Best Soft Christmas Cookies (Printable Version)
Tender, vanilla-flavored Christmas cookies shaped with festive cutters for a joyful holiday treat.
# Ingredients:
→ Dry Ingredients
01 -
250 grams all-purpose flour
02 -
5 grams baking powder
03 -
2 grams fine sea salt
→ Wet Ingredients
04 -
150 grams margarine, softened
05 -
200 grams white sugar
06 -
2 large eggs, room temperature
07 -
5 milliliters vanilla extract
# Steps:
01 -
Sift together all-purpose flour, baking powder, and fine sea salt in a medium bowl to aerate and thoroughly combine.
02 -
Using an electric mixer, beat margarine and white sugar in a large bowl until pale and fluffy, approximately 3 to 5 minutes.
03 -
Beat in one egg fully; add the second egg along with vanilla extract and blend until creamy and homogeneous.
04 -
Gradually add the sifted flour mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring gently just until combined to preserve tenderness.
05 -
Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of two hours to firm up and enhance shape retention.
06 -
Preheat the oven to 200°C and grease two large baking sheets to prevent sticking.
07 -
On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough to a thickness of 6 millimeters. Use cookie cutters to form festive shapes and transfer carefully to prepared sheets. Re-roll scraps and repeat.
08 -
Bake in batches for 6 to 8 minutes, removing once edges become lightly golden to maintain a soft center.
09 -
Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely, preventing breakage and setting texture.
# Notes:
01 -
Chilling the dough is essential for crisp shapes and maintaining softness in the baked cookies.
02 -
Cookies remain fresh up to one week stored in an airtight container at room temperature; freeze baked cookies tightly wrapped for up to three months.
03 -
Substitute unsalted butter for margarine for a richer taste, or use a flax egg to make the dough egg-free and retain softness.