Get ready to bake the ultimate festive treat with these Holiday Sugar Cookies—soft, buttery, and delightfully customizable! Perfect for any seasonal celebration, this easy recipe combines a rich dough flavored with hints of vanilla and optional almond extract for a subtle twist. The dough chills to perfection, ensuring clean edges when using your favorite holiday-themed cookie cutters. Rolled out on powdered sugar for an extra touch of sweetness, these cookies bake in just 10 minutes, yielding tender results with a golden-hued edge. Once cooled, unleash your creativity by decorating them with icing, sprinkles, and all your festive favorites. With minimal prep and crowd-pleasing flavors, these sugar cookies are sure to become a holiday tradition in your kitchen.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract (if using) to the bowl. Beat until fully combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until a soft dough forms. Avoid overmixing.
Divide the dough into two portions, flatten each into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until firm.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Lightly dust a clean surface and rolling pin with powdered sugar. Roll one dough disc out to a thickness of about 1/4 inch.
Use holiday-themed cookie cutters to cut shapes out of the dough. Transfer the shapes to the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch of space between each cookie.
Repeat with the remaining dough, re-rolling scraps as necessary.
Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are just starting to turn golden. Avoid overbaking for softer cookies.
Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Decorate as desired with icing, sprinkles, or other holiday decorations once the cookies are completely cool.
Calories |
3775 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
% Daily Value* |
|||
| Total Fat | 199.7 g | 256% | |
| Saturated Fat | 123.5 g | 618% | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0.0 g | ||
| Cholesterol | 703 mg | 234% | |
| Sodium | 1149 mg | 50% | |
| Total Carbohydrate | 463.8 g | 169% | |
| Dietary Fiber | 8.2 g | 29% | |
| Total Sugars | 233.4 g | ||
| Protein | 39.3 g | 79% | |
| Vitamin D | 1.0 mcg | 5% | |
| Calcium | 120 mg | 9% | |
| Iron | 15.0 mg | 83% | |
| Potassium | 454 mg | 10% | |
*The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.