Description
Christmas Sugar Cookie Bites are soft, buttery, and festive treats perfect for holiday celebrations. These bite-sized cookies are made with a simple dough enriched with cold butter, powdered sugar, and a hint of vanilla and almond extracts. After rolling and chilling, they are cut into small squares, baked to golden perfection, and decorated with colorful buttercream frosting and holiday sprinkles for a delightful seasonal treat.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cookie Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp. almond extract (optional)
- 2 ¾ cups all purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 2-4 tsp. milk (if needed)
For the Frosting & Decoration
- My favorite buttercream frosting recipe
- Gel food coloring (red and green)
- Festive holiday sprinkles
Instructions
- Prepare dry ingredients: Combine the flour, powdered sugar, salt, and baking powder in a food processor or a bowl if mixing by hand, stirring to mix evenly.
- Incorporate butter using food processor: Add cold butter cubes into the food processor and pulse until the mixture looks sandy with small butter pieces. Alternatively, if using a stand mixer, beat the powdered sugar, salt, and cold butter on low speed with the paddle attachment until the mixture forms a paste.
- Add eggs and extracts: Add the large egg, egg yolk, vanilla extract, and optional almond extract into the mixture and pulse or beat until a dough begins to form. Add a splash of milk if the dough is too dry and crumbly.
- Form the dough: Divide the dough in half and gently knead each portion until it comes together smoothly but avoid overworking it to keep cookies tender.
- Roll the dough: Place dough halves between two sheets of parchment paper and roll each to about ½ inch thickness, keeping the thickness slightly thick to maintain a soft texture after baking.
- Chill the dough: Transfer the rolled dough on parchment to the freezer for at least 20 minutes or until firm to help in cutting and baking.
- Cut the cookies: Remove from freezer and use a pizza cutter or knife to slice into small squares. Gather and re-roll any scraps, chilling again if needed.
- Bake the cookie bites: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Place cut cookie squares on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 10-12 minutes, taking care not to overbake to keep them soft.
- Cool the cookies: Allow the cookies to cool completely on a wire rack before frosting to prevent melting or sliding of the icing.
- Prepare frosting and decorate: Divide buttercream frosting into three portions. Leave one portion white, color the other two with red and green gel food coloring. Frost each cooled cookie bite and top with festive holiday sprinkles.
- Serve and enjoy: Let the decorated cookies set briefly and then serve as a delightful holiday treat perfect for sharing.
Notes
- Use cold butter to achieve a tender, flaky texture and prevent the dough from becoming greasy.
- Do not overmix the dough to keep the cookies soft and tender rather than tough.
- If dough becomes too soft to handle, chill it longer before cutting.
- Gel food coloring is preferred for vibrant, rich colors without thinning the frosting.
- Store decorated cookie bites in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
