Take the hustle and bustle out of cookie-baking for your loved ones by giving them these festive cookie kits that are ready for the fun parts—the decorating and eating!
Sugar Cookie Kits
Makes 28 to 30 Cookies, 2 to 4 Kits
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- 3¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Vanilla Buttercream (recipe follows)
- Christmas sprinkles
Vanilla Buttercream
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and confectioners’ sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Add egg and vanilla bean paste, beating until combined.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating just until a dough forms; scrape sides of bowl, and knead dough 3 to 4 times in bowl to make sure it is well combined.
- Divide dough in half. Working with one half at a time, on a lightly floured surface, roll dough to ¼-inch thickness. Using desired 2½- to 4½-inch cutters, cut dough, and place at least 1 inch apart on prepared pans. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes.
- Bake, one pan at a time, until lightly golden around edges, about 18 minutes. Let cool on pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and let cool completely on wire racks.
- To create cookie-making kits to give as gifts, place desired amount of cookies in a box or cookie tin with small containers of Vanilla Buttercream and sprinkles.
Vanilla Buttercream
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and salt at medium speed until smooth and creamy. With mixer on low speed, add confectioners’ sugar in three additions alternately with cream, beginning and ending with confectioners’ sugar, beating until combined after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Increase mixer speed to high, and beat until pale and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.
Notes
Kitchen Tip
To color frosting, dip a wooden pick into red or green gel food coloring; add to ½ cup prepared frosting. Stir until combined. Add more as needed to achieve desired color.
To color frosting, dip a wooden pick into red or green gel food coloring; add to ½ cup prepared frosting. Stir until combined. Add more as needed to achieve desired color.
