My Cold Butter Secret
Hello, my dear. Come sit. Let’s talk cookies. My secret is very cold butter. I keep it in the fridge until the last second. This makes the dough just right.
Cold butter makes tiny pockets in the dough. In the oven, they melt. This makes the cookie tender. I learned this from my own grandma. She would wink and say “cold hands, warm heart.”
A Little Kitchen Helper
This recipe uses a food processor. It does the hard mixing for you. Just lock the lid and let it whir. It sounds like a happy bee.
One time, my grandson forgot to lock the lid. We had a small snowstorm of sugar on the counter! I still laugh at that. It’s okay to make a little mess. That’s part of the fun. What’s your funniest kitchen mess? I’d love to hear it.
Why We Chill the Dough
After we make the dough, it needs a long nap. We put it in the fridge. This matters so much. It lets the flour relax.
If we skip the chill, the shapes will spread in the oven. They lose their pretty edges. Patience here makes perfect cookies later. It’s a good lesson for life, too. Sometimes, waiting makes things better.
The Magic of the Glaze
Now for the shiny coat. The glaze is just sugar, milk, and a bit of cream cheese. The cream cheese gives it a lovely soft taste. It’s not too sweet.
Stir it until it’s smooth as silk. Doesn’t that smell amazing? You can add a drop of color if you like. Fun fact: The cream cheese helps the glaze dry with a slight sheen, not a hard crack. Do you prefer plain white glaze or a festive color?
Your Time to Shine
This is the best part. Decorating! Use sprinkles, sanding sugar, or crushed candy. Let your imagination play. Every cookie can be different.
This matters because it’s your mark. It turns food into a gift. A cookie you decorated yourself says “I made this for you.” That is a powerful thing. What’s your favorite decoration to use? Tell me about your design.
Ingredients:
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| all-purpose flour | 1½ cups (7½ ounces/213 grams) | For the cookies |
| baking powder | ⅛ teaspoon | For the cookies |
| baking soda | ⅛ teaspoon | For the cookies |
| table salt | ¼ teaspoon | For the cookies |
| large egg | 1 | For the cookies |
| vanilla extract | ½ teaspoon | For the cookies |
| sugar | ½ cup (3½ ounces/99 grams) | For the cookies |
| unsalted butter | 8 tablespoons | For the cookies; cut into 8 pieces and chilled |
| confectioners’ (powdered) sugar | 1⅓ cups (5⅓ ounces/151 grams) | For the glaze |
| milk | 2 tablespoons | For the glaze |
| cream cheese | 1 tablespoon | For the glaze; softened |
| food coloring | 1–2 drops | For the glaze; optional |
| Sanding sugar, sprinkles, etc. | As needed | For decoration |
My Frosted Holiday Cookie Delights
Hello, my dear. Come sit at the counter. I want to share my favorite holiday cookie recipe. It’s for Glazed Sugar Cookies. They are crisp, sweet, and perfect for decorating. I’ve been making these since my own children were small. Doesn’t that smell amazing? The vanilla always makes me smile.
We’ll make the dough in a food processor. It keeps the butter very cold. That’s the secret to a tender cookie. My grandson calls these our “blank canvas” cookies. We can paint them with any color or sprinkle. I still laugh at the year we made purple reindeer. Let’s begin.
- Step 1: First, whisk your dry things in a medium bowl. That’s flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a small bowl, whisk the egg and vanilla. This gets everything ready to go. It’s like setting the table before dinner. I always do this part first.
- Step 2: Now, put the sugar in the food processor. Lock the lid and turn it on. Let it whir for about 30 seconds. This makes the sugar super fine. It helps the cookies get that lovely smooth texture. My old machine makes a happy humming sound.
- Step 3: Stop the machine and take the lid off. Add all your cold butter pieces. Put the lid back on and process again. Do this for another 30 seconds. It will become creamy and pale. (Hard-learned tip: Very cold butter is key! It makes the cookies flaky.)
