Santa Cookies

Name: Santa Cookies
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 2 dozen
Ingredients: 1 cup unsalted butter; 1-1/2 cups sugar; 2 large eggs; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1 teaspoon cream of tartar; 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg; 1/4 teaspoon salt; FROSTING:; 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened; 6 tablespoons 2% milk; 2-1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 6-3/4 cups confectioners' sugar; Red colored sugar, miniature semisweet chocolate chips and Red Hots, optional

Total Time Prep: 45 min. + chilling Bake: 10 min./batch + cooling

Yield 2 dozen

Test Kitchen Approved

Make the jolliest Santa cookies for the holidays! These sugar cookie cutouts are frosted with homemade buttercream frosting and decorated with red sugar to create Santa's face and bright red hat.

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted butter
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
FROSTING:
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
6 tablespoons 2% milk
2-1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
6-3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
Red colored sugar, miniature semisweet chocolate chips and Red Hots, optional

Directions

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in eggs and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, nutmeg and salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture.
Divide dough in half. Shape each into a disk; wrap in plastic. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm enough to roll.
Preheat oven to 375°. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion of dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 3-in. Santa-shaped cookie cutter. Place 2 in. apart on parchment-lined baking sheets.
Bake 8-10 minutes or until light brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely.
For frosting, in a large bowl, beat butter until creamy. Beat in milk, vanilla and salt. Gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Pipe onto cookies and decorate as desired.

Nutrition Facts

1 cookie: 186 calories, 7g fat (4g saturated fat), 27mg cholesterol, 56mg sodium, 30g carbohydrate (22g sugars, 0 fiber), 1g protein.

I've used this recipe for almost 40 years and love it because it's a little different than most. My mom always made Santa cookies, and we'd put them into little clear bags tied with ribbon to hang on the tree.—Ann Bush, Colorado City, Colorado

Recipe Creator