Pastel Holiday Sugar Cookies
Nothing quite says “Christmas” like these Pastel Holiday Sugar Cookies. Decorated with royal icing, each bite of these festive cookies is perfectly soft, sweet, and tender.
Servings: 20 Cookies
Calories: 176kcal
Equipment
- Cookie Cutter
- Ziplock Bags or Pastry Bags
Ingredients
Sugar Cookie Dough
- 2 cups All Purpose-Flour sifted
- 2 Cups Pastry Flour
- ⅓ cup Corn Starch
- ¾ teaspoon Salt
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter
- 1 cup Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Royal Icing
- 3 Egg Whites pastuerized
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 4 cups Powdered Sugar
- Additional Hot Water as needed
- Gel Food Coloring
Instructions
Sugar Cookie Dough
- Sift dry ingredients into a large bowl and set aside.2 cups All Purpose-Flour, 2 Cups Pastry Flour , ⅓ cup Corn Starch , ¾ teaspoon Salt
- Cream the butter and sugar together for 3-5 minutes1 cup Unsalted Butter, 1 cup Sugar
- Add the eggs while mixing making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl before adding vanilla extract.2 Eggs, 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- Add dry ingredients in two parts, mixing until combined.
- Wrap dough in plastic and allow to chill in the fridge for 20-40 minutes.
- Roll out dough onto a floured surface and cut out your cookie shapes using the cookie cutters of your choosing
- Place cut cookies in the freezer while preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Bake cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment for 10 minutes -you don't want to brown these cookies at all. Once you see even a hint of browning it's time to take them out of the oven!
- Allow to cool for 3 minutes on the cookie sheet, then place cookies on a cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.
Royal Icing
- In a large bowl of a stand mixer combine the egg whites and vanilla and beat until frothy.3 Egg Whites, 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- Add powdered sugar gradually and mix at low speed until sugar is incorporated and the mixture is shiny.4 cups Powdered Sugar
- Turn speed up to high and beat until mixture forms stiff, glossy peaks. This should take approximately 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add food coloring, if desired and hot water if you would like to thin out your icing! For immediate use, transfer icing to a pastry bag or a heavy-duty storage bag and pipe as desired.Additional Hot Water as needed, Gel Food Coloring
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
Frequently asked questions
- Are sugar cookies the same as shortbread cookies? Nope! Shortbread cookies are very soft and moist thanks to heaps of butter. Sugar cookies on the other hand have a higher flour to fat ratio, helping the dough become much more firm than shortbread. Sugar cookies also have a light and airy flavor and texture compared to rich shortbread cookies.
- Can you make them ahead of time? Of course! Cut out the cookie shapes from the dough, wrap them individually in plastic, and keep them in the freezer until you’re ready to bake.
- How do you store sugar cookies? Store the baked, cooled, and decorated cookies in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Can you freeze sugar cookies? Yes! Freeze the cooled and decorated or undecorated sugar cookies in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Put them somewhere safe so they don’t break!
Nutrition
Calories: 176kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 57mg | Potassium: 41mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 171IU | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 1mg
