preheating the oven to 350F (175C) and lining a baking sheet with parchment paper. Ensure all ingredients are at room temperature for optimal mixing.
- In a spacious mixing bowl, thoroughly cream butter and sugar until the mixture becomes airy and pale. Incorporate the egg and vanilla extract, blending until the texture is smooth and homogeneous.
- Separately, combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a clean bowl. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, stirring carefully to create a consistent dough. Avoid overmixing to maintain the cookie’s delicate texture.
- Using a spoon or cookie scoop, form uniform dough balls approximately the size of a tablespoon. Roll each ball between your palms to create perfect spheres. Arrange the cookies on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them evenly to allow proper spreading.
- Gently press down on each dough ball with your palm, creating a slight flattening effect. Transfer the baking sheet to the preheated oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, watching for subtle golden edges as an indication of doneness.
- Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool completely on a wire rack. This resting period ensures the cookies firm up and become easier to decorate.
- Melt white chocolate using a microwave-safe bowl, employing short 20-second intervals and stirring between each heating cycle until the chocolate achieves a smooth, glossy consistency.
- Carefully immerse each cooled cookie into the melted white chocolate, ensuring complete and even coverage. Place the coated cookies on parchment paper for decorating.
- While the chocolate coating remains wet, strategically place two mini marshmallows at the cookie’s top edge to create adorable bear ears. Add candy eyes and a mini chocolate chip or pearl to represent the nose.
- Optional embellishments like sprinkles or delicate icing can enhance the polar bear’s character. Allow the decorated cookies to set at room temperature until the white chocolate hardens completely.
- For accelerated setting, briefly place the cookies in the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes. Once fully set, serve and enjoy these charming polar bear-inspired treats.
Notes
- Precision matters when creaming butter and sugar, ensuring light, fluffy texture requires room temperature butter and consistent beating for 3-4 minutes.
- White chocolate coating works best when melted slowly at 50% power in microwave to prevent burning and maintain smooth consistency.
- Chilling cookie dough for 30 minutes before baking helps prevent spreading and maintains adorable polar bear shape.
- For gluten-free version, substitute all-purpose flour with almond or gluten-free blend, adding 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum for better texture.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 70 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg