Christmas Sugar Cookies

If you're gonna make a Sugar Cookie, you gotta go to town on the decorations. Cookie cutters, icing, sprinkles, the works.

The Sugar Cookie itself is pretty classic. With just a touch of lemon zest and almond extract for subtle flavor. And you could certainly stop right there. But for added flare, I've included my recipe for royal icing.

Royal icing always seems so intimidating, but it truly couldn't be easier. Just be sure to keep a steady hand while streaming in the milk. Add in small increments so that you can dial in on the right consistency of the icing. You're looking for thick but pipe-able.

Lastly, have some fun! Go wild with colors, sprinkles and design.

Christmas Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

For the cookie

· 1 1/3 cup butter, softened

· 1 1/2 cup sugar

· 1 tsp lemon zest

· 1 tsp vanilla

· 1/2 tsp almond extract

· 2 eggs

· 3 tbsp milk

· 4 cups flour

· 3 tsp baking powder

· 1/2 tsp salt

For the royal icing

· 3 cups powdered sugar, divided

· 3 tsp light corn syrup

· 3 tsp vanilla

· red and green food coloring

· 1/4 cup milk

Using a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar. Scrape down the bowl and add the zest, extracts, eggs, and milk. Scrape down the bowl and add the flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat until combined. Form a disk and wrap the dough in plastic. Chill for at least 6 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 375F.

Liberally flour a work surface. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to about 1/2in thick. Using a few Christmas shaped cookie cutters, stamp out the cookies. Place the cookies on a greased cookie sheet leaving about 1in of space between the cookies. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until the tops of the cookies appear dry. The edges should not yet be brown. Cool completely.

For the icing, divide the sugar, corn syrup, and vanilla among three separate bowls. Add several drops of the red food coloring to one bowl until the color is quite bold. To another bold, add several drops of the green food coloring. To each bowl, add a few drops of milk and whisk vigorously. The icing should be exceptionally thick. Add a touch of milk as needed. Pour the icings into three separate piping bags. Cut a small slit at the tip of the piping bags to allow a thin flow of icing. Get creative and pipe the icings onto the cookies.

Chill for at least 2 hours before stacking and storing.

Makes 4 dozen cookies

Notes

For extra citrus flavor, add a few drops of lemon or orange extract to the royal icing.

Gluten Free Friendly!

Use a gluten free flour blend. For this recipe, I prefer Cup4Cup.