INGREDIENTS
200g (7/8 cup) unsalted butter, softened
280g (1 ¼ cups) caster sugar
¼ tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
400g (3 1/5 cups) plain/all-purpose flour
A pinch of salt
½ tsp cream of tartar
To decorate
250g (1 1/2 cups) Icing/confectioners sugar
Food colouring
Sprinkles
Preheat the oven to 170C/160C Fan /325F and line several baking trays with baking paper.
Mix the butter, sugar and vanilla extract
Measure out the butter, sugar and vanilla extract and pop them in a large mixing bowl or freestanding mixer. Cream them together until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Add the egg
Crack the egg in a small bowl and add to your mixture. Mix everything together. If you need to, use a spatula to scrape unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl.
Add the dry ingredients
Measure the flour, salt, cream of tartar and add to the butter/sugar mixture. Mix everything together so it comes together into a ball of soft dough.
Make the Christmas cookies
Dust your work surface with a little flour and roll out your dough until it is about ½ a cm thick.
Use festive cutters to cut shapes out and place them on your baking trays.
Bake the Christmas cookies
Pop the cookies in the oven for around 10 minutes. They’re ready when the edges are starting to turn a little golden. They should still be pale in the centre.
Leave them to cool on the baking trays for a minute or two before removing them and placing them on a wire rack to cool completely.4
Decorate the Christmas cookies
In a few separate bowls, mix some icing sugar with a few tsp of water. Add your chosen colours and mix well. Put the icing in a small freezer/zip lock bag. Cut a tiny hole in one corner and pipe your designs. You could alternatively just spoon the icing on to the cookies, but it can be a bit messier.
Leave to set and have a great Christmas from all of us at Sensory Playground