Easy Christmas Vanilla Sugar Cookies With 2 Ingredient Icing
My Easy Christmas Vanilla Sugar Cookies With 2 Ingredient Icing are buttery with crisp edges and soft centers, perfect for decorating and holiday baking.
Ingredients
Sugar Cookies
- 250 g unsalted butter softened (see notes)
- 160 g caster sugar see notes
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 orange zested
- 1 large egg 55g, room temperature
- 415 g all-purpose flour plain flour
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp fine salt
- Cookie Icing see notes
Instructions
Sugar Cookies
- Cream butter and sugar - Add the softened butter, sugar, vanilla extract and orange zest to a large mixing bowl. Use an electric hand mixer to whip on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat until well combined.
- Finish dough - Sift in the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt and use a spatula to mix together until a dough forms. Split the dough into two portions.
- Rolling out the dough - Lay out a large piece of baking paper on your workbench (about the same size as your baking tray). Place one half of the dough on top (keep the other in the fridge) and flatten slightly with the palm of your hand. Place another large piece of baking paper on top. Use a large rolling pin to roll out to about 7mm / 1/4-inch in thickness. Place on your baking tray and place in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes. This will help cutting out the cookies much easier.
- Preheat a fan-forced oven to 170C / 340F (190C / 375F for no fan). You’ll need two large baking trays for this recipe. I used half sheet baking trays.
- Cutting out your cookies - Once the rolled out dough is chilled, use a cookie cutter (use any festive shape you like!) to cut out your cookies. Use a spatula to transfer to the baking tray lined with baking paper.
- Bake cookies - Bake on the middle rack of your oven, one tray at a time for 10 minutes or until slightly golden around the edges. Turn the tray around half way through the baking time so they bake evenly. Allow to cool completely before serving or decorating.
- To decorate - add the cookie icing to a piping bag and decorate any way you like! The decorated cookies can be kept in an airtight container for up to 7 days.
Notes
How to decorate these cookies - I have a simple 4 Ingredients Icing Recipe for Decorating Cookies, also known as Royal Icing. It comes out shiny.
Butter - you want your butter to be soft for this recipe so that it creams with the sugar properly. Softened butter should be firm enough that it holds its shape but yield gentle pressure when pressed gently with your finger. Room temperature method: you can do this by taking your butter out of the fridge and cutting into cubes. Let it sit at room temperature for 1 hour before using. Microwave method (quicker): cut into cubes and place in a heatproof bowl or plate. Microwave for 10 seconds at a time until it’s soft but firm enough to hold its shape with some resistance.
Caster sugar - also known as superfine sugar is a finer sugar used for bakes where you want a finer crumb. If you can’t find caster sugar, you can use granulated sugar.
Can I roll the cookies out thicker or thinner?
Yes! You can roll them up to 1cm / 0.3-inches or as thin as you like. Thicker cookies will take a little longer to bake. Follow the same baking guide in the recipe. Bake until golden.
Storage - Sugar Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 7 days. I’ve kept them in a cool, dry place for up to a month!
Nutrition - is an approximate and is based on per cookie.
A note on measurements - this recipe is offered in weight measurements. This is in an effort to offer the most accurate way to get the best results. Cup measurements simply aren’t accurate enough for a recipe that needs precision and cup sizes differ depending on where you are in the world. To learn more about how to measure ingredients using digital kitchen scales, click here!
Nutrition
Calories:156kcal | Carbohydrates:14g | Protein:2g | Fat:8g | Saturated Fat:5g | Polyunsaturated Fat:0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat:2g | Trans Fat:0.3g | Cholesterol:28mg | Sodium:36mg | Potassium:42mg | Fiber:1g | Sugar:1g | Vitamin A:271IU | Vitamin C:3mg | Calcium:14mg | Iron:1mg
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