Christmas Cookies! (Vanilla BiscuitsSugar Cookies) recipe
Get into the festive spirit with these delightful Christmas Cookies, a perfect treat for holiday baking sessions! These classic vanilla biscuits hold their shape beautifully, making them ideal for cutting out festive shapes. With no need for chilling, they’re quick and easy to prepare.
Customize your cookies by choosing between soft or crispy textures. Enjoy them plain, or get creative with icing, a dip in melted chocolate, or a light dusting of icing sugar. They’re a sweet, versatile addition to your holiday dessert table.
Bake up a batch that fills the house with warm, buttery aromas, and enjoy the process of decorating with loved ones. These Christmas Cookies are a delicious way to make holiday memories.
Christmas Cookies Ingredients: Essential Elements for Perfect Vanilla Biscuits
Unsalted Butter: The foundation of these cookies, lending a rich, creamy texture that blends seamlessly with sugar, creating that irresistible melt-in-your-mouth feel. Opt for unsalted to control the flavor, or use salted for a touch of balance.
Caster Sugar: Its fine grains dissolve effortlessly, sweetening the dough while helping to achieve that ideal, delicate crunch. Granulated sugar can work in a pinch, but caster ensures the smoothest results.
Vanilla Extract: Infuses the dough with warm, aromatic notes that elevate the classic vanilla essence, making each bite a comforting holiday delight.
Egg: A binding agent that brings the dough together, adding moisture and contributing to the tender texture, ensuring the perfect shape when baked.
All-Purpose Flour: The sturdy backbone of the recipe, creating structure and providing the ideal base for rolling out your cookie shapes with precision.
Recipe Tips for Christmas Cookies
1) Achieving the Perfect Dough Consistency: To ensure your Christmas cookie dough comes together smoothly, start by thoroughly creaming the butter and sugar. This step traps air, giving your cookies a light texture. When adding the dry ingredients, mix slowly to avoid overworking the dough, which can make the cookies tough. If the dough feels too sticky when rolling, dust your work surface with a bit of flour to prevent sticking. But be careful—too much flour can dry out the dough.
2) Mastering the Rolling Technique: For consistent cookies that bake evenly, aim to roll the dough to a uniform thickness. Use 1/8 inch for a crispier bite or 1/4 inch for softer cookies. Place a piece of parchment paper over the dough when rolling; it prevents sticking and helps maintain smooth surfaces, especially helpful when using intricate cookie cutters. Additionally, refrigerating the cut-out dough on baking sheets for 5-10 minutes before baking can help the shapes hold their form even better.
3) Perfect Baking with Even Color: Baking these cookies to perfection requires attention to their golden hue. Bake them until the edges are just beginning to turn light golden. Swapping trays halfway through ensures even baking, preventing one tray from browning too quickly. Leaving the cookies to cool on the tray allows them to firm up completely, avoiding breakage. If you like softer cookies, err on the side of slightly underbaking; for crispier results, add a minute or two to the bake time.
What to Serve with Christmas Cookies
1) Hot Chocolate: A mug of rich, creamy hot chocolate pairs beautifully with these sweet vanilla biscuits. The warm cocoa enhances the buttery flavor of the cookies, making it a cozy treat on cold winter nights. Top the hot chocolate with marshmallows or whipped cream for an extra festive touch.
2) Vanilla Ice Cream: Serve these Christmas cookies alongside a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a delightful contrast of warm and cold. The creamy, cool ice cream complements the sweet, crisp edges of the cookies, creating a simple yet decadent dessert for holiday gatherings.
3) Spiced Mulled Wine: For a grown-up pairing, enjoy these cookies with a glass of spiced mulled wine. The warm spices and rich red wine notes perfectly balance the sweetness of the cookies, adding a sophisticated twist to your holiday snack time. It’s a great choice for evening festivities.
FAQ: Christmas Cookies
1) Can I make these cookies ahead of time?
Yes, you can prepare the dough up to three days in advance and store it in the refrigerator. When ready to bake, let the dough sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes to soften slightly before rolling. Baked cookies can also be stored in an airtight container for up to a week.
2) How can I keep my cookies from spreading?
To prevent cookies from spreading, make sure your butter isn’t too warm when mixing. You can also chill the cut-out dough on baking sheets for a few minutes before baking. This helps the dough maintain its shape during baking.
3) Can I freeze these cookies?
Yes, you can freeze both the unbaked dough and the baked cookies. For unbaked dough, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and store it in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. For baked cookies, store them in an airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before decorating or serving.
4) What’s the best way to decorate these cookies?
These cookies are versatile and can be decorated in several ways. For a classic look, use royal icing or simple powdered sugar icing. Melted chocolate adds a rich touch, while a dusting of powdered sugar is perfect for a minimalist finish. Decorate as soon as the cookies are completely cool for the best results.
Christmas Cookies! (Vanilla Biscuits/Sugar Cookies)
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 225 g 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (use salted butter and omit additional salt if preferred)
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup caster or superfine sugar granulated sugar works too
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 large egg 55-60g / 1.9-2oz
- 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) or 160°C if using a fan oven. Line two baking trays with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and caster sugar together until light and creamy, about 1 minute on medium speed.
- Incorporate the egg and vanilla extract, blending until fully combined.
- Gradually add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Begin mixing slowly, then increase the speed until the flour is evenly incorporated. The mixture will appear crumbly.
- Lightly flour your work surface and transfer the dough. Bring the dough together by patting it into a cohesive mass, then divide it into two portions and form into discs.
- Roll each disc to a thickness of 0.3 cm (1/8 inch) for crisper cookies, or 0.6 cm (1/4 inch) for a softer texture. Dust the dough lightly with flour as needed to prevent sticking.
- Use cookie cutters to shape the dough, then transfer the cut-outs to the prepared baking sheets using a knife or spatula. Keep any dough that is not yet being baked in the refrigerator.
- Bake for about 10 minutes, switching the position of the trays halfway through baking to ensure even cooking. The cookies are ready when their tops are pale and the edges begin to turn a light golden shade.
- Let the cookies cool completely on the baking trays, allowing them to firm up as they cool.
Notes
Ice with your favorite icing for a festive finish.
Dip the tops into melted chocolate for a rich twist.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar or decorate with silver sprinkles.
Serve plain—these sweet vanilla biscuits are delicious as is.
Recipe Notes:
The number of cookies will vary based on the size of your cut-outs and the thickness of the rolled dough. This recipe yields enough to fill three baking trays.
To ensure even baking, place one tray in the middle and another on the lower rack. Swap the trays halfway through baking by moving the lower tray to the top and vice versa.
This recipe is adapted from the Sugar Cookies recipe by Sugar, Spun, Run.
Storage: Store in an airtight container for up to one week. The cookies remain tasty and edible after this period, though they may lose some moisture. For best results, enjoy them within the first week.
