Description
Holiday Ornament Sugar Cookies are a delicious and festive treat that will brighten any holiday gathering. These soft, buttery cookies are topped with colorful royal icing and decorated like holiday ornaments, adding a touch of magic to your dessert table. Perfect for family baking, gifting, or holiday celebrations, these cookies are easy to make and fun to decorate. Get ready to bake some holiday cheer!
Ingredients
Scale
Cookies
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp almond extract (optional)
Royal Icing
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp meringue powder
- 5–6 tbsp water (adjust for consistency)
- Food coloring (for decorating)
- Assorted sprinkles and edible decorations
Instructions
- Make the Dough: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract (if using) and mix. Gradually add dry ingredients, mixing until a dough forms. Divide dough, wrap, and chill for at least 1 hour.
- Roll and Cut: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness, cut circles, and place on lined baking sheets.
- Bake: Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes, until edges are lightly golden. Let cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
- Prepare Royal Icing: Beat powdered sugar, meringue powder, and water until smooth. Divide and color as desired.
- Decorate: Pipe a base layer of icing on each cookie. Add colors, patterns, and sprinkles for decoration. Let dry completely before stacking or packaging.
Equipment
Buy Now → Notes
- Chill the Dough: Chilling prevents cookies from spreading and ensures they keep their shape.
- Icing Tips: Use thicker icing for outlines and thinner icing for filling areas.
- Storage: Store decorated cookies in an airtight container for up to a week. Undecorated cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 20 minutes (includes chilling time)
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 9g
- Sodium: 40mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 15g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 20mg