Christmas cookies are one of the best things to decorate during the holiday season.You can use fun cookie shapes, cool frosting designs, and unique sprinkles to create cookies that everyone from house guests to Santa will love.You can get some helpers and your favorite cookie decorations.
Step 1: The cookie dough should be 4 inch (0.64 cm) thick.
Classic sugar cookie dough can be made by mixing butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour, and baking powder.If you want to set it on a clean counter, chill it for about an hour, or until it's firm.To roll it out, use a rolling pin.To keep it manageable, roll out your dough in smaller chunks.
Step 2: Christmas shapes can be made with cookie cutters.
There are a variety of Christmas cookie cutter online and in home stores.There are lots of shapes in a pack, like Christmas trees, stars, and ornaments.When you are ready to cut your dough, lightly flour the cutter side and press it into the dough.Cut as many cookies from the rolled-out dough as you can, turning your cookie cutters at different angles to use as much of the surface as possible.Giving you more cookies to decorate later will help you conserve dough.
Step 3: You can make your own cookie cutters.
To create long, strong, flexible lengths, cut out strips of aluminum and fold them inwards a few times.You can bend them into the shape you want.
Step 4: You can make small adjustments with a knife.
Cut off unwanted dough from the edges of your cookies, or personalize them as you please.It will be difficult to change the shape of your cookie once it is baked, so make any last changes now.You could add a star to the tree or cut a hole in a wreath-shaped cookie.It's a good idea to be careful with the edges.They are more likely to get burned in the oven.
Step 5: Use the recipe's instructions to bake your cookies.
Use a spatula to place your cookies on a baking sheet, then bake them at the heat and time specified in the recipe.Once they are baked and cooled, you are free to decorate them as you please.If you freeze cookies, you can keep them fresh for up to a month.
Step 6: A simple buttercream frosting can be made.
You can make a sweet, creamy frosting by beating butter with a hand mixer.If you want to blend everything, add powdered sugar, cream, almond extract, and salt.
Step 7: The food coloring can be used to create colors.
Divide the frosting into bowls using a spoon.Keep one bowl of frosting white, then mix a few drops of food coloring into the other bowls to create festive colors.The darker the color, the more drops you add.Classic Christmas colors like red, green, and blue are included in the number of colors you can create.You might want yellow for accents or stars.
Step 8: The best way to frost cookies is with a piping bag and tip.
You can put your frosting into separate piping bags or into Ziploc bags with a small hole cut in one corner.Start frosting by tracing the outline of the cookie shapes.The rest of your frosting should be neatly inside the outline.You don't want the frosting to smudge if you hold the piping bag above the cookie.The layers of frosting can be thick or thin.Make sure it is thick enough that you can't see the cookie underneath.
Step 9: If you don't have a bag, use a knife.
If you don't want to use a piping bag to frost your cookies, you should get a few butter knives.The frosting should be smooth on the cookies.You won't get as smooth of a layer as with a piping bag, but the cookies will still look and taste good.You can apply the frosting with the flat of your knife.
Step 10: Adding polka dots will make the design pop.
You can scatter small dots of frosting across your cookie with a piping bag or knife.To make the design pop, use a different color.You could make ornaments on a Christmas tree or a snowman by matching your polka dots to the shape of the cookie.As the frosting dries, you should keep the polka dots small.
Step 11: You can make tiny hearts with a toothpick and polka dots.
If you pass a toothpick through the middle of the polka dots, you can turn them into hearts.Thetail of the heart will be created while the frosting is still wet.You don't want to collect too much frosting on the toothpick.The toothpick can be pulled through the dots at a slight angle.The hearts will look tilted and playful.Adding hearts to cookies could be a great addition.
Step 12: For more complicated designs, mix and match different colors.
A bright, colorful effect can be created by using different shades of frosting on the same cookie.Go one color at a time and decide what sections you want to be different from each other.You can frost the colors back to back if you are short on time.Allow them to dry for at least 4 hours before adding the next color.This technique is great for alternating patterns, like the stripes on a candy cane, or the white trim of a red Santa hat cookie.
Step 13: Allow your frosting to dry for at least 4 hours.
You will need to give your frosting time to dry before stacking your cookies.To dry cookies, place them on a flat surface.You can put the newspaper down to protect it.If you are packing them away, allow them to sit for up to 8 hours to get mostly dry.
Step 14: A simple way to add color is by mixing and matching sprinkles.
Adding sprinkles to your cookies can make them pop with color.It's important to use colors that match, like white sprinkles on a red cookie, or green and red sprinkles for a white cookie.Depending on the look you are going for, you can add more or less sprinkles.Instead of using green frosting to make your wreath or Christmas tree cookie, you could use white frosting and green sprinkles to give it a fun texture.
Step 15: You can sprinkle chocolate or candy on it.
Store-bought sprinkles do not add a lot to the taste of a cookie.Adding pieces of candy or chocolate to your cookies will make them look and taste different.It is possible to match your candy decorations to the cookie.M&Ms can be used as ornaments on Christmas tree cookies.
Step 16: Make thumbprint cookies by pressing round chocolates into cookies.
There are a lot of sugar cookies.When they are still hot from the oven, put a small piece of chocolate into the center.You can use regular chocolates for a classic look and taste, or use different colors like red, white, and striped patterns to make a festive take.
Step 17: For a richer taste, dip cookies in melted chocolate.
If you want a more chocolate-y taste to your cookies, dip them in warm, melted chocolate instead of the frosting.You can either dip the cookies in half at an angle for a modern look or submerge them all the way for the sweetest taste.The Christmas cookie look can be kept festive with sprinkles on the chocolate.Dark chocolate has a richer flavor.
Step 18: Jam or melted candy can be filled with indent cookies.
You can add a new flavor to your cookies with this colorful take on thumbprint cookies.To make jam cookies, bake them, then spoon them in the jam.To make stained glass cookies, hollow out the center of your cookies and bake them for about 5 minutes.Remove the tray from the oven, then bake them.The center of the candy will be colorful.You can use red jam or red and green candy for your Christmas theme.