Description
Delight in these charming Snowman Sugar Cookies, perfectly soft sugar cookies decorated with vibrant royal icing. Featuring a tender crumb enhanced with vanilla and optional almond extract, these treats are ideal for festive occasions. The detailed piping work allows for playful snowman designs using red, black, and orange icing for scarves, hats, eyes, buttons, and noses. A fun and decorative cookie recipe that yields beautiful, delicious results.
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
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional, but makes the flavor outstanding)
For Decorating
- Royal Icing
- Red gel food coloring
- Black gel food coloring
- Orange gel food coloring
Instructions
- Prepare Dry Ingredients: Whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside for later use.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, use a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment to beat the softened butter and granulated sugar on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract if using. Beat on high speed until fully combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure even mixing.
- Combine Dry and Wet Ingredients: Add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet mixture and mix on low speed until combined. The dough will be soft; if it feels too sticky for rolling, add 1 more tablespoon of flour.
- Divide and Roll Dough: Split the dough into two equal parts. Place each on lightly floured parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Roll each portion out to about 1/4-inch thickness using a lightly floured rolling pin.
- Chill Dough: Dust one rolled-out dough lightly with flour and cover with a piece of parchment. Place the second rolled dough on top, cover with plastic wrap or foil, and refrigerate for 1-2 hours or up to 2 days.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Set oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Cut Cookies: Remove the top dough from the fridge and gently separate if sticking. Using a snowman cookie cutter, cut shapes from the dough. Re-roll scraps to cut additional cookies. Repeat with second dough.
- Bake Cookies: Place cookies 3 inches apart on baking sheets. Bake for 12 minutes until edges are lightly browned. Rotate sheets halfway through if needed. Cool cookies on baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
- Prepare Colored Icing: Divide royal icing into four portions: leave one white, color the others red, black (dark gray before drying), and orange using gel food coloring.
- Decorate Cookies - White Icing Base: Fit a piping bag with Wilton tip #4 or #5, fill with white icing, pipe borders and fill cookie surfaces leaving space for hat. Refrigerate to set icing.
- Decorate Cookies - Details: Use separate piping bags with Wilton tip #1 for black icing to pipe hats, eyes, mouth, and buttons. Use same tip for orange icing for the nose. Use tip #4 or #5 for red icing to pipe scarves.
- Set Icing: Allow decorated cookies to set at room temperature for 2-3 hours before serving or packaging.
Notes
- Freezing: Cookies freeze well up to 3 months after icing sets. Separate with parchment paper. Cookie dough also freezes for 3 months; thaw in refrigerator, then roll and chill before baking.
- Flavors: Substitute almond extract with maple, coconut, lemon, or peppermint extract; or add pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon for seasonal variations. Using lemon extract, add lemon zest for enhanced flavor.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Butter should be cool to the touch but soft; eggs should be at room temperature for even incorporation.
- Tools: Electric mixer with paddle, rolling pin, snowman cookie cutter, silicone mats, piping bags and specific Wilton tips (#1, #4 or #5), couplers, Americolor or gel food colors enhance ease and results.
- Storage: Store plain or decorated cookies covered tightly at room temperature for up to 5 days, refrigerated for up to 10 days.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 90 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
