Snowflake (cut-out) Sugar Cookies
These festive, winter inspired snowflake sugar cookies are a fun cut-out cookie that doesn't require any chill time. They are easy to customize any way you like with different icing and sprinkles.
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Hand or Stand Mixer
- Rolling Pin
- cookie sheet
- measuring cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Snowflake Cookie Cutter
- Spatula or Wooden Spoon
Ingredients
Snowflake Sugar Cookies
- 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 Cup Softened butter
- 1 Whole Egg
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 3 Cups Flour
For icing
- 4 Cups Powdered sugar divided
- 2 tablespoon Meringue Powder
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla divided
- .5 - .75 cups Water divided
- 2 tablespoon corn syrup
- Blue Food Coloring
- Sugar Sprinkles
Instructions
- Grease your cookie sheet or add parchment paper if needed. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In the mixing bowl, add 1 cup of granulated sugar and 1 cup of softened butter. Then cream them together at medium high speed for 2 - 3 minutes or until smooth.
- Add in the egg and 1 teaspoon of vanilla and mix on medium speed for a minute or two until well combined.
- Using a paddle attachment (if available), slowly add the 3 cups of flour in while mixing on medium speed. The dough will ball up when it is ready.
- Add a thin layer of flour to the counter and roll your dough out at about ½ - ⅝ of an inch thickness.
- Then, use the snowflake cookie cutter to cut the cookies out. Push the scraps together and reroll until all the dough has been used.
- Place the cut-out cookies on the baking sheet with an inch or so space between them and bake for 10 minutes or until edges are firm.
- Allow cookies to cool while you make the icing below.
Icing
- Combine 2 cups of powdered sugar, 2 tablespoon of meringue powder and 1 teaspoon of vanilla in the mixing bowl. Mix on low speed with the paddle attachment for about 30 seconds.
- Add 3 teaspoons of water, mix until combined and then increase speed to medium for 2 - 3 minutes or until it becomes stiff.
- Transfer to a new bowl.
- Using the empty mixing bowl, add 2 cups powdered sugar, 2 tbs water, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 2 tablespoon corn syrup. Mix on low with the whisk attachment until well combined.
- Combine the two bowls of icing and which until they are smooth.
- Use a spatula to scoop a little icing up and drop it into the bowl. It should re-incorporate within 12 - 15 seconds. Faster means it needs a little more sugar and slower means it needs a little more water.
- Split the icing into two bowls and mix in blue food coloring to one of them.
Decorating cookies
- Add the icing to piping bags and snip the tips off the bags.
- Use the icing to decorate your cookies as you desire, you can use a toothpick to help move the icing around.
- Sprinkle sugar sprinkles on top.
- Allow icing to harden.
Notes
Tips:
- Don't overcook - overbaking the cookies will lead to hard, crunchy cookies. When you remove them from the oven, make sure the centers are still a little soft, they will firm up as they cool.
- Icing consistency - make sure your icing is not too thin (it will run off the cookie edges) or too thick (you won't be able to spread it). Add a little water if it is too thick and a little more powdered sugar if it is too thin.
- Dough Thickness - make sure the when you roll the dough out it is an even thickness throughout or the cookies will not cook evenly.
- Mixing dough - this is a really thick dough (so that it will not spread while baking). If it is too thick to mix well after the flour is added, you can remove it from the mixing bowl and knead it by hand.
- Completely cool - allow the cookies to completely cool before adding the icing. Also, allow the icing to set for about 12 - 24 hours before stacking cookies together.
- Storage - keep cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for 5 - 7 days. Or freeze up to one year.
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Nutrition information provided is just an estimate and may vary based on specific ingredients used.