The Santa Clause Cookies.
Officially kicking off the holiday season with The Santa Clause Cookies. Made with double the vanilla and sweet brown sugar, these cookies are soft, buttery, and perfectly sweet with hints of caramel throughout. They’re generously glazed with a sweet, thick, and creamy vanilla bean glaze that truly makes these cookies melt in your mouth. The secret is all in the combination of hazelnut liquor, vanilla, and brown sugar, which keep these cookies incredibly flavorful, soft, and so delicious. Finish them off with a light dusting of vanilla sugar to keep the decorating simple and easy. Fun to bake, delicious to eat, a great homemade gift, and a festive addition to your holiday cookie box!
My favorite Christmas cookies…for your Black Friday baking and snacking!
Hoping you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your families!! I know so many of you made recipes from HBH. And I mean so many. We’ve been LOVING getting to see every last dish being made on Instagram. It’s always so fun to see what everyone is making. And you guys? I’m feeling extra thankful for you all! The last couple of days we’ve truly been overwhelmed with messages in regards to Thanksgiving. We’ve never seen so many cocktails mixed up, turkeys roasted, and pies baked than we have this year. Grateful for you all.
And, shout out to my cousins, Maggie and Abby, who are both apart of our small HBH team. They’ve been working overtime to help manage all the messages coming in. I couldn’t do it without these two!
(cookies after baking)
(cookie outlined in frosting)
(cookie covered in Sprinkles)
But today? Today we’re moving onto CHRISTMAS, my very favorite time of year, it’s finally here!
And to celebrate? We have cookies! Possibly the best tasting sugar cookies…that just so happen to be easy (or at least easier), and fun to make.
I have to admit, I spent a lot of time thinking about what would be the perfect post to share with you all today. I went back and forth with a few ideas (as I always do). But in the end, I had these cookies pictured in my head and my excitement for them won me over. These are the best way to officially welcome in the holiday season. Along with all the decorating, holiday music, baking, and time with friends and family that’s to come.
They’re especially perfect if you happen to be trimming the tree and decking the halls today…like I am.
Here’s the story.
I come up with recipes in unusual ways. I’m very visual and often have a vision in my head of the recipe I want to create. That was the case with these cookies. I had one picture in my head and one goal when I set out to make them.
The picture was a snowy, winter wonderland with Santa front and center. Kind of like his own snowy North Pole. I wanted to use lots of fun snowflake cookie cutters and Christmas trees with a few Santas snuggled throughout my snowy scene. And then, as I was starring at the photos, it hit me, these needed to be called, The Santa Clause Cookies. The Santas remind me so much of Tim Allen in The Santa Clause…one of my favorite Christmas movies.
The Santa Clause Cookies. Details…
The goal was simple. Create a sugar cookie that actually tastes GOOD. As in not just sugary, but a cookie with real flavor, and a frosting that doesn’t just taste like cardboard. All in a beautiful wintry setting.
I really LOVE these cookies, but every other sugar cookie? Not usually my thing. My pet peeve with typical sugar cookies is that they just taste like sugar. There’s no flavor. So that’s why I love these cookies, these cookies have flavor! Some of the best cookies to come out of my kitchen. Dramatic, but even my mom agrees, these are DELICIOUS.
And they happen to be pretty easy too. Well, depending on how you decide to decorate. You can keep things simple or go all out, but I’ll leave that up to you!
These cookies are soft, buttery, and hinted with just the right amount of brown sugar, which has hints of caramel from the molasses.
The process is simple. Beat the butter with brown sugar, add an egg, add in the dry ingredients, roll, cut, and bake. There’s absolutely nothing fancy here.
Whenever I make any kind of cut-out cookie, I always like to roll out the dough, cut the cookies, and then freeze the cut cookies on a baking sheet for a few minutes. This ensures that the cookies hold their shape. To cut my cookies, I used varying snowflake cookie cutters, a holiday tree, and a star for Santa. But you can use any shapes you have on hand, or that your family loves the most.
The Frosting.
