Winter Sugar Cookies
Snowmen & Snowflakes
THE RECIPE
INGREDIENTS:
- For cookies:
- 8 Tbsp Butter
- 2 Cups Flour
- 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- For decoration:
- 2 Cups Icing Sugar
- 1 tsp Blue food coloring
- Orange carrot noses
- Black confetti
- White nonpareils
- From your pantry:
- 1 Egg
- Provided:
- Parchment paper (2)
- Piping bags (2)
ABOUT THE RECIPE:
Wintery snowmen and snowflake sugar cookies are perfect for any age! Beautiful blue food coloring, orange carrot noses, and black coal sprinkles bring these sweet cookies to life.
BAKING HACKS:
Back in the day all recipes were done by hand, so it’s fine if you don’t have an electric mixer. (We’re big fans of whisks.) It will take a bit more time, but you get a nice arm workout!
Not sure how tall 1/8 inch thickness is? It’s about the height of two quarters stacked. Your cookie thickness should be just a tiny bit higher than the quarters.
BAKING ADVICE:
Confectioner's sugar is used to "flour" your surface in this recipe! That's because sugar cookies bake best without added flour, or gluten, when being rolled and shaped.
Cookies will keep for up to 2 weeks; cover with foil or place in an air-tight container.
YOUR INGREDIENTS
STEP 1
Wow, you’ve got some beautiful ingredients! Once you’ve unpacked your Red Velvet kit, take out 1 egg from your refrigerator. Let butter come to room temperature. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, cream together the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla extract. Slowly add in the flour mixture and mix with a spatula until combined.
STEP 2
Wrap dough in plastic wrap and freeze until firm, at least 20 minutes. (Or, place in fridge overnight.) Line a baking sheet (or two) with parchment paper provided. Remove disk from freezer or fridge. Dust a work surface with confectioner’s sugar provided for surface prep. Using a rolling pin, roll out dough to 1/8 inch thick.
STEP 3
Preheat oven to 325°F. Use a 3” wide glass or cup to stamp out 12 circles (re-roll dough scraps). Using a metal spatula or your hands, carefully transfer to prepared baking sheets and chill in the fridge for 15 minutes. Bake for 8-10 minutes until the edges are golden. Let cool completely before icing.
STEP 4
In a medium bowl, add the icing sugar. Add 3 tablespoons of lukewarm water, 1 tablespoon at a time. The icing will start out thick and lumpy. Slowly add 1 more tablespoon of water (you may not need all of it) until the icing resembles thick honey. Continue to whisk for 2 to 3 minutes until thick and fluffy. Divide the icing equally into two bowls. Add blue food coloring into one bowl and mix with a whisk until combined. Leave the other one white.
STEP 5
Using a spatula, fill the piping bags with royal icing. To fill each bag, fold over the top to form a cuff, scoop in frosting, then unfold and twist to push frosting down, releasing any air bubbles. Twist and seal the top of the bag. When you’re ready to pipe, cut a tiny corner off the piping bag. This will be about 1/4 inch from the tip. (Start very small with a test).
STEP 6
Decorate cookies! Use royal icing to pipe icing patterns on cookies and create snowmen or snowflakes. For best results, start by outlining your design, then filling it in with more icing. Allow each color to dry before starting with a new one. Decorate with black confetti, orange carrot noses, and white non-pareil sprinkles. Have fun!
