Best 7 Frosted Holiday Sugar Cookies Recipes

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When the holiday season arrives, the aroma of freshly baked frosted holiday sugar cookies fills the air, evoking memories of family gatherings and festive celebrations. These delectable treats, adorned with colorful frosting and sprinkles, are a quintessential part of the holiday experience, adding sweetness and joy to every bite. Whether you're a seasoned baker or a novice in the kitchen, creating these frosted holiday sugar cookies is a delightful endeavor that will bring a touch of magic to your holiday festivities.

Let's cook with our recipes!

SOFT FROSTED SUGAR COOKIES



Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies image

These taste just like Loft House sugar cookies and are just as soft.

Provided by Ashley Bluth

Categories     Desserts     Cookies     Sugar Cookies

Time 1h

Yield 36

Number Of Ingredients 12

1 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup white sugar
¼ cup milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ cup butter
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract, or more to taste
2 tablespoons milk, or as needed

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.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 166.1 calories, Carbohydrate 23.6 g, Cholesterol 13.9 mg, Fat 7.4 g, Fiber 0.3 g, Protein 1.5 g, SaturatedFat 2.4 g, Sodium 113.9 mg, Sugar 15.5 g

FROSTED HOLIDAY SUGAR COOKIES



Frosted Holiday Sugar Cookies image

Whether you're making Santas or dreidls, shamrocks or bunnies, this foolproof cookie and royal icing recipe is the only one you need. Don't skip chilling the dough after rolling it out. It really helps the cookies keep their shape while baking. And if you'd like to frost the cookies very generously, consider doubling the icing amounts below.

Provided by Melissa Clark

Categories     cookies and bars, dessert

Time 40m

Yield 4 dozen cookies

Number Of Ingredients 13

2 1/2 cups/312 grams all-purpose flour, more for rolling
1 teaspoon/5 grams baking soda
1 teaspoon/3 grams cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon/3 grams kosher salt
1 cup/228 grams unsalted butter (2 sticks), at room temperature
1 1/2 cups/188 grams confectioners sugar
2 teaspoons/10 milliliters vanilla extract
1 large egg
3 3/4 cups/1 pound/454 grams confectioners' sugar
3 large egg whites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
Pinch kosher salt
Food coloring, as needed

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.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 113, UnsaturatedFat 1 gram, Carbohydrate 18 grams, Fat 4 grams, Fiber 0 grams, Protein 1 gram, SaturatedFat 2 grams, Sodium 61 milligrams, Sugar 13 grams, TransFat 0 grams

PERFECT HOLIDAY SUGAR COOKIES



Perfect Holiday Sugar Cookies image

This sensational sugar cookie is one that I found in "Taste of Home". The combination of extracts and the addition of cream cheese make them the tastiest and tenderest of treats! I was always a "cookie klutz" when it came to cut-out cookies, but with a few chef tricks up my sleeve and a darn good recipe, I made some cookies last Christmas that looked and tasted as if they came from the bakery. The frosting is from my Good Housekeeping cookbook. The recipe may seem long but that's because I've added some notes along the way. They're really very easy to make! I'll definitely be baking them again this season, so Santa won't be skipping my house-naughty or not!

Provided by Christmas Carol

Categories     Dessert

Time 1h50m

Yield 4 Dozen

Number Of Ingredients 14

1 cup butter, softened (no substitutes)
1 (3 ounce) package Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 (16 ounce) package confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons meringue powder
1/3 cup warm water
assorted food coloring paste (you can find these at the craft stores)
candy sprinkles or assorted small decorative candies, if desired

Steps:

