Merry cookies are probably the best part of Christmas. These easy and plentiful aromatic cookies are sweet treats and sweet indulgence on Christmas day.
As I stated in some of my previous articles, Christmas is so magical and festive that every family member is eager for it. It is not only about my daughter, but it is also about every one of us, either.
I adore the Christmas spirit, our cozy fir tree and the sparkling decorations that make our house so lively and so warm. Everything seems perfect, but a dose of delicious buttery Christmas cookies are never extra. Usually, I bake these crusty and yummy cookies on the eve of Christmas, but because I wanted to share with you my secrets and some hints – I have baked some of them in advance. However, in 20 minutes, I was out of them :).
Creating melt-in-your-mouth Christmas cookies, that are so easy and delicious, will please your family and your friends. I try to bake lots of these yummy guys for gifting my neighbors, friends and some to leave out for Santa. I came up with this great and best recipe from my mom – as she is always delighting us with the best ever Christmas cookies.
What I adore about this sweeties, is when my daughter is helping me to decorate these funny guys because even the simplest designs can be so frustrating if you are not familiar with some tips and tricks. I have learned over the years to create and decorate these cookies, and still consider that I have much to learn. A lot of butter will make this recipe a holiday classic and a true delicacy. I adore this smell in my house – they are baked in just 12 minutes but the house if full of flavor and an intoxicating nice buttery aroma.
These festive and crumbly cookies are easy to make and will spread plenty of love and aroma in the air. Once you try, you will be convinced that they are worth any time and patience. These amazing Christmas cookies are the best way to start celebrating one of the most magical and fairy holidays.
How to make Christmas Cookies?
This Butter Christmas Cookies recipe will surprise you how easy it can be prepared. An important thing is that you can always prepare the dough in advance. This kind of dough can be stored in the refrigerator for 1 week or in the freezer for a few months.
In a mixing bowl, using a mixer at low speed beat 8 oz of soft unsalted butter (240 gr) with ½ cups of sugar (100 gr). Slowly raise the speed and beat until the mixture looks light and creamy. (If you do not have a hand mixer, you can easily use a beating whisk, but it takes a little longer). Then lower the speed and beat in one egg and 1 tbsp of vanilla extract. At this point, I change the mixer to the spatula and add 3 cups of all-purpose flour (360 gr). Mix gently until all the ingredients are fully incorporated. Now, I divide the dough into 2 equal balls. Wrap each ball in a piece of cling film and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Resting in a cold place will make your dough elastic, so you will easily work with it.
Lightly dust the working surface with some flour. Take a single crust and roll it into a circle about 0.2 inches thick. Take the cookie cutters and cut the dough in as many figures as possible. Arrange cookies on the baking pan lined with parchment paper. So, you will repeat this process again with the remaining dough until it finishes.
Preheat the oven at 350°F( 180°C) and bake Christmas cookies for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.
When cookies are ready decorate them at your discretion. Now in markets, you can find a big variety of trimmings. So, let the magic happen!!!
How to decorate Christmas Cookies?
All of us love this time of the year, and making some delicious cookies during this time is what I love most. One of the easiest and famous decorations is the icing. It can be done in millions of ways – from the simplest to one of the fabulous. Usually, I buy the icing as it takes so much time to make it properly and accurately. I adore bright colors as they look much nicer and more attractive to cookies. I still have much to learn to do the icing correctly and yummy.
So, this time I have bought the icing of 4 colors and easily decorated the guys. Because they are sealed in pencil-like tubes, they are very easy to be used – even my daughter decorates her funny guys.
What is the best thickness for buttery cookies?
Because we look for some nice and yummy figures, we need to have ¼ inch thickness. I have tried different dimensions, but come to mind that when they are thicker, but not too thick, they are tastier, look nicer, and look more like cookies. Also, because I do not add baking powder, they do not rise so it is important to have a good thickness to cook them evenly.
Should I chill the dough?
Definitely, Yes! For these best Christmas cookies, it is very important to keep the dough at least 1-2 hours in your refrigerator until you roll it. It is important to chill the dough, as it contains a lot of butter and while you are working with it, the butter melts and the dough doesn’t have consistency. So, freezing it for hours will make its consistency more elastic and flexible.
Can you make the dough ahead?
Yes! You can make the dough for these Christmas cookies some days ahead. Wrap the dough up into plastic, or cling film, and store in the fridge for 2-3 days. This is the hint I make to save my time. Before you want to bake the cookies, just take off the fridge and let it rest at room temperature until softened. Roll the dough, make the guys, and bake them in the oven – this is the trick to make easy and the best home-made Christmas cookies.
How to freeze Christmas cookies?
When the cookies have cooled down, put them in an air container or in a freezer bag and freeze them up to 1-2 months. Defrost the cookies before serving. Garnish with some icing.
Christmas Cookies Tips:
- Grated ginger can be easily added to the dough’s list.
- Cut the figures as close as possible so you can get more cookies from the rolled dough.
- Decorate the figures any way you can: icing, different colors or sparkling ornaments.
Make your Christmas look more festive and delicious with these amazing Christmas cookies.
Dazzling Traditional Christmas Cookies
Equipment
- Bowl
- rubber spatula
- parchment paper
- baking pan
- hand mixer
Ingredients
- 8 oz unsalted butter
- 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups flour
The Icing
Instructions
- With a hand, mixer beat 8 oz of soft unsalted butter with ½ cups of sugar.
- Slowly raise the speed and beat until the mixture looks light and creamy.
- In 2 minutes, lower the speed and beat in one egg and 1 tbsp of vanilla extract.
- Add 3 cups of all-purpose flour and mix gently with a spatula.
- Mix gently until all the ingredients are fully incorporated.
- Divide the dough into 2 equal balls and freeze for about 2 hours.
- Lightly dust the working surface with some flour.
- Take the cookie cutters and cut the dough in as many figures as possible.
- Put them on a parchment paper on the baking pan.
- Preheat the oven at 350°F and bake the cookies about 10-12 minutes.
- Decorate with icing or trimmings.
- Serve immediately.
