Description
Delight in these soft and festive Frosted Christmas Cookies, perfect for holiday celebrations. Made with a blend of butter, shortening, and instant vanilla pudding mix, these cookies bake to a light golden perfection and are topped with creamy, customizable frosting and colorful sprinkles to brighten any Christmas cookie platter.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cookies:
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¼ cup shortening
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 3.4 ounce instant vanilla pudding mix
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the Frosting:
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 Tablespoons heavy cream (⅜ cup)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 cups confectioners sugar
- Gel food coloring, optional
- Sprinkles, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats to prepare for baking the cookies.
- Cream butter mixture: In a large bowl, use a stand or hand mixer to beat the butter, shortening, and granulated sugar together until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- Add eggs and flavor: Beat in the eggs, vanilla extract, and instant vanilla pudding mix until fully incorporated.
- Combine dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add this to the butter mixture in small increments, mixing well after each addition.
- Shape the cookies: Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to portion the dough, rolling each scoop into a ball. Place cookies onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
- Bake the cookies: Bake for 12-15 minutes until the cookies are set and lightly golden around the edges. Let them cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare the frosting: Beat the butter until it is light and fluffy, roughly 3 minutes. Gradually add powdered sugar and heavy cream, alternating between the two and mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla extract and salt, mixing until smooth.
- Color the frosting: Divide the frosting into separate bowls according to how many colors you want. Add gel food coloring a few drops at a time, stirring until the desired shade is reached.
- Frost the cookies: Spread or pipe the colored frosting onto the cooled cookies and immediately decorate with sprinkles, if using.
- Set and store: Allow the frosting to set before storing the cookies in an airtight container. These cookies keep well at room temperature for up to 4 days or in the fridge up to 1 week.
Notes
- The soft frosted Christmas cookies last up to 4 days at room temperature or up to 1 week refrigerated when stored in an airtight container.
- Store cookies in a single layer or separate layers with parchment paper to prevent frosting from sticking.
- You can prepare the cookie dough ahead and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months before baking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 12g
- Sodium: 80mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 1.5g
- Cholesterol: 20mg