  • In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, cream cheese, and sugar.
  • Beat in the egg yolk and extracts.
  • In a medium bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking soda-gradually add to the creamed mixture.
  • Divide into two equal portions and wrap well.
  • Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
  • Note; Refrigerating your dough and baking sheets is the secret to perfectly shaped cut-out cookies/ The cookies won't"spread" as they bake- in other words, the shapes will be well-defined/ The points on the stars will be sharp, etc/ Also, your dough will be much easier to work with and won't stick to your cookie cutters, so the extra chilling time is well worth it.
  • When dough has chilled, remove one half from refrigerator.
  • Preheat oven to 375°F.
  • While oven is preheating, place cookie sheets in refigerator to chill.
  • On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to less than 1/4 inch thickness.
  • Cut with 2 1/2 inch floured cookie cutters.
  • Reserve trimmings for re-rolling.
  • Remove cookie sheets from fridge (do not grease them) and place cookies on them, 1 inch apart.
  • Bake at 375F for 8-10 minutes or until edges begin to brown.
  • Cool for 2 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.
  • Repeat with remaining portion of dough.
  • Don't forget to put your cookie sheets back in the fridge once they have cooled/ They only need to chill for about 10 minutes.
  • For your frosting, in a large bowl, beat confectioners' sugar, meringue powder, and water until stiff, about 5 minutes.
  • Tint frosting with paste food colorings if desired.
  • Keep tightly covered to prevent from drying out.
  • Note; Of course you can use the regular food colorings you find in the supermarkets if you desire/ If you haven't tried the paste colorings, the colors are much more vivid than the regular food colorings/ Your X-mas trees will be much greener, Valentine hearts a brilliant red, etc/ Although they're somewhat pricier, a drop or two goes a long way.
  • For detailed decorating, you can use decorating bags with small pointed tips/ You may need to thin frosting a bit to obtain right spreading or piping consistency.
  • I sometimes collect pictures of decorated holiday cookies from my favorite magazines to give me some ideas.
  • After decorating the cookies, set on wire racks to allow frosting to dry.
  • Store in airtight, covered containers.
  • Note: I am updating this recipe just to let you know about a little tip I just saw in a magazine. The person had cut out their cookies, placed them on baking sheets, and THEN refigerated them for about an hour before baking. You can do it this way also but I'd still chill your dough beforehand too, as it's easier to work with.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 1384.9, Fat 55, SaturatedFat 33.7, Cholesterol 186.9, Sodium 849.6, Carbohydrate 217.9, Fiber 1.9, Sugar 161.8, Protein 9.6

HOLIDAY SUGAR COOKIES



Holiday Sugar Cookies image

I add a hint of lemon to these delightful sugar cookies. For make-ahead convenience, freeze the dough up to three months, then thaw in the fridge before baking and decorating them. -Katie Koziolek, Hartland, Minnesota

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories     Desserts

Time 35m

Yield about 9-1/2 dozen.

Number Of Ingredients 13

2 cups butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
FROSTING:
3 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup milk
Green food coloring
Red Hot candies

Steps:

  • In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in lemon peel and vanilla. Combine flour and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Shape into three 10-in. rolls; wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 4 hours or until firm., Unwrap and cut into 1/4-in. slices. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 10-15 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks., In a large bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, butter, milk and food coloring until smooth; transfer to a resealable plastic bag; drizzle over cookies in the shape of a Christmas tree. Place one Red Hot at the top of each tree.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 169 calories, Fat 7g fat (4g saturated fat), Cholesterol 30mg cholesterol, Sodium 97mg sodium, Carbohydrate 24g carbohydrate (13g sugars, Fiber 0 fiber), Protein 2g protein.

RITA'S HOLIDAY SUGAR COOKIES



Rita's Holiday Sugar Cookies image

My family has used this recipe since I was a small child. I've reduced the amount of sugar that the original recipe called for. The cookie gets plenty of sweetness from the frosting. For the swap, I decorated some of the cookies and then I made packs of plain cookies, icing and sprinkles so that each family can have fun decorating at home. I also used the colored dough in the middle of the plain dough to make two-toned cookies, and I think this makes them adorable.

