Christmas Cookies {Cookie Recipe}

I wanted to share with you my favorite Christmas sugar cookie recipe of all time.  

Its sinful.  Its outrageous.  Its just plain delicious.

Amanda's Amazing Sugar Cookies II

• 1-½ cup Butter (I Use Unsalted)
• 2 cups Sugar
• 2 whole Eggs
• 2 whole Eggs Yolks
• 4 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• 2 teaspoons Almond Extract
• 4 cups All-purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a mixer, beat butter and sugar until well combined, about 2 minutes. 

Add in 2 eggs and 2 egg yolks and mix until combined. 

Add in vanilla and almond extract; mix until combined. 

In a separate bowl, sift together flour, salt, and baking powder. Slowly (about a cup at a time) add flour to butter mixture and combine. You can use a mixer or not, just depends on how strong you are. 

I usually just mix ingredients until they are combined, as I have heard that if you over-mix this dough it will get tough. 

Put dough in some Saran wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour. When you are ready to bake, heat oven to 350 degrees. Roll dough out, cut out cookies, and bake for 6-8 minutes.

 

And not to be ignored, the best glaze icing you will ever find paired with a sugar cookie. (This recipe can be used the exact same way you would use royal icing, but does not ever harden quite as hard as royal icing and the tastes a bit different.  Try Bridget's royal icing recipe if you want to try a wonderful tradition royal icing!  Or just check her out, she just got back from The Pioneer Woman's ranch.. she gave cookie decorating tutorials to Ree and pals!)

Amanda's Awesome Icing

• 1 cup Confectioners Sugar (powder Sugar)
• 1 Tablespoon Milk
• 1 drop Lemon Juice (fresh Or Processed)-this is optional
• 1 Tablespoon Light Corn Syrup

*Also optional is any additional flavorings... peppermint, strawberry, vanilla, almond extract just to name a few!

 Combine powder sugar, corn syrup, and lemon juice in a bowl.  The consistency should be very think and hard to stir.  Now read the following directions to make your icing perfect for decorating cookies!

******This next step is important!******If you need a thicker frosting, say for outlining your cookies, use LESS milk. 

Just a drop at a time. If you have already outlined your cookies and need a to fill in or ’spill’ your cookies, you can add more milk (as much as you would need) to make your frosting very runny.

If you are using food coloring, be sure to use LESS milk. Most food colorings are liquid and can make your frosting more runny. If you are using a gel food coloring, your milk quantity can remain the same.

If you want to add different flavors, you can add drops of vanilla extract, almond extract, lemon, etc. to flavor your frosting.

If you want more SHINE, use more corn syrup and less milk. This frosting will stay good for days in the fridge.

 

I also offer a tutorial on decorating a sugar cookie here.

Just in case you are wondering what the heck are all those weird red and white cookies?  Well my friends, these were for me!  I love simple holiday designs, and a classic red and white theme is no exception.

I just really wanted to make a set of cookies that represented the holidays for me.

 

As the saying goes, I believe Jesus is the reason for the season!

No go forth and bake.  Lots and lots of cookies.  And maybe even a cake or two.

And for the record, I am always available for taste testing consultations. ;)

*****

LA Times cookie contest update!

Thanks to all your votes and support, my sugar cookie recipe was named a winner!

(This was a fun font to try and replicate in frosting... its sure not forgiving!)

Out of around 80,000 votes and 50 top placing recipes, ten were picked and tested in the LA Times test kitchen.

And mine was one of them!! (Read about it here)

If you live in the LA area or receive the LA Times, feel free to check out the Food section on Dec. 16th, where the winners will be posted! (Unfortunately, I couldnt be there because I am in Florida)

*They mentioned using more than four pounds of butter... I cant help but feel like half that was for my recipe! ;)

Thanks so much the LA Times and YOU!!

Comments

[onceupona baker]

those are very nice! great job.
www.onceuponabakersblog.blogspot.com

[Jessica @ How Sweet]

Thank you, thank you! Every year I have made a Pillsbury sugar cookie dough for our cutouts, but couldn't find the recipe this year. We loved it so much too. On Monday when I was baking I figured I was going to have to find another tried and true... and I definitely trust your recipes!

[Amy's blah, blah, blog]

I love the little drum. It makes my heart smile. :)

[Courtney]

I'll be attempting to bake sugar cookies this Christmas! They won't look nearly half amazing as yours, but I'm going to try my best :)

[3rascalsmama]

Oh, I just love love that little baby Jesus cookie!!

I'm not brave enough to make cookies from scratch (at least not to send to the kiddos' classes, ha!), but I will be making some of your royal icing tonight to decorate some refrigerated sugar cookies. I love how easy it is!

[Kate]

All I can say is 'Wow'. Again.

Amazing work, Amanda. Simply amazing.

[Renee]

Beautiful as always :)

[Cookbook Queen]

What?!

Girl, I am SOOO stinkin' proud of you!!! Congratulations, you totally deserve it.

I am so glad you posted this recipe, I will be giving it a try this week!! Thanks!! ;)

[Kelly]

They look gorgeous! thank you for sharing!

Congrats on the LA Times!!

[Flora R.]

How sweet! :)
Do you think the frosting would work the same if I substituted
the korn syrup with honey?

Keep writting this pretty blog for us!
Thanks.

[Ragina]

I love them!
Do you have a cream cheese icing that get hard?
what kind of food coloring did you use? thats a beautiful red, I can never get a pretty red with out using a whole bottle of Wilton no-taste red

[the urban baker]

you are an artist. you are incredible. you are my idol!

