Decorated Santa Cookies Recipes

EASY SANTA COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 400°F. Beat butter, granulated sugar and lemon peel in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Stir in egg and milk. Stir in flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 3 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. Press bottom of drinking glass on each until about 1/4 inch and 3 inches in diameter. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Spread frosting on cookie (frost and decorate each cookie before starting another). Sprinkle red sugar over top third of cookie for hat. Press on miniature marshmallow for tassel. Press 2 currants for eyes and 1 cinnamon candy for nose into center third of cookie. Sprinkle coconut over bottom third for beard.

DECORATED SANTA COOKIES

Steps:

• Mix together some of the royal icing with the flesh-tone food coloring until desired shade is reached. Transfer to a small squirt bottle. To create face and hands on the cookie, outline the area with flesh-tone icing (see template). Draw several zigzags across entire surface of the outlined area. If necessary, use a toothpick to spread evenly. Using tweezers, add nonpareils to create eyes. Let dry.
• Mix together some of the royal icing with the red food coloring until desired shade is reached. Transfer to a small squirt bottle. To create hat, jacket, and pants on the cookie, outline the area with red icing (see template). Draw several zigzags across entire surface of the outlined area. If necessary, use a toothpick to spread evenly. Using tweezers, add gumdrops to create buttons on jacket.
• Mix together some of the royal icing with the black food coloring until desired shade is reached. Transfer to a small squirt bottle. To create boots on the cookie, outline the area with black icing (see template). Draw several zigzags across entire surface of the outlined area. If necessary, use a toothpick to spread evenly. Let dry.
• Mix together some of the royal icing with the white food coloring until desired shade is reached. Transfer to a small squirt bottle. To create trim on hat, jacket, and pants, outline the area with white icing (see template). Draw several zigzags across entire surface of the outlined area. If necessary, use a toothpick to spread evenly. Sprinkle trim with sanding sugar. Using tweezers, add a mini marshmallow to top of hat to create a tassel. Let dry.
• To create beard on cookie, outline the area with white icing (see template). Draw several zigzags across entire surface of the outlined area. If necessary, use a toothpick to spread evenly. Using tweezers, add red hot candy to create a nose. Sprinkle beard with white sprinkles. Let dry.

SANTA'S CHRISTMAS COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, use a whisk to combine the flour, salt and baking powder. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat until completely combined.
• Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture slowly, about 1/2 cup at a time until finished, mixing until just combined. Form the dough into 2 disks and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate until slightly firm, about 1 hour, or up to overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, or spray with cooking spray.
• Roll the dough out onto a floured work surface and use cookie cutters to cut out shapes, then transfer to the prepared baking sheets, leaving about a 2-inch space between each cookie.
• Chill the cut-out cookies on the baking sheets for about 15 minutes before baking for a more precise shape. Bake until just starting to become crisp and golden around the edges, about 15 minutes. Remove the cookies to a rack and let cool completely.
• Use food coloring to tint Royal Icing into different colors. To decorate, cover the cookies with the Royal Icing, then sprinkle on decorations while the icing is still wet. Let the icing set completely.
• Add the meringue powder to 1/2 cup water in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whip for about 30 seconds. Slowly add the confectioner's sugar, and continue to beat until medium peaks form. If the icing is too stiff, add water a tablespoon at a time. Keep covered until ready to use. Transfer to a squeeze bottle for easier decorating.

SANTA HEART-SHAPED COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F.
• In large bowl, stir cookie mix, flour, melted butter and egg until soft dough forms. On floured surface, roll dough 1/4-inch thick. Cut with floured 3-inch heart shaped cookie cutter. On ungreased cookie sheets, place cutouts 2 inches apart.
• Bake 7 to 9 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 20 minutes.
• In small bowl, stir food color into 1/2 cup of frosting to create desired color. Place 1/3 cup untinted frosting into small resealable food storage plastic bag; partially seal bag. Cut off tiny bottom corner of bag; set aside.
• Turn cookies so pointed ends are up. Working with one cookie at a time, spread 2 teaspoons of remaining untinted frosting on lower third of cookie for beard. Spread generous teaspoon red frosting on upper 1/3 of cookie for hat. Squeeze bag of frosting to pipe dots to attach eyes and nose. Pipe to finish hat, pom pom; decorate with additional decorations as desired. (Use photo as guide.)
• Decorate each cookie before starting another so frosting does not set. Let stand until frosting is set, about 1 hour. Store in airtight container at room temperature with waxed paper between layers.

SANTA STAR COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream the butter, shortening and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in orange juice concentrate and vanilla. , Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until easy to handle, about 2 hours., Preheat oven to 350°. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 4-in. star-shaped cookie cutter. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake until edges are firm, 7-8 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool., In a small bowl, combine confectioners' sugar, water, meringue powder and cream of tartar; beat on low speed just until combined. Beat on high until stiff peaks form, 4-5 minutes. Tint 9 Tbsp. red and 2 Tbsp. tablespoons black. Leave remaining icing white. Keep unused icing covered at all times with a damp cloth. If necessary, beat again on high speed to restore texture., Place red icing in a pastry bag. With a #3 round pastry tip, pipe Santa's hats and suits. Once the red icing is dry, use black icing with a #1 round tip for eyes, mittens, belts and boots. With white frosting and a #2 round tip, add the trim for hats and suits. Use the same tip for mustaches and beards. If desired, use sprinkles for belt buckles and mouth.

SANTA SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Combine flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl; set aside. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla and almond extracts; mix well. Gradually add flour mixture, beating on low speed after each addition until well blended. Divide dough into 3 portions; wrap each tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate dough 2 hours or until thoroughly chilled and firm enough to handle.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray baking sheets and 5-inch Santa face cookie cutter with cooking spray; set aside. Roll out 1 portion of dough to 1/4-inch thickness on floured surface with floured rolling pin. Cut out cookies with prepared cutter. Transfer with metal spatula to baking sheet, placing 1 inch apart. Repeat with remaining dough portions, spraying cutter with additional cooking spray as needed.
• Bake 7 to 10 minutes or until edges of cookies are browned lightly. Cool on baking sheet 1 minute before removing cookies and placing on wire racks to cool completely.
• Use red icing to fill in the hat, leaving the tip of the hat blank. Use white icing to fill in the tip of the hat, the brim of the hat, the beard and to make 2 dots in the center of the face for the eyes. Place a red candy centered between the eyes at the top of the beard for the nose and a mini morsel on each white dot to make eyes. Top beard with Reddi-wip® just before serving.