Provided by Food Network

Categories     dessert

Time 1h18m

Yield 30

Number Of Ingredients 13

3/4 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Food coloring
2/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 2/3 cups confectioners' sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons milk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Food coloring

Steps:

  • For cookies:
  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  • In a mixer, beat shortening until soft. Add sugar, baking powder, and salt. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Gradually mix in the flour. Remove half of the dough, leaving the remaining in the mixer. Add a couple of drops of food coloring to the dough in the mixer, until the desired color is achieved and beat until combined. Form each half of the dough into disks and wrap in plastic film. Chill in the refrigerator until firm, at least 1 hour.
  • Roll the dough out to 1/4-inch thickness and cut out cookies with cookie cutters. Transfer to an ungreased cookie sheet and bake until firm, about 6 to 8 minutes. Cool on wire racks.
  • For frosting:
  • In a mixer, beat butter, sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth. If frosting is too thick, add more milk, a very small amount at a time. Divide frosting into several small bowls. Add a different color of food coloring to the frosting in each bowl. Glaze each cookie with a different color frosting.

FROSTED SHORTBREAD HOLIDAY COOKIES



Frosted Shortbread Holiday Cookies image

Peppermint and frosting on a lush shortbread cookie makes this recipe a must for the holidays.

Provided by Everyday Cusine

Categories     Holidays and Events Recipes     Christmas     Desserts     Christmas Cookie Recipes

Time 4h5m

Yield 24

Number Of Ingredients 10

3 cups cake flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup white sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 (16 ounce) package vanilla frosting
1 cup crushed peppermint candy canes

Steps:

  • Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large mixing bowl.
  • Cream butter and sugar in another large mixing bowl. Mix in eggs, then mix in vanilla. Gradually add in dry ingredients until incorporated. Remove dough from the bowl and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  • Remove dough from the refrigerator and roll out to desired thickness on a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle more flour on top of and under the dough, and on the rolling pin as needed to help prevent dough from sticking to the surface. Cut cookies with a round cookie cutter and place 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets.
  • Bake until cookies are firm to the touch, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool, about 30 minutes.
  • Generously apply frosting to cooled cookies with a butter knife. Sprinkle crushed candy canes over top.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 291.9 calories, Carbohydrate 45.3 g, Cholesterol 35.8 mg, Fat 11.4 g, Fiber 0.3 g, Protein 2.1 g, SaturatedFat 5.6 g, Sodium 127.4 mg, Sugar 26.9 g

ROYAL ICING FOR HOLIDAY SUGAR COOKIES



Royal Icing for Holiday Sugar Cookies image

Santa will love stopping by your house for a bite or two of these festive sugar cookies. Use this Royal Icing recipe to decorate our Sugar Cookies for the holidays.

Provided by Martha Stewart

Categories     Food & Cooking     Dessert & Treats Recipes

Yield Makes 5 cups

Number Of Ingredients 4

2 pounds confectioners' sugar, plus more if needed
2/3 cup water, plus more if needed
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons meringue powder
Gel-paste food coloring

Steps:

  • Mix sugar, water, and meringue powder with a mixer on low speed until smooth, about 7 minutes. Icing should be the consistency of glue. (If icing is too thick, mix in a little more water. If icing is too thin, add more confectioners' sugar.) Add food coloring, 1 drop at a time, until desired color is achieved; if making more than 1 color, divide icing and work in batches. Use immediately, or refrigerate for up to 1 week. Stir before using.

Tips:

  • For the perfect sugar cookie dough, make sure to use chilled butter and cream it together with sugar until light and fluffy. This will help create a smooth and even dough that is easy to work with.
  • Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes before rolling and cutting out the cookies. This will help prevent the dough from spreading too much in the oven.
  • Use a variety of cookie cutters to create different shapes of cookies. This will make your holiday cookie platter more visually appealing.
  • Bake the cookies until they are just set around the edges. Overbaking will make the cookies dry and crumbly.
  • Let the cookies cool completely before frosting them. This will help prevent the frosting from melting.
  • Use a piping bag or squeeze bottle to apply the frosting to the cookies. This will give you more control over the amount of frosting on each cookie.
  • Decorate the cookies with sprinkles, candy, or other decorations of your choice. This will make them even more festive for the holidays.

Conclusion:

These frosted holiday sugar cookies are a delicious and festive treat that are perfect for any holiday occasion. With a few simple ingredients and a little bit of time, you can create beautiful and delicious cookies that everyone will love. So get creative and have fun baking these cookies with your family and friends this holiday season!

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