Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Serves: Makes about 40 cookies
These classic Christmas Cookies / Vanilla Sugar Cookies are made especially for cutting into beautiful festive shapes. They hold their shape perfectly while baking, with NO DOUGH CHILLING required. Lightly sweet and delicately flavoured with vanilla, these biscuits are ideal for icing, decorating, gifting — or simply enjoying straight from the tin with a cup of tea.
Inspiration
Christmas meals have always been about togetherness. In our household, where baking is predominant, it’s about flour-dusted tables, little hands pressing cookie cutters, and the smell of vanilla drifting through the house.
These cookies are inspired by that simple joy of festive baking, where the process and the fun that comes with it matter much more than the end result.
Ingredient Fact
Vanilla may be subtle, but it plays a powerful role in baking. It enhances sweetness naturally and rounds out flavours, which is why even a small amount makes these cookies taste rich and comforting without overpowering them.
Ingredients
For Cookies
- 225 g (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
(If using salted butter, skip the added salt) - ¾ cup caster or superfine sugar
(Regular granulated sugar works too as long as you beat it well) - 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 large egg (55–60 g)
- 3 cups plain / all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
For Icing
- Sugar Cookie Icing (see this recipe)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) or 160°C fan-forced. Line two baking trays with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until pale and creamy (about 1 minute).
- Add the egg and vanilla extract, beating until fully combined.
- Add the flour, baking powder and salt.
- Start mixing on a low speed, then beat until the flour is just incorporated — the dough will look clumpy.
- Lightly flour your work surface, turn out the dough and bring it together gently. Divide into two portions and shape into discs.
- Roll out the dough to:
- 3 mm (⅛ inch) for thinner, crisp cookies
- 6 mm (¼ inch) for softer cookies
Dust lightly with flour to prevent sticking.
- Cut out shapes using cookie cutters and transfer carefully to the prepared trays.
(If your kitchen is warm, keep unused dough chilled until ready to bake.) - Bake for 10 minutes, swapping the trays halfway through, until the cookies are pale golden with lightly coloured edges.
- Allow the cookies to cool completely on the trays — they will continue to set as they cool.
Decorating Options
- Decorate with sugar cookie icing
- Dip partially or fully in melted chocolate
- Dust with icing sugar and add silver balls
- Keep them simple and serve plain — they’re delicious just as they are!
Recipe Notes
Cookie Yield:
The number of cookies will vary depending on cutter size and dough thickness. This recipe fills about three baking trays. I suggest that you place and position the cookie cutters as close to each other to make as much use of each dough roll.
Swapping Trays:
Halfway through baking, switch the tray on the top rack with the one below to ensure even baking.
Adaptation Note:
This recipe has been adapted from RecipeTinEats, with slight adjustments in sugar quantity.
Storage:
Store in an airtight container for up to one week. They remain tasty beyond this, though slightly drier after the first week.
