Description
These classic Christmas sugar cookies are perfectly soft and buttery with a delicate almond and vanilla flavor. Easy to make and decorated with sparkling sugar, they’re ideal for holiday baking and sharing with family and friends.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
For Decoration
- 3 to 4 tablespoons sugar for decoration
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Heat your oven to 375°F (190°C) to ensure it is ready for baking the cookies.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a small bowl, stir together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and baking powder until evenly combined.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and white sugar together until the mixture is smooth and fluffy, creating a light base for the cookies.
- Add Egg and Extracts: Beat in the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract to the butter-sugar mixture, incorporating them fully to add flavor and moisture.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually blend the dry flour mixture into the creamed mixture, stirring until a uniform dough forms without overmixing.
- Form Dough Balls: Using rounded teaspoonfuls, roll the dough into balls and place them on ungreased cookie sheets, spaced to allow for spreading.
- Flatten and Decorate: Press each dough ball flat gently with the bottom of a glass, then sprinkle the tops with sugar for a sparkling finish.
- Bake: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they turn golden around the edges, indicating they are perfectly baked.
- Cool: Remove the cookies from the oven and allow them to cool on wire racks to set before serving or storing.
Notes
- For softer cookies, bake closer to 8 minutes; for crisper cookies, bake closer to 10 minutes.
- Use room temperature butter for easier creaming with sugar and better texture.
- Almond extract adds a unique flavor but can be omitted if preferred.
- Rolling the dough balls evenly helps the cookies bake uniformly.
- Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to one week to maintain freshness.
- Sprinkling sugar before baking adds a festive sparkle and slight crunch on top.
