Iced Christmas Sugar Cookies
This Iced Christmas Sugar Cookies recipe makes buttery biscuits with neat edges and a simple lemon icing that needs no raw egg whites. Cut them into stars, trees or whatever festive shapes you have in the drawer, then let everyone help with the decorating.
For a hot South African Christmas, bake early while the kitchen is cool and decorate once the biscuits have cooled completely. They are easy to serve alongside chilled fruit or pack into small gift boxes, with no last-minute cooking needed.
The dough gets two short rests in the fridge to keep those shapes tidy. The icing sets firm enough for gentle stacking, although humid coastal weather can mean leaving it to dry overnight before packing.
Ingredients
Sugar cookies
Lemon icing
Instructions
Make and bake the cookies
- 1Beat the butter and caster sugar together for about 2 minutes until smooth and slightly lighter in colour. Avoid whipping in lots of air, which can make the cookies spread.
- 2Beat in the egg and vanilla essence. Add the cake flour and salt, then mix just until a soft dough forms. Press into two flat discs, wrap and refrigerate for 45 minutes, or until firm enough to roll.
- 3Heat the oven to 180 °C, or 160 °C fan-assisted. Line two baking trays with baking paper. Roll one dough disc at a time between lightly floured sheets of baking paper to a thickness of 5 mm.
- 4Cut out shapes using cutters approximately 6 cm wide. Transfer to the trays, leaving 2 cm between cookies. Gather and reroll the scraps gently; aim for about 30 cookies in total. Refrigerate the cut cookies for 15 minutes before baking.
- 5Bake one tray at a time on the middle shelf for 10–12 minutes, until the edges are just pale golden and the centres look dry. Keep the second tray chilled while the first bakes. Allow about 24 minutes of oven time for two trays.
- 6Leave the cookies on their trays for 5 minutes, then transfer carefully to wire racks. Cool completely before icing, allowing about 30 minutes.
Ice and decorate
- 1Stir the icing sugar and lemon juice together, then add 15 ml water. Add more water a few drops at a time until the icing falls from a spoon in a thick ribbon and slowly settles flat. It should spread gently without running straight off a cookie.
- 2Divide the icing between small bowls and tint some red and green, if using. Keep bowls covered when not in use so the icing does not form a crust.
- 3Spread a thin layer of icing over each cookie with a teaspoon or small palette knife, leaving a narrow border. For simple coloured dots or lines, spoon a little contrasting icing into a small piping bag and snip off the tip.
- 4Leave the decorated cookies in a single layer in a cool, dry spot for 4–6 hours, or overnight in humid weather. Test one before stacking: the icing should feel dry and should not dent under a light touch.
Nutrition (per serving)
- Calories
- 104 kcal
- Carbohydrates
- 16.5 g
- Protein
- 1.1 g
- Fat
- 3.6 g
- Saturated fat
- 2.2 g
- Sugar
- 10.1 g
- Fibre
- 0.2 g
- Sodium
- 16 mg
- Cholesterol
- 15 mg
Estimated values based on the ingredients used.
Notes
Christmas tips
- Prep time covers about 40 minutes of hands-on work. Also allow 1 hour for chilling, 30 minutes for cooling and 4–6 hours or overnight for the icing to set.
- In summer heat, roll only half the dough at a time. If it becomes sticky or the shapes stretch when lifted, return it to the fridge for 10–15 minutes rather than adding lots of flour.
- Store fully dried cookies in an airtight container at cool room temperature for up to 5 days, with baking paper between layers. Keep them out of direct sun and away from steam.
- For gifts, pack only once the icing is completely dry. This simple glaze is softer than royal icing, so use shallow boxes and avoid piling heavy layers on top.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make the dough ahead?
Yes. Refrigerate the wrapped dough for up to 2 days, or freeze it for up to 2 months. Thaw frozen dough overnight in the fridge. If it is too firm to roll, leave it on the counter briefly until workable.
Can I make the icing without lemon juice?
Yes. Replace the lemon juice with the same volume of water. Add the remaining water gradually, as you may not need all of it. Gel colouring is useful because it changes the consistency less than liquid colouring.
Why did my cookies spread?
The dough may have been too warm, the butter too soft or the baking tray still hot. Chill the cut shapes until firm, use cool trays and weigh the flour accurately. This recipe has no baking powder, which helps the cookies keep their outlines.
