12 EASY Circle Christmas Cookies!
No cookie cutters? No problem! These circle Christmas cookies are easy for all ages, cute as can be, and you don’t even need a cookie cutter to make them!
Calories 116kcal
Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter (softened at room temperature)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract (nut allergy? you can substitute this with extra vanilla!)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
Frosting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. To prep for rolling, lay a piece of parchment on the counter and sprinkle with about 1 teaspoon of flour.
- In a large bowl, cream together softened unsalted butter (¾ cup, i.e., 1 ½ sticks) and granulated sugar (¾ cup) on medium speed for 20-30 seconds.
- While the mixer is still on medium speed, add in egg (1 large), vanilla extract (1 ½ teaspoons), and almond extract (½ teaspoon).
- Once mixed, add in baking powder (1 teaspoon), salt (½ teaspoon), and all-purpose flour ½ cup at a time on low speed (2 cups total).
- Once mixture is combined and all the flour disappears, transfer dough to the piece of floured parchment paper. Press mixture into large ball so that it is all incorporated and any loose floury pieces are pressed in. Knead dough for 5-10 seconds until it becomes a smooth ball, then press into 2" thick disc (see photo guides above in post).Use a rolling pin to roll dough ⅜" to ½" thick.
- Use cookie cutters to cut out and transfer to a parchment baking sheet. I used a 2.5" circle cookie cutter (you can also use a wine glass or cup!).
- Bake at 350℉ for 8-10 minutes. Do not overbake. Depending on size, cookies may look underdone at 10 minutes, but I recommend removing them from the oven before seeing any brown on the edges. If you've used a medium/large cutter and made them ½" thick, you may need to bake for a few extra minutes.
- Once baked, remove from oven and place pan on a cooling rack. Do not remove cookies from hot pan. Let them rest on the hot pan for 10-15 minutes to finish baking before removing from the pan.
- Once completely cooled, top with frosting. See notes section below for frosting ideas.
- Store in airtight container for 2-3 days or freeze for later.
Notes
- Depending on size/thickness of cookies, you can typically get 12-24 cookies.
- Easy Sugar Cookie Icing = Great for one-color designs
- Royal Icing = Great for intricate designs, where you want the icing to fully harden.
- Buttercream Frosting = Great for spreading or piping swirls
Nutrition
Calories: 116kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 52mg | Potassium: 32mg | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 185IU | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 0.5mg