How To Make Snowflake Christmas Cookies

Need something quick and easy? These snowflake Christmas cookies are just what you need! They are dainty and adorable, but only require a semi-steady hand! See my favorite sugar cookie recipe below.

These cookies are only about 3 inches in diameter, but you could easily make them any size. Also, no need to color any frosting, a simple white frosting is perfect. All you need is a piping bag and a small circle tip. I used Wilton’s #3.

Tip: Keep it simple and use a circle cookie cutter. Don’t have one handy? Use a glass!

Start by making three lines that criss-cross to get 6 sections or points. I was told there is statistical evidence that snowflakes always have six sides, so I made sure to only have that many on the cookies.

Don’t forget, all snowflakes are different, so be creative! These adorable Christmas cookies are sure to impress your family and friends. Too easy? Try our Snow Globe Cookies and Poinsettia Cookies next!

Sugar Cookie Recipe (from Sweetopia.net)

Yield – Makes about 30-35 cookies, but it will also depend on the size of the cookie cutter and how thick you make your cookies.

Ingredients:

2 cups unsalted butter (at room temperature)
2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
Seeds from 1 vanilla bean (or 3 tsp vanilla)
5 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder (*take this out if you don’t want your cookies to spread)
1 tsp salt

Instructions:

1. Cream the butter and sugar together in the bowl of an electric mixer on low to medium speed.  (Use the paddle attachment).  Mix until thoroughly incorporated – for about one minute.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a plastic spatula and mix again for a few seconds more. Over-mixing the butter and sugar in this step will cause too much air to be incorporated into the dough.  If you’d like a light and fluffy cookie, that’s ideal, however the dough will spread more during baking; not ideal if you’d like the cookie to hold its shape.
2. Add eggs slowly and mix.  Scrape down the bowl with your spatula at least once and mix again.
3. Cut open your vanilla bean and scrape the seeds out.  Add to mixing bowl.  Alternatively, add liquid vanilla extract.  Stir briefly.
4. Sift your dry ingredients together.  (Flour, baking powder and salt).
5. Add all of the flour mixture to the bowl.  Place a large tea towel or two small tea towels between the edge of the bowl and the electric mixer so that the flour won’t escape.  Mix on low speed for 30 seconds.  Remove the tea towels and observe the dough mixing; when it clumps around the paddle attachment it’s ready.  It’s also important at this stage not to over mix the dough (the glutens in the flour develop and the dough can become tough).
6. Roll the dough out between 2 large pieces of parchment paper.  Place on a baking sheet and into the fridge for a minimum of 1 hour.
7. Roll out the dough further if you need to, and cut out cookie shapes.  Place on parchment paper-lined baking sheet.  Re-roll scraps and repeat.
8. Put cookie dough shapes back into the fridge for 10 minutes to 1 hour to chill again.  They will then hold their shape better when baked.
9. Preheat your oven to 350°F or 176°C.
10. Bake cookies for 8-12 minutes or until the edges become golden brown.  The baking time will depend on the size of your cookie.
11. Let cookies cool to room temperature and decorate!

Frosting Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup shortening
4 cups confectioners’ sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
6 Tbs milk
Pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Cream shortening until fluffy. Add confectioner’s sugar and continue creaming until well blended.
2. Add salt, vanilla, and milk; blend on low speed until moistened. Add additional milk if necessary (up to 2 tablespoons). Beat until frosting is fluffy.

Enjoy and happy baking!