First of all, let me begin by saying these are not healthy cookies. If you will be disappointed that this healthy food mama is about to share an easy SUGAR cookie recipe, then please hide your eyes! I do not wish to offend 🙂 But…. it’s Christmas! There’s just something special about sugar cookies at Christmas time, don’t you think?
We decided to hand deliver them to each of the neighbors this year. It was sweet watching my son walk up to each door, ring the bell, wait patiently, and then wish each neighbor a Merry Christmas as he offered them a small box of these little tasty treats. It warmed this mama’s heart right through.
And so we baked cookies, about 100 of them, and thought it would be nice to share our little recipe with you.
(Note: You don’t need special kitchen tools, but I’ll admit I’m partial to these cookie sheets. They’re awesome and affordable.)
Easy Sugar Cookie Recipe: One Dough, Three Ways
for the dough:
1 1/2 c butter
1 1/2 c sugar
3 eggs
2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
4 1/2 c all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
Cream together the butter, sugar, and eggs, then stir in the vanilla, flour, baking soda, and salt.
Roll out on a lightly floured board; I roll mine to about 1/4 inch height. Cut into any shape. I used the mouth of a stage 1 baby food jar for the small circle shapes.
Bake at 375 for exactly 8 minutes.
for the toppings:
Coconut cookies – In a measuring cup, measure one cup of powdered sugar. Add one teaspoon coconut extract and four teaspoons milk. Stir well, frost cookies, and top with toasted coconut before the frosting dries. (After I pull the last batch of cookies from the oven, I add a handful of coconut onto the baking sheet and set it under the broiler for a minute to toast.)
Sprinkle cookies – Prepare frosting as above, but eliminate coconut extract and add 4 -5 drops of red food coloring instead. Top with sprinkles.
Chocolate almond cookies – Pour one cup of chocolate chips into a microwave safe bowl, and microwave for 30 seconds. Stir, and then microwave for another 30 seconds. Stir again until all chips have lost their shape and you have a bowl of melted chocolate. Dip cookies one by one into the chocolate and then into finely chopped almonds.
What are your favorite Christmas cookies to bake? I’d love to know!
Warmly,
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What a great idea! Fabulous!
We have a new love–Molasses cookies. Kinda healthy, if a cookie can be healthy. Followed you over from Happy Housewife and the Molasses recipe is there. I love that you can do 3 things with the same recipe!
I love that you can change out the toppings for these! I'll bet they looked so cute all packaged up and ready to deliver!
You could also add a hershey kiss in the center while still hot and sprinkle with a hint of sugar.
Thank you for sharing your little cookie recipe, these will be a great accent to some holiday gatherings.
Mrs. Morgan, that's a great idea!
Love it, thanks for the recipe!
They look great.
Louis
I love that you can do these three different ways without all the extra work. Thanks for sharing and thanks for linking up to Making Your Home Sing Monday!
Sweet! They look like they would sandwich together really well, too, with flavored/tinted frosting in the middle. I love the idea of making one cookie and having variations. I'm kinda behind this year….:)
I love the variations! That would save lots of time being able to make one recipe, get a nice variety and wrap them up as gifts.
These look really yummy! And so cute!
I'd love for you to stop by my blog on Thursday for my Christmas Recipe Party!
I'm going to make this recipe today! Thanks so much for sharing!
They look delicious. 🙂
Best sugar cookies I've ever had!
Tricia, you are sweet! Thanks for coming back to let me know… you brought a smile to my face 🙂
Just made this dough three ways:
A third with lemon extract in place of the vanilla
A third with a heaping tablespoon of cocoa powder (taking out the equivalent amount of flour)
A third with brown sugar (instead of the white) and the vanilla extract
They came out sooo good! Definitely my new go-to sugar cookie recipe.
So glad to hear it! 🙂 It’s such a versatile recipe!