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Snowman Sugar Cookies Recipe

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★★★★★

4.8 from 120 reviews

These charming Snowman Sugar Cookies combine a soft, buttery sugar cookie base with festive royal icing decorations in traditional snowman colors. Perfect for holiday gatherings or gifting, they feature a delicate almond and vanilla flavored dough decorated with colorful piped royal icing to bring each snowman to life.

Ingredients

Scale

Cookie Dough

  • 2 and 1/4 cups (281g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), plus more as needed for rolling and work surface
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 or 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional)

Royal Icing and Decorations

  • Royal Icing (quantity not specified, prepare as needed)
  • Red gel food coloring
  • Black gel food coloring
  • Orange gel food coloring

Instructions

  1. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Set this mixture aside while you prepare the wet ingredients.
  2. Cream Butter and Sugar: Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar on high speed until the mixture is smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
  3. Add Wet Ingredients: To the creamed butter and sugar, add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract if using. Beat again on high speed until fully combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure even mixing.
  4. Combine Dry and Wet: Add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed just until combined. The dough will be soft; if it feels too sticky for rolling, add 1 additional tablespoon of flour.
  5. Divide and Roll Dough: Divide the dough into two equal portions. On lightly floured parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, roll each portion out to about 1/4-inch thickness. Use additional flour as needed to prevent sticking.
  6. Chill Dough: Stack the rolled dough layers with a piece of parchment paper in between, cover with plastic wrap or foil, and refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours or up to 2 days. This helps firm the dough for clean cutting.
  7. Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
  8. Cut Cookies: Remove one portion of chilled rolled dough. If it sticks to the parchment, gently run your hand underneath to help loosen it. Use a snowman cookie cutter to cut shapes and transfer them to the prepared baking sheets, spacing cookies about 3 inches apart. Re-roll scraps and continue cutting until all dough is used. Repeat with second dough portion.
  9. Bake Cookies: Bake cookies for 11-12 minutes, until they are lightly browned around the edges. Rotate baking sheets halfway through baking if your oven has hot spots. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
  10. Prepare Royal Icing Colors: Spoon about 1/4 cup of royal icing into three small bowls. Leave the remaining royal icing white. Color each bowl with red, black, and orange gel food coloring respectively, adjusting shades as preferred.
  11. Decorate Cookies – White Icing: Fit a piping bag with Wilton piping tip #4 or #5 and fill with white icing. Pipe a border around the edges of each cookie and fill in the center, leaving space for the hat. Allow the icing to set, refrigerating to speed up if desired.
  12. Decorate Cookies – Colored Icing: Fit piping bags with Wilton tip #1 for the black and orange icing and a separate bag with tip #4 or #5 for red icing. Pipe the red scarves, black hats, eyes, mouths, and buttons, then pipe orange noses once the white icing has set.
  13. Set Icing and Store: Allow the icing to dry completely at room temperature for 2-3 hours before serving or wrapping. Store decorated cookies covered tightly at room temperature for up to 5 days or refrigerate up to 10 days for longer freshness.

Notes

  • If dough is too sticky to roll, add more flour little by little, but avoid over-flouring to keep cookies tender.
  • Chilling the dough between layers helps achieve clean cookie shapes and prevents excess spreading during baking.
  • Adjust the amount of almond extract to taste; it enhances flavor but is optional.
  • Use gel food coloring for vibrant icing colors that don’t thin the royal icing consistency.
  • Cookies stay soft for about 5 days at room temperature if stored properly and up to 10 days refrigerated.
  • Use a coupler for piping bags if you only have one tip to easily switch colors during decoration.

Keywords: snowman sugar cookies, holiday cookies, royal icing cookies, Christmas cookies, festive cookies, sugar cookie recipe

Find it online: https://kitchenbyclara.com/snowman-sugar-cookies-recipe/