- Step 4: Stop the processor once more. Add the egg mixture and the flour mixture. Lock the lid and give it one last whirl. Stop when no dry flour is left. The dough will look crumbly. That’s just right. It will come together with your hands.
- Step 5: Carefully take the blade out. Ask a grown-up for help here. Scrape the dough onto a big piece of parchment paper. Pat it into a small oval with your hands. Then place another sheet on top. Now, roll it out thin between the papers. This keeps the counter clean!
- Step 6: Slide the parchment-wrapped dough onto a baking sheet. Pop it in the fridge. It needs to chill for at least an hour and a half. This step takes patience. But it makes cutting the shapes so easy. What’s your favorite cookie cutter shape? Share below!
- Step 7: Heat your oven to 300 degrees. Line another baking sheet. Take the cold dough out. Peel off the top paper. Press your cutters into the dough. Gather the scraps and roll them out once more. But only once! More rolling makes tough cookies.
- Step 8: Use a spatula to move the shapes to the new sheet. Bake them for 18 to 22 minutes. They will be just golden at the edges. Let them cool completely on the sheet. This takes about 30 minutes. Perfect for making the glaze.
- Step 9: For the glaze, mix powdered sugar, milk, and soft cream cheese. Add a drop of color if you like. Stir until it’s silky smooth. Now, the fun part! Drizzle or spread it on each cookie. Add sprinkles or sanding sugar right away. Then let them dry.
Cook Time: 22 minutes baking + 1.5 hours chilling
Total Time: About 3 hours (with decorating)
Yield: About 2 dozen cookies, depending on cutter size
Category: Dessert, Cookies
Three Fun Twists to Try
These cookies love to dress up. Here are some of our family’s favorite ways to change them. They are all simple and full of joy.
- Citrus Sunshine: Add a teaspoon of lemon or orange zest to the dough. It makes them taste like a winter sunbeam.
- Peppermint Sparkle: Mix a drop of peppermint extract into the glaze. Then top with crushed candy canes. So festive!
- Almond Snowdrifts: Use almond extract instead of vanilla. Sprinkle with sliced almonds before baking. They taste so cozy.
Which one would you try first? Comment below!
Serving Them Up with Style
These cookies are stars on their own. But I love to make them part of a little moment. Place them on a vintage plate. It makes them feel extra special. You could also crumble one over a bowl of vanilla ice cream. That’s a treat my husband loves.
For drinks, a hot cup of cocoa is the perfect friend. The marshmallows bobbing on top make me smile. For the grown-ups, a small glass of sweet sherry pairs nicely. It’s a tradition from my own grandmother’s table.
Which would you choose tonight? The cocoa or the sherry? I think I know my pick.
Keeping Your Cookie Delights Fresh and Festive
Let’s talk about keeping your cookies lovely. First, let the glaze dry completely. This takes about thirty minutes. Then, store them in a single layer in a tin. Use parchment paper between layers if you must stack them. They will stay fresh for up to five days.
You can freeze the baked, unglazed cookies too. Wrap them tightly for up to a month. Thaw them at room temperature before you glaze. I once froze a whole batch for my grandson’s surprise visit. It was so nice to have them ready to decorate together.
Batch cooking matters because it saves your holiday energy. You can make the dough ahead and freeze it. Just roll it out between parchment sheets first. Then you can bake a few fresh cookies anytime guests pop in. Have you ever tried storing it this way? Share below!
Cookie Troubles? Here Are My Easy Fixes
Is your dough too sticky? This happens if the butter gets warm. Just pop it back in the fridge for ten minutes. Chilled dough is much easier to roll and cut. I remember when my first batch spread into one big cookie blob. Chilling fixed everything.
Are the cookies tough? You might have rerolled the scraps too many times. Try to gather and roll them just once. This matters for a tender, delicate bite. A confident baker knows when to stop working the dough.
