THE BEST CLASSIC FROSTED CHRISTMAS SUGAR COOKIES
This is without a doubt our family’s favorite cookie recipe – my Mom’s classic frosted Christmas sugar cookies are so delicious, you’ll be eating them all holiday long.
We grew up making these delicious cookies every holiday and they bring back the best childhood memories for my siblings and I. Our kids all grew up making them together with our parents and we still continue the tradition today.
Nostalgic, classic, simple to make and so delicious.
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CLASSIC FROSTED CHRISTMAS SUGAR COOKIES
If you’re looking for easy and delicious Christmas cookies, then look no further. Crowd-pleasing and mouthwatering, you’ll be saving this recipe for future use, that is for sure.
It’s important to note that this recipe makes a ton of cookies, and cutting it in half will definitely suffice. The full recipe makes about 6 dozen cookies, depending on the size of your cookie cutters.
Some of our other family favorites you might want to try are my delicious chocolate chip shortbread cookies and another one of my mother’s famous family recipes, dark chocolate peppermint chow mein clusters.
Both are so simple and so delicious and easy for kids to make as well.
I also make these cookies for Valentine’s Day, Easter, any occasion really. They’re that delicious.
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FROSTING AND ICING?
Is there a difference between frosting and icing? Yes, there certainly is!
The biggest difference between frosting and icing, is that frosting is thicker and fluffier, usually used for cakes and cupcakes.
While icing is much thinner and often used for cookies, but have no doubt, our cookies today are frosted. You can read more on this over on Martha Stewart, which gives the perfect explanation.
HOW TO MAKE DELICIOUS HOMEMADE FROSTING
The frosting we use for my Mom’s classic frosted Christmas sugar cookies is also a homemade classic that we grew up with. Just like these cookies, it’s simple and delicious.
- Pour 1 package (2 lbs) confectioner’s sugar into a stand mixer with the whisk attachment (you can use a hand mixer as well)
- Add 1/2 cup butter
- On very low speed, slowly combine the two ingredients (cover with a towel if necessary to prevent a mess!)
- Very slowly drizzle milk or cream into the mixture (about 2 tablespoons)
- Add 1 tsp vanilla if desired
- Once desired consistency is reached, turn to high and mix frosting for about 2 minutes
- Scrape down the sides of your bowl with a spatula
- Add food coloring of your choice
- For thinner frosting add more milk, for thicker, use less
That’s it! Such a simple and deliciously delectable frosting recipe, you can use this for loads of your favorite baking recipes.
I love decorating our Christmas cookies with a simple white on white design – white frosting, piping and sugar sprinkles. Some cookies get a touch of gold too…they’re always so beautiful.
Our teenage kids still love to use colors, so I made made some mint green and turquoise colored frosting too.
Adding piping around the edges helps to create a more finished look.
Simply fill a piping bag with your frosting and pipe the edges to create a finished outline and add any design you like.
CLASSIC FROSTED CHRISTMAS SUGAR COOKIES
Easy + delicious sugar cookies
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Butter, room temperature I like to use salted butter for this recipe
- 2 Cups Sugar
- 4 Eggs
- 5 Tsp Cold water
- 1 Tsp Vanilla extract
- 7 Cups White flour
- 1/2 Tsp Baking soda
- 1 Tsp Baking powder
- 1 Pinch Salt Only if using unsalted butter
Instructions
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Cream butter and sugar in stand mixer using a paddle attachment
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Add vanilla, water and eggs, mix thoroughly
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Combine all dry ingredients in a separate bowl
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Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients
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Combine everything in mixer
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Once thoroughly mixed, remove dough
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Form dough, cover with plastic wrap and chill in fridge for 1 hour
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Heat oven to 350F
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Remove dough from fridge and cut into sections to roll out
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Roll dough on a floured surface under a sheet of plastic wrap
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Cut cookie shapes with cookie cutters
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Bake 8-10 minutes
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Once cookies are cooled, frost and decorate!
Recipe Notes
This recipe makes quite a large amount of cookies, I always cut it in half and it makes plenty of delicious cookies!
You can also freeze this dough for up to 6 months.
Baking our Mom’s frosted Christmas sugar cookies is such a special part of our family’s Christmas tradition, I hope these will become part of yours too! Merry Christmas and enjoy your cookies…Santa will too! xo
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Hi Nancee, thanks for the question! I’ll update the recipe! Use 2 lbs – that should give you plenty! When I make this frosting I actually go by eye and taste believe it or not. Two pounds is the right amount for this recipe. Thank you for stopping by and happy baking!
For the frosting you say to use a package of powered sugar, but it comes in a box or a plastic bag (more, bigger). Which do I use?? The box I think is 1lb, while the bag is two pounds….not sure, don’t have it in front of me at the moment. Can you email the answer back? Thanks!