Christmas cut-out cookies

These cut-out cookies for children are really delicious and super easy to make.

Are you looking for a good recipe for cut-out cookies? I have an easy cut out cookie recipe for you here. Use your favorite cookie cutter shapes, e.g. Christmas could be your theme. Perhaps a birthday party or a Valentine theme. You pick your favourite.

Jeg har her lavet en en vanilje småkager opskrift, men skift lidt ca. 50 g kakaopulver ud med mel, så har du chokolade småkager til udstikning.

I have made a vanilla cookie recipe but you can substitute 1/3 cup (50 g) of the all-purpose flour with cocoa powder for a chocolate cut-out cookie. It is a really good idea to let the dough rest a couple of hours in the refrigerator. It will be much easier to handle since the dough is getting a bit sticky if not refrigerated. These cookies can be made all year round. If you do not prefer icing your cookies I have a recipe on a frosting you could use for decorating.

Ingredients for Easy Cut-Out cookies (Approx 30-40 cookies)

1 ½ stick (170 g) of butter, room temperature
1 cup (200 g) sugar
1 egg
1 vanilla pod, seeds
2 ¾ cups (350 g) all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 pinch of salt

Instructions

  • Cut the vanilla pod lengthwise and scrape all the seeds out and mix them with a bit of the sugar.
  • Whisk the sugar and butter white and soft on your stand mixer.
  • Add the egg and whisk again.
  • Fold the flour, baking powder and salt into the dough with a large mixing spoon or a spatula.
  • The dough is now done and I would recommend putting it in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.
  • Preheat the oven to 375 F (conventional oven).

After the cookie dough has been refrigerated

Pour a bit of flour on your countertop before you start rolling your dough. I roll the dough into a ¼ inches thickness which I think make perfectly baked cookies. If you roll the dough any thinner you can end up with burned cookies while baking.

If the dough is getting to sticky you can pour a bit of flour on top, just a bit.

I made these easy cut-out cookies with my 2 girls and they were playing with the dough so it got a soft and warm. You can save the dough by adding some flour on your countertop and roll it into the right thickness. Then the kids can continue using the cutting the cookies with their favorite cookie cutters. This means you do not have to place the dough in the refrigerator again! Kids love this activity and only the sky is the limit with creativity. Needless to say there are many wonderful cookie cutters available.

Baking

If you want to be sure that the baked cookies keep their shape and thickness it is a good idea to refrigerate them for 30 minutes prior of baking them. This step is for appearance only.

When the cookies go in the oven, they need approx. 7 minutes (in my oven). Keep a close eye on them since they turn brown on the edges very quickly. Let the cookies cool completely on a baking rack before you get started on the icing and sprinkle.

Easy cut-out cookies
When I make an icing I mix up some confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar) and pasteurized egg whites. I do not have an exact recipe. Pour some confectioners’ sugar in a bowl and add a bit of pasteurized egg whites at a time mix with a spoon or fork. Add a little color if you like, gel-based food color is really good since it does not affect the consistency of the icing. Fruit color can make the icing a bit too runny.

The consistency of the icing

If you are going for a fine and sharp look the icing should not be too thick because then it will not level out on the cookie as well. On the pictures of the cookies I have made the icing is a bit on the thicker side. Begin by drawing the edges on your cookies using a disposable cake decorating bag. If you think the bag is a bit unhandy you can clip it smaller on the top. Fill out the middle of the cookie. I use a tooth pick to spread the icing around within the line. It is super fun and we really enjoy doing it together. You can also use sprinkles or something else for decoration; just add it before the icing sets.

Links for the baking tools I use from Amazon:

Cookie cutters
12-inch disposable cake decorating bags
Coloring for icing
Sprinkles for cake decorating