Christmas Star Cut-Out Cookies – Make your guests feel special when they come over! These rich and crumbly shortbreads are out of this world amazing. Decorate with our egg-free icing and they’ll make a cute idea for gifting or for sending for the Holidays.
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Ingredients list for the christmas cookies
The shortbread cookies:
- 1 stick (120g) butter
- A pinch (2 g) salt
- 3/4 cup (90g) icing sugar
- 3 tablespoons (15 g) almond powder
- 1 whole egg
- 1/2 cup + 1 1/2 cups (60g + 180g) all-purpose flour
Icing
- 1 and 1/2 cups (180g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
- 2 tablespoons (30l) water, at room temperature
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Directions
The cookies:
1. Preheat your oven to 360°F (180°C).
2. Cream the butter and sugar in a bowl and salt, ground almonds, egg, and 1/2 cup (60g) of flour.
3. Once the mixture is homogeneous add 1 1/2 cups (180g) flour and mix quickly, without overworking the dough. Make a ball, wrap in plastic and let sit in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
4. Spread the dough on a floured surface and cut out as many cookies as will fit with a star cookie cutter.
5. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat. Bake for about 15 minutes in the oven.
The icing:
1. whisk the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and 2 tablespoons of water in a medium bowl. It should be quite thick. If it is much too thick, add a few drops of water. You know it’s the right consistency when a ribbon of icing will hold for a few seconds when you whisk before melting back into the icing. Cover the icing tightly and keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days if you’re not decorating right away.
2. Transfer the icing into a shallow plate. Dip the cookies upside down into the icing, holding them by the sides. You may enjoy right away or you can wait 24 hours for the icing to set and harden.
Note: Feel free to decorate further: We used a pinhead to make small dots of the icing surface. Let your inspiration guide you!
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