I kept it simple since I wanted the color to remain white, but I made mine with double the vanilla and a splash of hazelnut liquor.
In addition to my vanilla frosting, I also made a simple cream cheese buttercream to use for Santa’s hat and beard. Both are SO good. You can make one or the other…or both! It’s Christmas, tis’ the season!
A Couple Special Touches.
One, hazelnut liquor, which is not needed, but it does add something special. The sweet liquor really helps to highlight all the vanilla within the recipe. It’s a pricey ingredient, but if you make a lot of holiday sweets…and cocktails, it’s definitely a liquor I would recommend having on hand.
The smell alone reminds me of the holidays.
Two, a little vanilla sugar for decorating. Which is simply just sugar and vanilla bean powder. Not only does this sugar add a sparkle to each cookie, but it gives these White Christmas Cookies that extra special and oh so sweet holiday touch.
Decorating is easy…
Well, I kept mine easier anyway. The Santa cookie took me a bit longer than the trees and snowflakes. But all-in-all, you can re-create these with no fancy ingredients or equipment!
Just find some fun sprinkles, red sanding sugar, mini chocolate, and use up that homemade vanilla sugar. I did my best to explain my process within the directions, but guys, have fun with these cookies! The more imperfect they are the cuter they end up being. So just have fun!
Hope you guys love these as much as I do! Happy Christmas baking to you all! See ya tomorrow for a very special Christmas drink!
Looking for other Christmas cookies? Here are my favorites:
Vanilla Ginger Shortbread Wreaths
Coconut Caramel Stuffed Chocolate Covered Pretzel Presents
Lastly, if you make these The Santa Clause Cookies, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
The Santa Clause Cookies.
Fun to bake, delicious to eat, a great homemade gift, and a festive addition to your holiday cookie box!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) salted butter, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon hazelnut liquor (optional)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 egg, at room temperature
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus an additional 2-4 tablespoons, if needed
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Vanilla Frosting
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon hazelnut liquor (optional)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- assorted sprinkles, vanilla sugar, and or sanding sugar, for decorating
Vanilla Buttercream
- 1 stick (8 tablespoons) salted butter, at room temperature
- 2 ounces cream cheese, , at room temperature (optional)
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
-
1. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and brown sugar. Add the hazelnut liquor (if using) and vanilla, beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the egg and mix until combined. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt, beat until combined and the dough forms a ball. If the dough feels too wet to roll out, add 2-4 tablespoons additional flour.
2. Divide the dough in half. Roll out the dough on a floured piece of parchment to 1/4 inch thickness. Make sure you're using enough flour or your dough will stick. Cut out the cookies using your desired shape/shapes. I used a variety of snowflakes, a star, and a Christmas tree. Carefully transfer the cookies to a parchment-lined baking sheet. I recommend using a floured spatula to lift the cookies. Cover the baking sheet and place in the freezer. Freeze until firm, about 20-30 minutes. Roll out the leftover scraps, and repeat with the remaining dough.
3. Preheat oven to 350° F. Bake the cookies on the middle rack of the oven for 8-10 minutes or until just lightly golden. Cool on the baking sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
4. Meanwhile, make the frosting. In a medium bowl, beat together the powdered sugar, hazelnut liquor (if using), vanilla, and 1 tablespoon water until smooth and drizzly. If needed, thin the glaze by adding water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until drizzly.
5. To make the buttercream, in a bowl, beat the butter and cream cheese together until extra light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat together until whipped, about 2 more minutes.
5. Decorate each cookie as desired with vanilla frosting, buttercream frosting, sprinkles, and or vanilla sugar.
To Make Santas: Outline a star cookie with vanilla frosting, then fill the cookie in with frosting, leaving 1 triangle portion without frosting for Santa's face. Sprinkle/press red sprinkles and/or sanding sugar into the frosting to create his body and hat, shake off the excess. Attach two mini chocolate chips for his eyes. Fill in his beard with the buttercream frosting, then add a red sprinkle for his nose. See photos above.
