Santa Sugar Cookies

My girls really enjoyed picking out and helping to make Christmas cookies this year. With this cookie the youngest wanted to help make the sugar cookies and the oldest wanted to help decorate them.

The sugar dough in this recipe is easy to work with and did not spread in the oven, which I feel is important for a sugar cookie recipe. The decorating is easy, just takes some time since the dough makes a lot of cookies.

Santa Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

Sugar Cookies

• 16 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 4 cups all purpose flour

Frosting

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 tablespoons shortening
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2-3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon milk

Santa Decorations

• red sugar crystals
• chocolate chips
• red M&M's
• mini marshmallows
• shredded coconut

Directions:

Sugar Cookies

1. In a large bowl beat together the butter, eggs and sugar until well blended.
2. Add in the baking powder, vanilla extract, baking soda and sour cream and mix well.
3. Add in the flour and stir just until combined. The dough will be slightly sticky, but if it is too sticky mix in a little bit more flour.
4. Transfer the dough to a piece of plastic wrap and tightly wrap.
5. Refrigerate overnight.
6. Preheat the oven to 350º F. Line several cookie sheet with silpats or parchment paper.
7. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface until about 1/4 inch thick.
8. Using a round cookie cutter that is about 2 3/4 inches in diameter, cut out as many circle as you can and place the circles on the prepared baking sheets.
9. Gather the dough scraps up and re-roll the dough on a lightly floured surface. Cut out more circles and place on prepared baking sheets. Continue until all of the dough has been used.
10. Bake for 9 minutes, or until the bottoms are lightly browned.
11. Allow to cool for a few minutes on the baking sheets and then transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.

Frosting

1. In a medium bowl beat together the butter and shortening.
2. Add in the vanilla and 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, mix until well combined.
3. Add in the milk and mix.
4. Add in more powdered sugar to reach desired consistency. If frosting is too thick add in a little bit more milk.

Santa Decorations

1. Working with one cookie at a time, frost the cookie and then immediately sprinkle the top 1/3 of the cookie with red sugar crystals. To get a round look to the hat hold a measuring cup or small bowl over the bottom 2/3 of the cookie before sprinkling.
2. Place one mini marshmallow at the bottom of the red sugar crystals, on either side. Put on two chocolate chips for eyes and 1 red M&M for the nose.
3. Sprinkle the bottom 1/3 of the cookie with coconut, going up the sides to meet with the red sugar crystals.

Enjoy!!!
*Adapted from Six Sisters' Stuff.