Introduction

These soft Christmas cookies are a holiday favorite, perfect for cutting into festive shapes and decorating with colored sugar or icing. They bake up tender and fluffy, making them a delightful treat for family and friends during the season.

A white plate holds a group of decorated Christmas cookies laid out closely together on a white marbled surface. There are three gingerbread men with light brown bodies, each decorated with yellow buttons and small red bow ties, with simple black smiley faces. To the right, five Christmas tree-shaped cookies feature light green icing bases with small white dots as decorations and yellow stars on top, with brown trunks visible at the bottom; one has dark green zigzag lines for extra decoration. Near the back are three candy cane-shaped cookies striped with thick white and red icing. Finally, there are several star-shaped cookies decorated with white icing snowflake patterns or solid yellow icing. The overall look is festive and colorful, with smooth, precise icing on each cookie. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Ingredients

3 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups white sugar

1 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

Step 1: Sift the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside.
Step 2: In a large bowl, beat the sugar and softened butter with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy.

Step 3: Beat the eggs into the butter mixture one at a time, then add the vanilla extract and mix well.
Step 4: Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and stir just until combined to form a dough.
Step 5: Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours before rolling out.

Step 6: Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Grease two baking sheets or line them with parchment paper.
Step 7: Roll out the chilled dough on a floured surface to about ¼-inch thickness. Use Christmas-themed cookie cutters to cut shapes and place them on the prepared baking sheets.
Step 8: Gather scraps, reroll, and continue cutting shapes until all dough is used.

Step 9: Bake the cookies in batches for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the edges just begin to turn golden.
Step 10: Let the cookies cool briefly on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 11: Decorate with colored sugar before baking or frost with icing once cool, if desired. Serve and enjoy!

Tips & Variations

For a softer texture, do not overmix the dough once the flour is added.
Try swapping vanilla extract for almond extract for a different flavor twist.
Chilling the dough for the full 2 hours is essential to keep the cookies from spreading too much during baking.

Use colored sanding sugar before baking for a simple, festive sparkle without frosting.
For easier cleanup and even baking, line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.

Storage

Store unfrosted cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week. If cookies are frosted with buttercream, layer them with wax paper and store at room temperature for a few days. Cream cheese frosting requires refrigeration. To freeze, it’s best to freeze the dough wrapped in plastic wrap and foil for up to three months, then thaw in the refrigerator before rolling and baking.

How to Serve

The image shows many small Christmas cookies on a black textured surface. There are different shapes including red and white striped ornaments that are round and teardrop-shaped, green Christmas trees with yellow stars on top and red dots, yellow stars, and white ghost-shaped cookies with red hearts and black smiley faces. The ornaments have smooth icing with white dotted and curved lines, and the Christmas trees have green icing with small red dots and zigzag patterns to look like garlands. The yellow stars are solid colored with smooth texture. The ghost cookies have white icing covering the whole shape with simple black eyes and mouth lines. photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I freeze the baked cookies?

While baked cookies can be frozen, it’s better to freeze the dough before baking for best texture and flavor. Baked cookies may lose some softness after freezing.

What makes these cookies so soft?

The combination of baking powder, which helps cookies rise, and two whole eggs, which add moisture, results in a tender, soft cookie perfect for the holidays.