Best 2 Santa And Elf Christmas Cookies Recipes

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If you're looking for a fun and festive Christmas treat, Santa and Elf Christmas Cookies are the perfect choice! These adorable cookies are made with simple ingredients and can be decorated to look like your favorite holiday characters. With a little creativity, you can make a whole winter wonderland of cookies that will be the hit of your Christmas party. So gather your ingredients and let's get baking!

Here are our top 2 tried and tested recipes!

SANTA'S ELF COOKIES



Santa's Elf Cookies image

These rosy-cheeked elf cookies will make a showstopping addition to your holiday cookie tray. Or set them atop cupcakes for an extra-cute treat. -Josh Rink, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories     Desserts

Time 2h10m

Yield about 4 dozen.

Number Of Ingredients 18

1-3/4 cups confectioners' sugar, divided
2 ounces almond paste
1-1/4 cups butter, softened
1 large egg, room temperature
1/4 cup 2% milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
ROYAL ICING AND DECORATIONS:
2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons water plus 2 teaspoons water
4-1/2 teaspoons meringue powder
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Food coloring
Black nonpareil sprinkles
Pink luster dust, optional
Edible food writing pen
Chocolate frosting of your choice

Steps:

  • In the bowl of a food processor fitted with blade attachment, pulse 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar and almond paste until well mixed and texture resembles finely ground cornmeal. In a large bowl, cream butter and remaining 1-1/4 cups confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Add almond paste mixture and beat until fully incorporated. Beat in the egg, milk and vanilla. Combine flour and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour., Preheat oven to 375°. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut out using a floured 3-1/2-in. elf cookie cutter. Place 1 in. apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until light golden brown and firm, 7-8 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool., For icing, in a large bowl, combine confectioners' sugar, water, meringue powder and cream of tartar; beat on low speed just until blended. Beat on high until stiff peaks form, 4-5 minutes. Divide icing into thirds. Tint 1 portion of icing with red food coloring; tint second portion with desired food coloring for face. Leave remaining portion white. Place icings into piping bags fitted with fine round tips. Pipe icing onto cookies to create clothing, hat and face. While icing is still wet, place black sprinkles to create eyes. Let icing dry completely. If desired, dip a small brush into pink luster dust; tap off excess and dab onto cookies to create pink cheeks. Using leaf tip #67, pipe frosting to create ears. Using a small round tip, pipe icing to create nose. Using edible pen or round tip, draw mouth. Place chocolate frosting into a piping bag fitted with #14 star tip; pipe along top of face and rim of hat to create hair. Store in an airtight container.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 134 calories, Fat 6g fat (3g saturated fat), Cholesterol 18mg cholesterol, Sodium 72mg sodium, Carbohydrate 19g carbohydrate (10g sugars, Fiber 0 fiber), Protein 2g protein.

SANTA AND ELF CHRISTMAS COOKIES



Santa and Elf Christmas Cookies image

The kids will be jumping for joy when you bring out a cookie plate filled with Santas and his helper elves. These whimsical treats will be a hit with adults, too. The butter cookies are easy to shape and a delight to decorate. -Taste of Home Test Kitchen

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories     Desserts

Time 4h40m

Yield 3 dozen.

Number Of Ingredients 16

1 cup butter, softened
1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
ROYAL ICING:
1 package (2 pounds) confectioners' sugar
8 teaspoons meringue powder
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup water
Food coloring of your choice
36 miniature marshmallows
Assorted sprinkles and pearl dragees

Steps:

  • In a large bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in the egg and extracts. Combine the flour, baking soda and cream of tartar; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well., Divide dough into thirds. Shape each into a ball, then flatten into a disk. Wrap in waxed paper and chill in the freezer for 15 minutes or until easy to handle., For Santas: On a lightly floured surface, roll 1 portion of dough into a 10-in. circle. Turn a pie plate upside down over circle and cut around the edge with a knife; reserve scraps. Cut into 8 wedges., Place wedges 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Fold the tip of each wedge down. Tuck a scrap piece of dough (about a 1/2-in. ball) under the upper part of fold., For elves: Roll another portion of dough into a 10-in. circle. Cut in half; cut 1 half into 4 wedges and the other half into 8 wedges. Repeat forming Santas with the large wedges. Transfer small wedges to a baking sheet; fold tips down, forming hats., Roll the remaining portion of dough into a 10-in. circle. Cut into 16 wedges. Transfer to baking sheets; fold tips down., Bake at 350° for 10-13 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool for 2 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely., To decorate: In a large bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, meringue powder and cream of tartar; add water. Beat on low speed just until combined. Beat on high for 4-5 minutes or until stiff peaks form., Tint icing with colors of your choice. (Keep unused icing covered at all times with a damp cloth. If necessary, beat again on high speed to restore texture.) Working with one cookie at a time, decorate with icing, attach a marshmallow to the tip of hat and finish with sprinkles and dragees as desired. Let stand until set. Store in an airtight container.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 201 calories, Fat 5g fat (3g saturated fat), Cholesterol 19mg cholesterol, Sodium 84mg sodium, Carbohydrate 37g carbohydrate (30g sugars, Fiber 0 fiber), Protein 1g protein.

Tips:

  • Use high-quality ingredients: The better the ingredients, the better the cookies will taste. Use real butter, pure vanilla extract, and high-quality chocolate chips.
  • Chill the dough: Chilling the dough before baking helps to prevent the cookies from spreading too much. This will result in a thicker, chewier cookie.
  • Don't overmix the dough: Overmixing the dough will make the cookies tough. Mix the dough just until the ingredients are combined.
  • Bake the cookies at the right temperature: The temperature of the oven will affect the texture of the cookies. For crispy cookies, bake them at a higher temperature. For chewy cookies, bake them at a lower temperature.
  • Let the cookies cool completely: Before storing or serving the cookies, let them cool completely on a wire rack. This will help to prevent the cookies from becoming soggy.

Conclusion:

These Santa and Elf Christmas cookies are a delicious and festive treat that is perfect for the holiday season. With a little planning and effort, you can easily make these cookies at home. Just be sure to follow the tips above to ensure that your cookies turn out perfect.

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