Holiday Light Cookies

MAKES: 1 dozen

COOK TIME: 10 Min

When December rolls around, it's time to bring out your favorite decorations: Christmas lights! Our very special Holiday Light Cookies are a nod to one of our favorite parts of the holidays; made sweet roll-out dough and deliciously homemade royal icing, these cookies are a festive treat everyone will enjoy. You might say these cookies will make your friends and family "light up" with holiday cheer!

What You'll Need

3/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
ROYAL ICING
1 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 large egg white
FOR DECORATING
1 small tube black icing
1 tube of Mini M&Ms

What to Do

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a medium bowl with an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugar. When butter mixture reaches a light and fluffy texture, add egg yolk, and vanilla and almond extracts; mix well. Once mixed, gradually add flour mixture and gently combine until no flour remains. Be careful not to over-mix!
On a lightly floured work surface, use a rolling pin to roll dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Using cookie cutters, cut out cookies and place on baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Dough should yield 12 cookies.
Place cookies in freezer while oven preheats to 350 degrees F. Bake cookies 10 to 12 minutes, until edges of cookies turn slightly brown. Let cool 3 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
Meanwhile in a small bowl, combine confectioners' sugar and lemon juice. In a separate small bowl, beat egg white to loosen; add egg white to icing mixture. Whisk icing, starting slowly until sugar melts and becomes liquid (Do not add any more liquid to the bowl. Keep whisking slowly and the icing will form!)
Spoon a small amount of icing onto the center of each cookie, and spread almost to the edges of the cookie. Using the black decorating icing, pipe two black lines onto each cookie and press mini M&Ms into icing (See Photo).

Christmas dinner just got better! Make our Georgia Peach Glazed Ham for something that will please everyone.
Looking for more Christmas desserts? Try our Cold Christmas Fudge Cake, our Cranberry Swirl Cake, or our Crockpot Sugared Pecans!
Be sure to check out the other cookies in our 2018 Christmas Cookie Countdown!