Description
Festive holiday magic sparkles in these Christmas butter cookies, melting with rich buttery goodness and delicate sweetness. Crisp edges and tender centers invite cookie lovers to savor each delightful bite during seasonal celebrations.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
Binding Ingredients:
- 1 egg
Flavoring and Leavening Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350F (175C), ensuring the rack is positioned in the center.
- Combine softened butter and sugar in a spacious mixing bowl, whipping until the mixture becomes light and fluffy with a creamy consistency.
- Incorporate vanilla extract and egg, blending thoroughly until the ingredients are fully integrated.
- Gently fold in baking powder and flour, mixing until a smooth, uniform dough forms without overmixing.
- Dust a clean work surface with flour and roll out the dough to an even thickness, approximately 1/4 inch thick.
- Select festive cookie cutters and press into the rolled dough, creating precise holiday-themed shapes.
- Transfer the delicate cookie shapes onto ungreased baking sheets, positioning them with slight separation to prevent merging.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, watching for golden-brown edges as an indicator of doneness.
- Remove cookies from the oven and let them rest on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes to firm up.
- Carefully transfer cookies to a wire cooling rack and allow them to cool completely before applying decorative frosting or sprinkles.
Notes
- Chill the dough for 30 minutes before rolling to prevent spreading and maintain crisp cookie shapes.
- Use room temperature butter for smoother, more evenly mixed dough that creams perfectly with sugar.
- Dust cookie cutters with flour to prevent sticky dough from clinging and distorting delicate Christmas shapes.
- For gluten-free option, substitute all-purpose flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend to maintain texture and taste.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 8-10 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 159 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 65 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 18 mg