The holiday season is the perfect time to make holiday cookies. Here, I’m giving you my recipes for three of the most iconic holiday cookies: gingerbread cookies; cut out sugar cookies that hold their shapes beautifully when baked; and the most amazing snowball cookies! There’s something for everyone here, so why not make all three cookie recipes this holiday season!
How to make 3 Iconic Holiday Cookies
Scroll down for amounts of ingredients
Gingerbread Cookies
In a large food processor combine the:
Flour
Ginger
Cinnamon
Cocoa
Salt
Butter
Egg yolk
Process until the mixture forms fine crumbs.
Add honey and process again until a dough starts to form.
Transfer onto a lightly floured work board and bring the dough together with your hands.
Roll out the dough to about ¼ inch thickness and cut out the cookies.
Transfer cookies onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake the cookies at 180 °C (350 °F) for about 15 - 18 minutes.
Allow to cool completely before icing/frosting.
Sugar Cookies
In a large food processor combine the:
Flour
Sugar
Salt
Butter
Egg yolks
Process until a dough starts to form.
Transfer onto a lightly floured work board and bring the dough together with your hands.
Roll out the dough to about ¼ inch thickness and cut out the cookies.
Transfer cookies onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place cookies into the freezer for at least 15 minutes OR refrigerate for at least 45 minutes before baking.
Bake the cookies at 180 °C (350 °F) for about 15 - 18 minutes. These need to go into the oven well chilled.
Allow to cool completely before icing/frosting.
Snowball Cookies
Cream together softed butter and sugar until well combined.
Fold in the flour and chopped nuts of your choice.
Using a cookie scoop, for your cookies and roll into balls.
Transfer cookies onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place cookies into the freezer for at least 30 minutes OR refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Bake the cookies at 180 °C (350 °F) for about 12 - 15 minutes. These need to go into the oven well chilled.
These cookies don't brown, but the bottom should be slightly golden.
Immediately roll into some powdered sugar OR allow to cool completely and coat in melted chocolate.
If you liked these cookies, you might like these other holiday cookie recipes
Cutout Sugar Cookies
Christmas Cookies Box
Cutout Iced Christmas Cookies
3 Ingredient Christmas Cookie Cereal
Pro Tips
You can add variations to these cookies by decorating them in different ways. For example, the cookies can be decorated with melted chocolate or royal icing. The snowball cookies in particular are amazing when covered in chocolate!
Watch the video tutorial
Ingredients
For the Gingerbread Cookies
110 g (1 stick) Unsalted butter
100 g (⅓ cup OR 3.5 oz) Honey
100 g (½ cup) Fine white sugar
1 egg yolk (don't throw the egg white away! Use it to make the icing)
250 g (1¾ cups) All purpose flour
½ tsp vanilla
1 tsp tsp Cocoa powder
1½ tsp Ginger
1½ tsp Cinnamon
¼ tsp Salt
For the Sugar Cookies
250 g (1¾ cups) All purpose flour
2 large Egg Yolks
120 g (1 cup) Powdered Sugar
150 g (1⅓ stick) Unsalted butter
1 tsp Vanilla
¼ tsp Salt
For the Snowball Cookies
110 g (1 stick) Unsalted softened butter
60 g (½ cup) Powdered Sugar
170 g (1 cup and 3 tbsp) All purpose flour
¼ tsp Salt
Any roasted and salted nuts of your choice. I used salted roasted peanuts
Royal Icing Recipe
190 g (1½ cups) Powdered sugar
1 Egg white
½ tsp Lemon juice
Any flavor extract you prefer (optional)
Note: You may need to vary the precise amounts given in this recipe, depending on the size of your egg-white, and whether you add any other liquids such as vanilla extract. You should adjust the amounts of lemon juice and powdered sugar to achieve the desired consistency of icing.
Instructions
For the Gingerbread Cookies
In a large food processor combine the:
Flour
Ginger
Cinnamon
Cocoa
Salt
Butter
Egg yolk
Process until the mixture forms fine crumbs.
Add honey and process again until a dough starts to form.
Transfer onto a lightly floured work board and bring the dough together with your hands.
Roll out the dough to about ¼ inch thickness and cut out the cookies.
Transfer cookies onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake the cookies at 180 °C (350 °F) for about 15 - 18 minutes.
Allow to cool completely before icing/frosting.
For the Sugar Cookies
In a large food processor combine the:
Flour
Sugar
Salt
Butter
Egg yolks
Process until a dough starts to form.
Transfer onto a lightly floured work board and bring the dough together with your hands.
Roll out the dough to about ¼ inch thickness and cut out the cookies.
Transfer cookies onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place cookies into the freezer for at least 15 minutes OR refrigerate for at least 45 minutes before baking.
Bake the cookies at 180 °C (350 °F) for about 15 - 18 minutes. These need to go into the oven well chilled.
Allow to cool completely before icing/frosting.
For the Snowball Cookies
Cream together softed butter and sugar until well combined.
Fold in the flour and chopped nuts of your choice.
Using a cookie scoop, for your cookies and roll into balls.
Transfer cookies onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and place cookies into the freezer for at least 30 minutes OR refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Bake the cookies at 180 °C (350 °F) for about 12 - 15 minutes. These need to go into the oven well chilled.
These cookies don't brown, but the bottom should be slightly golden.
Immediately roll into some powdered sugar OR allow to cool completely and coat in melted chocolate.
For the Royal Icing
In a large bowl, combine together the egg white, powdered sugar, lemon juice and vanilla extract.
About EmmaFontanella.com
Thanks so much for visiting! I’m Emma Fontanella, a pastry chef based in Rome, Italy and New York in the United States. You might know me from my YouTube channel, Emma’s Goodies. I really believe the best baking is done at home, so this site is where I share my recipes designed for home bakers - from beginners to the most advanced.
Here you’ll find written step-by-step instructions for hundreds of my recipes, along with full video tutorials.
Tried one of my recipes? Please let me know on Instagram - I love seeing what you create! Mention @emmafontanella. Tag #emmafontanella #emmasgoodies