Is your glaze too runny or too thick? Fix it with a tiny bit more sugar or milk. Aim for a smooth, pourable consistency. Getting the glaze right matters for both flavor and fun. It makes your cookies look as joyful as they taste. Which of these problems have you run into before?
Your Quick Cookie Questions, Answered
Q: Can I make these gluten-free?
A: Yes! Use a good gluten-free flour blend. Make sure it has xanthan gum in it.
Q: How far ahead can I make them?
A: The dough chills for 90 minutes. You can also freeze it for a month.
Q: What if I don’t have cream cheese?
A: You can use two more tablespoons of milk instead. The glaze will be a bit thinner but still tasty.
Q: Can I double the recipe?
A: Absolutely. Just mix it in two separate batches for the best results.
Q: Any fun decorating tips?
A: Try using a clean paintbrush for the glaze. Fun fact: I once used the back of a spoon to make pretty swirls. Which tip will you try first?
Share Your Sweet Creations
I hope you have a wonderful time making these. The best part is sharing them with people you love. I would be so delighted to see what you create. Please show me your beautiful, frosted cookie delights.
Have you tried this recipe? Tag us on Pinterest! You can find me at @ElowensKitchen. I love seeing your family traditions and happy kitchen moments. Thank you for baking with me today.
Happy cooking!
—Elowen Thorn.
Frosted Holiday Cookie Delights
Description
Glazed Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
COOKIES:
GLAZE AND DECORATIONS:
Instructions
- For the cookies: In medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In small bowl, whisk together egg and vanilla.
- Add sugar to food processor and lock lid into place. Turn on processor and process until sugar is finely ground, about 30 seconds.
- Stop processor and remove lid. Add chilled butter to processor and lock lid back into place. Turn on processor and process until smooth, about 30 seconds.
- Stop processor and remove lid. Add egg mixture and flour mixture and lock lid back into place. Turn on processor and process until no dry flour is visible and mixture forms crumbly dough, about 30 seconds.
- Stop processor, remove lid, and carefully remove processor blade (ask an adult for help). Use rubber spatula to transfer dough to center of large sheet of parchment paper on counter.
- Use your hands to pat dough into 7-by-9-inch oval. Place second large sheet of parchment on top of dough. Use rolling pin to roll dough into 10-by-14-inch oval (⅛ to ¼ inch thick), rolling dough between parchment.
- Slide dough (still between parchment) onto 1 baking sheet. Place baking sheet in refrigerator and refrigerate until dough is firm, at least 1½ hours.
- While dough is chilling, adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Line second baking sheet with parchment.
- When dough is ready, remove dough from refrigerator. Gently peel off top sheet of parchment. Use cookie cutters to cut dough into shapes. (After cutting out your cookie shapes, put all the leftover dough scraps together, reroll the dough between sheets of parchment paper to ⅛- to ¼-inch thickness, and cut out more shapes. It’s best to do this only one time—if you reroll this dough more than once, the cookies will turn out tough.)
- Use spatula to transfer shapes to parchment-lined baking sheet, spaced about ½ inch apart. (If dough becomes too warm and sticky to transfer shapes easily, return it to refrigerator to firm up again, about 10 minutes.)
- Place baking sheet in oven. Bake cookies until beginning to brown around edges, 18 to 22 minutes.
- Use oven mitts to remove baking sheet from oven and place on cooling rack (ask an adult for help). Let cookies cool completely on baking sheet, about 30 minutes.
- For the glaze and decorations: While cookies are cooling, in second medium bowl, combine confectioners’ sugar, milk, softened cream cheese, and food coloring (if using). Use clean rubber spatula to stir until very smooth.
- Glaze and decorate cookies following photos, “Step-by-Step: How to Glaze and Decorate Cookies,” below. Let glaze dry completely, about 30 minutes, before serving.
Notes
- For best results, ensure butter is very cold. Do not reroll dough scraps more than once to avoid tough cookies. Let cookies cool completely before glazing.