Decorating Sugar Cookies is a traditional holiday activity. Below are tips to make decorating cookies a little easier.
Tips for Decorating Sugar Cookies
How to Make Colored Sugar:
Put plain white sugar in bowls and then add a couple drops of food color to make colored sugar. I also make colored coconut in this manner. Coconut adds texture to trees, bunnies, birds, and angel wings.
How to Make Colored Frosting:
I make a batch of the buttercream frosting recipe which is posted below. I divide the frosting between small bowls and add food color to make the desired color. I put a knife in each bowl for spreading the frosting on the cookies. If there is any leftover, I put a lid on the bowl and save it to make graham cracker sandwich cookies.
Other Food Items to Use to Decorate Cookies:
Raisins, cranberries, nuts, coconut, and colored candies are great for adding detail to cookies. A little goes a long way, so you can buy an individual serving of mini M&M’s instead of the 16-ounce bags.
I buy the fancy sprinkles when they go on sale after a holiday. You can use the red Christmas sprinkles for decorating Valentine’s Day, and the green for St. Patrick’s Day…
If a cookie needs piping. I spoon a small amount of frosting into a plastic bag and cut off a corner, twist the bag above the frosting level, and then squeeze the frosting onto the cookie. You can use either the buttercream recipe below or you can use this decorating icing recipe.
I also picked up a couple of Norpro Decorating Set
(they are usually less than $6.50 each). I fill them with colored frosting so that my kids can add texture to the cookies without forcing me to buy the decorator tubes from the store.
Easy Sugar Cookies Recipe
Easy Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 4 cups all-purpose flour you can use gf flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon orange zest optional
Instructions
- Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat for about one minute.
- Mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Knead dough well.
- Refrigerate for at least two hours.
- Slice or roll out to use cookie cutters.
- Bake cookies for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Cookies should be very pale when done.
- Let cool on a cookie rack. When cool you can decorate the cookies if you like.
Notes
Yes, they all have the white hand of Saruman on their face. If I give them flour this is what happens every. single. time!
Buttercream Frosting Recipe
Butter Cream Frosting
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 - 4 tablespoons milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Instructions
- Beat butter, sugar, vanilla, and 2 tablespoons of milk in a blender on low speed until the mixture is smooth.
- If it is too thick, add milk a little bit at a time until it is the desired consistency.
- Add food coloring if desired.
What is your favorite cookie to make? Does the whole family get in on the action or do they just show up and “make sure that the cookies are safe for human consumption” once the cookies have cooled?
More Holiday Treats:
Nicole Feliciano says
Pillow case…that is a new one. Can't wait to see what you come up with for tomorrow. My recipe is pork–until then!
Karine says
Thanks for the pillowcase tips! Your cookies sound delish 🙂
Martha says
Sugar cookies — my favorite — and even better when frosted!
Jerri says
I just love sugar cookies! So simple and good.
Shana says
We use a pillowcase to roll biscuits out on also. My Mom does and my gandma did and my great grandma….you get the idea. They don't stick to your surface that way. I never thought about cookie dough though. Thanks!
Kristen says
My kids constantly beg me to make sugar cookies. I haven't figured out if it's the cookies or the frosting with sprinkles that they love more. Yours sound great.
honeysuckle says
I love the taste of sugar cookies and it looks like you have a houseful that do too. Lucky you to have them helping you!
Lori E says
You gotta have some fun in the kitchen. Mission accomplished.
Mary says
I really enjoyed your photo. That's a memory in the making. Could they be visitors from outer space; is it a cult? Nah! I think they're having a great time at your expense :-). Have a wonderful day.
susan says
Alea-I got such a kick out of your picture! When my children were little I used to have a sugar cookie icing and decorating "free for all" each Christmas for my kids and the cousins–all boys . It took me days to recover! I KNOW your recipes turn out well, so this is a keeper!
heartnsoulcooking says
My favorite cookie is anyone with chocolate. I have a GREAT!!! sugar cookie recipe and love making it with the kids. I baked them and the kids use to decorate them. Now I do the same with my grand-daughters. Sometimes we make such a mess, but that's alright. You can clean up a mess, but the memories last a life time.
Thanks!!! Geri
Chef Eureka says
Cookies rock! 🙂
Live.Love.Eat says
That's a great tip on the pillow case. Hysterical pictures of your fam with flour everywhere!
I am not a huge sweets eater but Butter Cream is my favorite icing!!!!!!!!
1st time joining MomTrends on a Friday so wanted to say hello!!!!!!!!!!
Lori says
Mmm, yet ANOTHER recipe I'll have to try! LOL! GREAT tip about the cutting board and pillow case!!!
Wishing you a wonderful weekend!!
Vickie's Michigan Garden (my backyard) says
Alea,
They all looked like they were having such fun–I'll be coming back to this post many times in the future.
vickie
The Thrifty Countrywoman says
Alea, great tip about the pillowcase and cutting board. Our family used to make and decorate sugar cookies for Christmas. We'd be sweeping up sprinkles for weeks afterward!
Jane
Joyce says
I assume I flour the pillow case?
Joyce
Melissa says
My son likes to help me bake, especially when he can help decorate sugar cookies. We usually only do that for Christmas, though.
Poppedijne says
You had the same idea as I had last week.I needed red colored sugar to make a cupcake look like a red apple and I did it exactly like you. Colored sugars are in each case very hard to find here so this is a great way to make it.I'm not a big cookie baker but I'm sure this will change once our granddaughter is a bit bigger!