A Christmas cookie classic, these adorable sugar cookies are perfect for holiday entertaining, homemade edible gifts or leaving out for Santa.
One of my all-time favorite holiday traditions is baking sugar cookie cutouts with my family. Growing up, my sisters and I would dig out our big collection of cookie cutters and spend the entire day baking, cutting and decorating cookies to serve on Christmas Eve and to leave out for Santa.
Fun Fact: If you don’t have cooling racks or don’t have enough of them, brown paper grocery bags make a great substitute. I learned that little trick from my mommy. ;)
When the American Egg Board asked me to share a go-to holiday recipe using eggs, I knew immediately it would be these sugar cookie cutouts. While our family didn’t do a ton of baking growing up, sugar cookies were an annual staple and remain a Christmas tradition to this day. Since they are made with basic pantry items like flour, butter, sugar, and eggs, they are easy to whip together at the last minute without having to make a last-minute trip to the grocery store for ingredients. Now that I have a newborn and a toddler, I am 100% on board with any recipe that can be made with food I already have on hand!
Speaking of newborn, I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting this holiday season and have been counting our many blessings. It is a special time for our family and I can’t help but think how lucky we are that our biggest gripe with life is the lack of sleep we’ve been having these days. For so many, the problems run much deeper.
As I mentioned once before, America’s egg farmers have partnered with Share our Strength’s No Kid Hungry Bake Sale to help fight childhood hunger as part of the Good Egg Project. Eggs are a natural solution for families in need because they are an affordable and accessible source of protein. If you are interested in learning more or hosting a bake sale to fight childhood hunger, I encourage you to learn more about hosting a bake sale.
What are you most thankful for this season? I would love to hear from you below.
Happy Holidays and Happy Baking!
Easy Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature, 2 sticks
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 egg room temperature
- 2 egg yolks room temperature
- 2-½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
Icing
- 2-⅔ cups powdered sugar sifted
- 2 tablespoons meringue powder
- 4 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Combine butter, granulated sugar, and vanilla in mixer bowl. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and egg yolk; beat on low speed until blended. Gradually add flour and salt, beating just until blended.
- Refrigerate dough, wrapped in plastic wrap, at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.
- Heat oven to 350°F. Work with ½ of the dough at a time, keeping remaining dough refrigerated. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to ¼-inch thickness. Cut out cookies using cookie cutters; place 1 inch apart on parchment paper-lined or ungreased baking sheets.
- Bake in 350°F oven until edges are lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on baking sheets 1 minute. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.
- For the icing: combine powdered sugar, meringue powder, and water in mixer bowl. Beat on high speed until light and fluffy, 6 to 8 minutes. If icing is too thick, thin with a small amount of additional water.
Alyson @ Miss Strawberry Cupcake
These are exactly the cookie I have been looking for! I love a classic sugar cookie and this one looks perfect! My hand may not be quite as skilled as yours in decorating, but I’m gonna give it a shot! Thanks for sharing this! :)
Liz DellaCroce
Oh good I hope you enjoyed them!!
Melanie @ Carmel Moments
So festive and fun! It just makes me want to make these and pass them out to everyone I know. Merry Christmas!
Liz DellaCroce
Same here! Merry Christmas to you as well!
Kelli @ The Corner Kitchen
These cutouts are so cute, Liz! I especially love the trees. If I didn’t hit cookie burnout already I’d be all over these. Next year, for sure! Hope you have a wonderful holiday!
Liz DellaCroce
haha “cookie burnout” – I love that!!!! We just made our first batch this past weekend and I already have it. ;-)
Cassie
Icing cookies like that is pure talent, friend. These are adorable!
Liz DellaCroce
Oh I wish I could take credit!! The folks at the American Egg Board took this photo – they are crazy talented!! Merry Christmas my friend!
sheila
wowzers! These are gorgeous! Tonight is my girls annual cookie decorating party here at the house and I need to make cut out cookies! I’m thinking I need to try yours this year!
Liz DellaCroce
Have so much fun decorating tonight!!
Brenda @ a farmgirl's dabbles
What beautiful cookies – awesome job, Liz! I’m wondering if I’m slightly nuts for thinking about making cutouts today with our daughters and nieces and nephews!? :)
Liz DellaCroce
You are not nuts!!! It will be worth the mess. ;-) Merry Christmas Brenda!