Holiday Sugar Cookies

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.

Nutriscore Rating: 39/100

Prep Time:25 mins

Cook Time:10 mins

Total Time:35 mins

Servings: 24

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 0.5 teaspoons almond extract (optional)
• 2.5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 0.25 teaspoons salt
• 0.25 cups powdered sugar (for rolling)

Directions

Step 1

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.

Step 2

Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract (if using) to the bowl. Beat until fully combined.

Step 3

In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt.

Step 4

Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until a soft dough forms. Avoid overmixing.

Step 5

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.

Step 6

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Step 7

Lightly dust a clean surface and rolling pin with powdered sugar. Roll one dough disc out to a thickness of about 1/4 inch.

Step 8

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.

Step 9

Repeat with the remaining dough, re-rolling scraps as necessary.

Step 10

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.

Step 11

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Step 12

Decorate as desired with icing, sprinkles, or other holiday decorations once the cookies are completely cool.

Nutrition Facts

Serving size	832.4 grams (832.4g)

Amount per serving	% Daily Value*
Calories	3775

Total Fat 199.70g	256%
Saturated Fat 123.50g	618%
Polyunsaturated Fat NaNg
Cholesterol 703mg	234%
Sodium 1149mg	50%
Total Carbohydrate 463.80g	169%
Dietary Fiber 8.20g	29%
Total Sugars 233.40g
Protein 39.30g	79%

Vitamin D 41IU	205%
Calcium 120mg	9%
Iron 15mg	83%
Potassium 454mg	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.

Source of Calories

Fat: 47.2%

Protein: 4.1%

Carbs: 48.7%