To Make Snowflakes: Pipe lines and dots of frosting onto each cookie to enhance the snowflake shape (see photos for visuals). If desired, sprinkle with vanilla sugar. Let the frosting set before serving, about an hour.
To Make Christmas Trees: Fill in each tree with vanilla frosting, then sprinkle with vanilla sugar.
Recipe Notes
To Pipe Frosting Onto Cookies: add the frosting to a small sandwich size Ziploc bag (or a piping bag), then snip off a small portion of the corner off.
Vanilla Sugar: Mix 1/4 cup granulated sugar with 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean powder or 1/2 a vanilla bean, seeds scraped.
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Oh wow! You have outdone yourself!! So simple, but super cute.
So ready for some Christmas cheese here 🎅🏼 🎄xx
Yes! I am glad you like these, Kelly! Thank you! xTieghan
I have two more types of cookies to add to my cookie box. I was going to make the Chai spiced Santas again (a huge hit) but I was holding out for a new cookie from you…I’m glad I did! These are adorable, I will 100% be making this weekend.
Thanks so much and happy American Thanksgiving!
I am so glad you like these and I hope they turn out amazing for you, Jessica!! Thank you! xTieghan
These are so fun and look delicious! But you spell Santa Claus with no E 🙂
Thank you Steph! It is The Santa Clause, like the movie 😊 xTieghan
These look awesome and so easy… love the 🎅🏻 stars! I know you live in CO but does the recipe need any extra flour or water for baking in high altitude? Thank you for sharing!
Hey Denise,
You should be fine following the recipe as is:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
To previous commenter Steph:
You owe it to yourself to check out a movie Tim Allen made in 1994, it came out around Christmas time.
To Tieghan and her crew:
Gorgeous cookies, gorgeous photos! Makes me feel very festive, and I might just have to break my personal rule of not fussing with decorated cookies. Thank you for your endless creativity, and for endlessly inspiring us!
Thank you so much Julie! I am really glad you like these! xTieghan
Which hazelnut liqueur do you use?
Hey Lauren,
I like to use Frangelico. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Also, lol @ the person who didn’t actually read the post! The Santa Clause is indeed spelled with an “e”.
Thank you Lauren! xTieghan
The one question I had wasn’t answered in the recipe… where did those gorgeous red sprinkles come from???
Hey Mere,
Is is the link for the sprinkles. https://sprinklepop.shop/products/red-sprinkle-mix?variant=12494651555911&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Google+Shopping&gclid=CjwKCAiA5IL-BRAzEiwA0lcWYpgEHgNILzQ7swmja9dDYjFY_frvtxZ3eJWEsKGoQ8xHNu-eGMVCsBoChGEQAvD_BwE
I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Will the dough freeze well to bake roll, cut and bake later?
Hey Regan,
Yes, that will be fine to do. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Gorgeous, as always. For the snow flakes, how do you get the vanilla sugar to “stick”? Thank you!
Hey Vaughn,
As long as the cookies are warm the vanilla sugar will stick. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Where did you get the Christmas tree cutter.
Hi Carrie! I got it from Williams Sonoma! Here is the link! xTieghan
https://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/copper-tree-cookie-cutter/?clickid=2KJ0Ku3Y4xyOTB3wUx0Mo34GUkEwrCUcNzxLRk0&irgwc=1&cm_cat=57486&cm_ven=afshoppromo&bnrid=3917500&cm_ite=collective&cm_pla=ir&irpid=57486
These look great! I only have dark brown sugar – will this work or will they come out different? Also, to save time can I just choose buttercream or frosting, instead of making both? Thanks so much!
Hey Kendra,
The dark brown sugar should be okay! Yes, use any frosting that you like! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
These cookies are just beautiful!!
So I’m very sorry to write to you with a criticism! But unless I’ve missed something (an obvious movie reference perhaps?), the “clause” in “Santa Claus” is misspelled. “Clause”, with an “e”, means a part of a sentence. The Christmas guy’s name is correctly spelled “Santa Claus”. No “e”.