[Cate O'Malley]

Congrats on the win - that's awesome!

[Joy]

Congrats on your sugar cookie recipe winning!!! I will have to give your recipe a try. :) I am always up for baking cookies! LOL Blessings to you my friend!!

[Ai]

Congrats for winning the bake-off!! No surprise you won though, anything you make looks amazing♥

xoxo
Ai

[Diane {createdbydiane.blogspot.com}]

They are so pretty! I LOVE red :) Great news about the LA times! Hope you are having a wonderful vacation!!!

[Georgia]

Beautiful cookies. Your writing is amazing on such a small surface! Congratulations on the LA Times.

[Lindsay]

Okay, OKAY. Fine. I'll cave and make my kids some sugar cookies this year. FINE. Thanks for taking such awesome pics to make my mouth water...

[bridget {bake at 350}]

AMANDA!!! Way to go, girl!!! You SO deserve to win! That recipe sound so god....with the butter, of course, but also with the eggs AND egg yolks. i bet they are the prettiest cookies....even plain.

Love, love, love the red and white. LOVE!

PS...thank you for the sweet shout-out! You *shouldn't* have!

[Rachel]

Every year I make a different sugar cookie recipe looking for a great one. SO excited to try this!! Also, like so many others - love the red ornaments!!

[Meera]

Going to make these with the kids this weekend.
Thanks!

[Jeffe Kennedy]

I'm fairly new to your blog, but am really enjoying it. Just a thought if you do any tech improvements: it would be lovely to click a link and get a printable size of the recipe. Thanks!

[naomi]

Amanda-CONGRATS to you and so well deserved. You are so talented! I love the minimalistic design and two color combo of these cookies. Nice job.

I can't wait to try the recipe!

[Kristen]

That is fantastic news! CONGRATS!!!!

[meaghan (chic cookies)]

Congratulations!!! That's amazing!!! And of course, so is that frosting font!

[Jenny]

Wow! I'm so happy!

[Medifast Coupons]

Beautiful job, these are lovely looking cookies. Thanks for sharing your recipes for both the cookies and the icing.

[Paula]

Congrats on the LA Times win! Well deserved and I'm sure folks from all over are now trying your amazing recipe. The red and white cookies are beautiful and your font work is over the top.

[marla {family fresh cooking}]

Amanda, congrats on your LA Times top 10! I knew you could do it. That font does look a bit tricky to tackle - well done!
Your tonal Christmas Cookies are beautiful & I will be coming back this way for decorating tips and tricks :) Beautiful post as always! XO

[Shaina (Food for My Family)]

Gorgeous! I want to see more of the snowflake cookies, though. ;)

[Christina]

I love these! There so beautiful!
Also, I made this recipe you posted it last year (I think) and it is by far the best cookie recipe I have ever had!!

[Suzy Leopold]

Fantastic! Thank you for the many yummy recipes and ideas!

This is sure a wonderful gift to share with my family and friends! Simply pretty and delightful!

[The Italian Dish]

You're amazing. And congratulations on your sugar cookie recipe!

[Jennie @ Oh, Sweet Day!]

Amazing job!!!! These do sound like a great sugar cookie recipe!

[Chelsea]

These look amazing! I have a question for you though: what are the texture of these cookies? Are they soft and chewy, or crispy? Thank you!

[libby]

CONGRATS amanda! that is SO awesome. you should be so proud of yourself!

[grace]

sweetened, butter-flavored flour--my favorite! lovely designs, as usual. :)

[Amy K]

YAY!!!! Congratulations Amanda! As a voter, I received an email from the LA Times about this. I'm not surprised that you received this amazing honor!
Blessings...

[SMITH BITES]

you bakers are absolutely KILLING ME with your talent - i feel like such a slacker!!! another beautiful job Amanda!!!

[Robyn]

Congratulations! You totally deserved it, girlfriend! And these look gorgeous as always!

[TidyMom]

Amanda your cookies are always SO amazing!! I love the simplicity of the red and white........just beautiful!!! and HUGE congrats too girlie!! wooohoooo

[Jen @ My Kitchen Addiction]

Congrats on the winning recipe!! I absolutely LOVE your Christmas cookies... Especially the red circles with the white drawings. So beautiful :)

[Hannah]

Congratulations!! I am SO excited to try this recipe! I am always on the look out for a great sugar cookie!!

[Londa]

Congratulations!!! Your cookie recipe is the BEST! It makes me friends all the time! ;)

[Kimberly Anderson]

Hello! These look awesome, I'm making them this weekend. I have a question that may be silly but are the butter and eggs at room temperature in this cookie recipe? Also, have you ever used only vanilla in the cookies, I have a few friends whose kids are allergic to almonds. Thank you!

[Courtney]

Doing the happy dance for you!! Congratulations! You totally deserved to win :)

[Misty]

Really love these - I made this icing for christmas cookies that I gave out at thanksgiving, got so many compliments and it was really easy! Cute note - your "wishing you" cookie is missing a dot above the 2nd "i".... adorable!

[Jenney]

Wow! Congrats!
Your cookies are SO pretty. I was thinking of you today as I made my great-grandmother's sourcream sugar cookies. Mine are not beautiful, but they are yummy (and super soft)!!!

[iLsEoRt]

How do you make the icing so red? That's a problem I have: tmine usually turns out pink ;)