Description
Sweet holiday magic sparkles in these snowflake sugar cookies, perfectly crafted for winter celebrations. Delicate royal icing designs and crisp, buttery edges make these festive treats irresistible for seasonal gatherings where you’ll delight guests with elegant winter-inspired confections.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients:
- 2 3/4 cups (343 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon (5 grams) baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon (3 grams) salt
Wet Ingredients:
- 1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
Flavor Enhancers:
- 1 1/2 teaspoons (7 ml) vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) almond extract (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the foundational mixture by whisking together dry ingredients in a medium mixing vessel, ensuring even distribution of flour, leavening agent, and seasoning.
- In a separate larger container, cream butter and sugar until the texture becomes airy and voluminous, creating a smooth, pale base.
- Incorporate liquid elements including egg, vanilla essence, and optional almond extract, blending thoroughly until the mixture appears uniform and glossy.
- Gradually fold in the dry ingredient blend, stirring gently to prevent overmixing and maintain a tender cookie texture.
- Segment the dough into two equal portions, encase each in protective film, and chill within refrigerator for a minimum of 60 minutes to enhance flavor and facilitate easier handling.
- Heat culinary appliance to 350°F, positioning rack in central position and lining baking surfaces with parchment protection.
- On a lightly dusted work surface, roll dough to approximately quarter-inch thickness, ensuring consistent evenness.
- Utilize specialized snowflake-shaped cutting tool to extract delicate cookie silhouettes, positioning shapes with slight separation on prepared trays.
- Thermal processing requires 8-10 minutes, watching for subtle golden edges indicating perfect doneness. Transfer to cooling platform immediately after extraction.
- Construct decorative coating by combining powdered sugar with meringue powder, gradually introducing warm liquid to achieve optimal consistency.
- Separate icing into dual containers, reserving one for pristine white application and tinting alternative portion with azure pigmentation.
- Apply initial blue layer as precise outline, flooding interior surface for smooth foundation and allowing brief setting period.
- Embellish with intricate white snowflake detailing, enhancing with optional crystalline accents or delicate dotwork.
- Permit complete atmospheric drying before presentation or storage to maintain intricate decorative elements.
Notes
- Chill dough thoroughly to prevent spreading and maintain intricate snowflake shapes during baking.
- Use a light hand when rolling out dough to keep cookies tender and prevent tough texture.
- Calibrate oven temperature with an independent thermometer to ensure precise, even baking for delicate cookies.
- Adjust royal icing consistency by adding water drop-by-drop for perfect piping and smooth decorating technique.
- Swap almond extract with vanilla if nut allergies are a concern, maintaining the same delightful flavor profile.
- Store decorated cookies in single layers between parchment paper to preserve delicate snowflake designs.
- Create gluten-free version by substituting all-purpose flour with a high-quality 1:1 gluten-free baking blend.
- Reduce sugar content slightly for a less sweet cookie without compromising overall texture and taste.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 60 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg