Christmas Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing

Christmas sugar cookies are one of the most-searched holiday cookies in America every single year, and for good reason. These are the cut-out cookies of your childhood: buttery and soft, with crisp edges, and they hold their shape perfectly in the oven so your stars still look like stars. Add a simple royal icing and they're ready for decorating, gifting, or leaving out for Santa.

Why you'll love these sugar cookies

• No spreading. Sharp, clean shapes every time.
• Soft centres with lightly crisp edges.
• Easy royal icing that dries smooth and glossy.
• Make-ahead friendly. The dough and baked cookies both freeze beautifully.

Ingredients (makes about 24 medium cookies)

For the cookies

• 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1⁄2 tsp almond extract (optional, but lovely)
• 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1⁄2 tsp salt

For the royal icing

• 3 cups (360 g) powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp meringue powder
• 5–6 tbsp warm water
• Gel food colouring (optional)

Instructions

1. Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes. Beat in the egg, vanilla and almond extract.
2. Add the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt, then mix in on low speed until a soft dough forms.
3. Roll, then chill. Divide the dough in half and roll each piece between two sheets of baking paper to 1⁄4 inch (6 mm) thick. Chill the flat sheets for at least 1 hour.
4. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line trays with baking paper.
5. Cut your shapes and place them 1 inch apart. Re-roll the scraps and chill again.
6. Bake for 8–10 minutes, until the edges are just barely golden. Cool on the tray for 5 minutes, then on a wire rack.
7. Make the icing. Beat the powdered sugar, meringue powder and 5 tbsp water for 4–5 minutes until thick and glossy. Add water a few drops at a time: thicker for outlines, thinner for flooding.
8. Decorate and let the icing dry for 6–8 hours, or overnight, before stacking.

Alla's tips

• Roll before you chill. Rolling the dough between baking paper first, then chilling it flat, is so much easier than wrestling a cold, hard ball of dough.
• Don't overbake. Pull them out when the edges are barely golden for soft cookies.
• The "10-second" rule for flooding icing: drag a knife through the surface. If the line disappears in about 10 seconds, the consistency is perfect.

Storage

Store decorated cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Undecorated cookies freeze for up to 3 months.

FAQ

Why did my cookies spread? The dough was too warm or the butter too soft. Chill the cut-out shapes on the tray for 10 minutes before baking.

Can I make royal icing without meringue powder? Yes. Use 1 egg white (pasteurised) in place of the meringue powder and some of the water.

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