Frosted Holiday Sugar Cookies Recipes

FROSTED SOFT SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large mixing bowl and electric mixer) add the butter, oil, sugars, and beat on medium-high speed until creamed and combined, about 4 minutes.
• Add the egg, extracts, and beat until combined.
• Add the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt, and beat on low speed until just combined.
• Using a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop, or your hands, form approximately 20 equal-sized mounds of dough, roll into balls, and flatten about halfway.
• Place mounds on a large plate or tray, cover with plasticwrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, up to 7 days. Do not bake with unchilled dough because cookies will bake thinner, flatter, and be more prone to spreading.
• Preheat oven to 350F, line a baking sheet with a Silpat or spray with cooking spray. Place dough mounds on baking sheet, spaced at least 2 inches apart (I use a half-sheet pan and bake 8 cookies per sheet) and bake for about 8 minutes (if your cookies are smaller than mine, reduce baking time) or until edges have set and tops are just set, even if slightly undercooked, pale, and glossy in the center; don't overbake. Cookies firm up as they cool.
• Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for about 9 to 10 minutes before serving. I let them cool on the baking sheet and don't use a rack. While cookies are cooling, make the frosting.
• To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or large mixing bowl and electric mixer) add the butter, sugar, vanilla, optional salt, and beat on medium-low speed until creamy.
• Slowly add the milk or cream, as necessary, to achieve desired frosting consistency.
• Optionally add the food coloring as desired.
• Add a generous dollop of frosting to each cookie and add sprinkles to taste.

SOFT FROSTED SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Beat vegetable shortening, white sugar, 1/4 cup milk, eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract together in a bowl. Whisk flour, salt, and baking soda in a separate bowl. Slowly beat flour mixture into shortening mixture to make a smooth dough.
• Roll dough out 1/4-inch thick on a floured work surface and cut into shapes. Arrange cookies on baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cookies are firm, about 10 minutes. Let cool.
• Beat butter, confectioners' sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 2 tablespoons milk in a bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until frosting is spreadable and slightly fluffy. Frost cooled cookies.

FROSTED HOLIDAY SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in vanilla, then beat in egg.
• Add flour mixture and beat until just combined. Divide the dough in half, pat into flat rectangles, wrap in plastic and chill for at least 2 hours.
• Divide each dough parcel in half, and roll out to 1/8-inch thickness between two sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap. Repeat with remaining dough. Chill until firm, about 20 minutes.
• Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line four cookie sheets with parchment paper, sprinkling with a little flour if the dough seems sticky. Cut out shapes from the rolled and chilled dough and place on prepared sheets 1-inch apart. Bake until golden around the edges, 8 to 13 minutes. Let cool.
• Meanwhile, prepare the royal icing: in the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the sugar, egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt. Whisk until stiff and glossy.
• To tint the frosting, divide into small bowls. Cover the ones you aren't using with plastic wrap; the frosting dries out very quickly. Use a rubber spatula to stir in desired food coloring. Though not necessary, it makes life easier if you make two versions of each color - one that is thick to pipe the outline on the cookie, and one that is thinned out slightly with a little water to flood the outline. Transfer frosting to piping bags fitted with very small round tips (sizes 1 to 2 work best).
• Pipe frosting onto cooled cookies and let set, at least 2 hours. Or use a pastry of paint brush to decorate cookies with the frosting.

PEPPERMINT FROSTED SUGAR COOKIES (LOFTHOUSE STYLE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a cookie sheet with a non-stick baking spray or line the sheet with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
• In second large bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar.
• Add in the eggs, one at a time and mixing between each one.
• Add the vanilla extract, almond extract, and sour cream and mix until just combined.
• Slowly add the flour mixture while mixing on a low speed, continue adding and mixing until the dough is formed and the ingredients are well combined.NOTE: The mixture will be very wet, like a really thick cake batter.
• Scoop a heaping tablespoon amount of dough, or use a medium sized cookie scoop, and place dough onto a cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Using the backside of a spoon, lightly dip the spoon into flour and flatten out the cookie.
• Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the top of the cookie no longer appears wet.
• Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack and prepare the frosting once cooled.
• In a large bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer, combine the powdered sugar and butter until it's mixed together. NOTE: it will not be creamy at this stage, just mixed.
• Add in the peppermint extract, vanilla extract, corn syrup, salt and half of the heavy cream. Mix everything until well combined and the frosting has formed.If a thinner consistency is desired continue adding the heavy cream and mixing until the desired consistency has been reached.
• Add a few drops of food coloring and mix until well incorporated.
• Frost the cookies, top the cookies with crushed candy canes. Place on a cooling rack or piece of wax paper until frosting sets (15 to 20 minutes).