Snowflake Cookies Recipe | How to Decorate Sugar Cookies
Servings: 24 yields
Ingredients
For the sugar cookies:
- 1 cup 230g Butter, softened
- 1 cup 200g Sugar
- 1 Egg
- 1-2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
- 3 cups 375g Flour
- ¼ teaspoon Baking soda
- ½ teaspoon Salt
For the icing:
- 2 ⅓ cups 290 Icing sugar
- ¼ teaspoon Vanilla extract optional
- 4 tablespoons Milk/water
- Gel food coloring optional
Instructions
- Make the cookies: In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter and sugar until light, smooth, and creamy. Add the egg and vanilla extract, and mix until fully combined.
- Sift in the flour, baking soda, and salt, then mix just until a soft dough forms. Avoid overmixing. Wrap the dough and chill for 30 minutes to make it easier to handle.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- On a lightly floured surface or between two sheets of parchment paper, roll the chilled dough to about ¼-inch (6 mm) thickness. Cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters and transfer to a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
- If the dough becomes too soft while working, place the tray in the freezer for about 10 minutes to firm up. Gather scraps, reroll, and cut again, chilling the dough if needed. For the cleanest cookie shapes, refrigerate the cut cookies for an additional 30 minutes before baking.
- Bake: Bake for 10–12 minutes, depending on cookie size and shape, until the edges are just beginning to turn lightly golden. Let the cookies cool completely before decorating.
- Make the icing: In a bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and water or milk until smooth and pipeable. Add gel food coloring if desired, mixing until evenly colored.
- Transfer the icing to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip, or use a squeeze bottle. You can divide the icing and color portions differently for decorating.
- Pipe and decorate as desired (see video for ideas). Allow the icing to dry completely before storing cookies in an airtight container.