Holiday Cookies

Sugar cookies are the greatest things in the whole world, but dang if they aren’t a time intensive project. While Corey was making muddy buddies and working on the peppermint bark, I was working on holiday cookies. Yes, the whole time. It’s not like the dough takes the much work, it’s just rolling it out, cutting out the shapes, re-rolling the leftover bits of dough. And then baking, baking, baking. And then decorating. It’s worth it though.

I got this recipe from The Fiddlehead Cookbook (previously seen here, here, and here). It makes for a deliciously crunchy and buttery cookie. The frosting is a modified version of the one seen here.

Holiday Cookies from The Fiddlehead Cookbook and Frosting modified from howtoeatacupcake.net:

Makes so very many cookies

For the cookies:
¾ lb. butter
2 c. powdered sugar
2½ c. unbleached white flour
1 egg white, which can be 2 egg yolks for a very delicate cookie. I did the egg white.
1½ tsp. vanilla extract

For the frosting:
½ c. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1¾ c. powdered sugar
A pinch of salt
1/3 c. half-and-half
½ tsp. vanilla extract

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter in a large mixing bowl until fluffy. Add the sugar and continue to beat until light. Add flour and stir until almost completely combined. Add egg white and vanilla and mix until smooth, but do not overbeat.

Roll out on a lightly floured surface and cut into fancy shapes with a cookie cutter. Like different animals using your IKEA cookie cutters. Also, make moose and squirrel jokes. Maybe make too many moose and squirrel jokes. When I bought the set, I thought the snail was a whale (and, as you might be able to see, Corey thought it was too, so that works) and I thought the hedgehog was a porcupine. I still say it’s a porcupine.

Bake cookies on ungreased cookie sheets for 5 to 10 minutes (I was closer to 10 on most of these) depending on shape and thickness of dough, until lightly browned around the edges. Remove from oven and transfer to racks to cool. Wait until completely cool to frost/decorate.







To make the frosting, follow directions from these cupcakes, subbing in the half-and-half for the heavy whipping cream. It thins it out enough to make it the perfect consistency for cookies. Corey then separated the frosting into several bowls and added a few drops of food coloring to each. We had the regular white, as well as blue, green, and red. We also added some yellow food coloring to raw sugar for sprinkling on the cookies. Decorate as you see fit.



They are delicious cookies and they are festive and your friends will enjoy them. Promise!