Description

Create festive magic with these Peppermint Snowflake Sugar Cookies, perfectly soft and tender with a refreshing hint of peppermint. Decorated with bright red and green gel icing and crunchy crushed peppermint, these cookies are an ideal treat for holiday celebrations.

Ingredients

Scale

Dry Ingredients

2 ¾ cups (345g) all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt

Wet Ingredients

1 cup (225g) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp peppermint extract
2–3 TBSP milk (only as needed, for dough consistency)

Icing Ingredients

2 cups (240g) powdered sugar
1–2 TBSP milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp peppermint extract
Optional: a few drops white gel coloring (for brightness)

Decorations

Red gel icing
Green gel icing
Crushed peppermint candies or sanding sugar

Instructions

Mix Dry Ingredients: In a bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt until well combined.
Cream Butter and Sugar: In a separate large bowl, beat softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar together for about 2 minutes until the mixture is fluffy and light.
Add Flavorings: Mix in the large egg, vanilla extract, and peppermint extract until smooth and fully incorporated.
Combine Wet and Dry: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, stirring until a dough begins to form.
Adjust Dough Consistency: If the dough is crumbly, add milk 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing gently until the dough holds together smoothly without being sticky.
Chill Dough: Divide the dough in half, shape each half into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour to firm up and improve rolling.
Preheat Oven: Set the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C) to preheat for baking.
Roll Out Dough: Lightly flour a clean work surface and roll one disc of dough to a ¼-inch thickness for even cookies.
Cut Shapes: Use snowflake-shaped cookie cutters to cut the dough into festive shapes.
Arrange Cookies: Place the cut cookies on parchment paper-lined baking sheets, spacing them evenly.
Bake Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the edges appear pale but not browned to ensure soft texture.
Cool Cookies: Remove cookies from the oven and let them cool completely on a wire rack before applying icing.
Prepare Icing: In a bowl, stir together powdered sugar, milk, vanilla extract, peppermint extract, and optional white gel coloring until the icing is smooth and spoonable.
Icing Application: Use a spoon or piping bag to spread or pipe the icing evenly over the cooled cookies.
Decorate with Gel Icing: Immediately add thin lines of red and green gel icing over the white base.
Create Snowflake Patterns: Using a toothpick, gently drag lines outward from the center of each cookie to form snowflake designs.
Final Touch: Sprinkle crushed peppermint candies or sparkling sanding sugar over the decorated cookies for a festive finish.

Notes

If the dough becomes too sticky while rolling, chill it again for 15 minutes to handle more easily.
Use parchment paper on baking sheets for easy cookie removal and cleanup.
Store iced cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
For a stronger peppermint flavor, increase the peppermint extract cautiously.
Gel icing colors brighten the decoration but can be omitted or substituted based on preference.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Keywords: peppermint cookies, snowflake sugar cookies, holiday cookies, festive cookies, Christmas baking, peppermint sugar cookies