I enjoy your blog/website very much. Thank you for your creativity and hard work.
Hi Leslie! These are named after the movie! I hope you try them! xTieghan
@Steph and others – yes, the movie reference includes the ‘E.’ Check out the Santa CLAUSE movie.
Thanks Brittany! xTieghan
SO cute!!! If we don’t have hazelnut liquor for the cookies + frosting, do we need to substitute anything for it? Or will the frosting work properly/harden up with just water?
Hey Lauren,
You can just omit the hazelnut liquor. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Those look amazing, does the icing harden up so that they can be transported without getting damaged? Thank you for all the hard work, Happy Holidays to you and your team.
Hey Cindy,
Yes these would be great for give as a gift or transported. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Adorable!!I’ve never made brown sugar cookies so this will be a new thing for me. I’ve been to Michael’s to get all the sanding sugar, sprinkles and jimmies but I’m curious on the size/diameter of the star cutter you’ve used? Thanks!
Hey Kelly,
Here is the link for the cookie cutter:https://api.shopstyle.com/action/apiVisitRetailer?id=857682910&pid=uid5476-43237426-26&utm_content=textlink%3Ashopstyle.it%2Fl%3Abpcw8
I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Hi! How do you think Amaretto would substitute for the Hazelnut liquor? So excited to try these!!
Hey Madi,
I think that would work well! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
These are gorgeous! How much red sprinkles did you use? I want to make this but am thinking one 8oz jar might not be enough.
Hey Jackie,
It really just depends how many sprinkles you want, but I would get more than one 8oz jar. I hope you love the recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions and Happy Holidays! xTieghan
And are metallic sprinkles safe to eat? Are they hard to bite into?
Hey Jackie,
Yes they are and they do have a nice crunch. I hope you love the recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions and Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Can you share where you got to red sprinkles you used for Santa?!? They are so so cute!
Hey Gina,
Here is the link for the sprinkles: https://sprinklepop.shop/products/red-sprinkle-mix?variant=12494651555911&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Google+Shopping&gclid=CjwKCAiA5IL-BRAzEiwA0lcWYpgEHgNILzQ7swmja9dDYjFY_frvtxZ3eJWEsKGoQ8xHNu-eGMVCsBoChGEQAvD_BwE
I hope you love the recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions and Happy Holidays! xTieghan
I read through the full post and comments but I didn’t see what size tip you used for the beard. They look great. Going to make my own red sprinkle mix for this one.
Thank you so much Rachel! xTieghan
These are super adorable 😍! I’ve been testing so many other sugar cookie recipes each year trying to find the right one as they all just seem like carriers for frosting and sprinkles. Can’t wait for a cookie that’s flavorful too!
Looks like Williams Sonoma changed their tree cookie cutter, which is too bad I love the grinch-ish style of yours above, elongated with a bit of a lean. Can’t wait to see what other holiday recipes you come up with!
I am so happy you like these and I hope they turn out amazing if you try them! Thank you Jessica! xTieghan
Can both the dough and vanilla frosting be made a day in advance to roll, cut and bake the next day?
Hey Stephanie,
Yes that will work! I hope you love the recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions and Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Where did you get your copper cookie cutters? They are beautiful.
Hey Mary,
Thanks so much! I’ve collected these over the years. I hope you love the recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions and Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Do the cookies with the vanilla buttercream need to be refrigerated because of the cream cheese? Thanks! Planning to make these as part of a gift exchange with friends 🙂
Hey Nancy,
They do not need to be refrigerated, you can keep these in an airtight container at room temp. I hope you love the recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions and Happy Holidays! xTieghan
The Santas are adorable! What did you use for his eyes? And what piping tips did you use for his beard and the brim of his hat? Thanks!
Hey Karen, I just use mini chocolate chips for the eyes and a star piping tip for his beard, then a plastic bag with the corner snipped off for the brim of his hat. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! And Happy Holidays!! xTieghan 🎄
So cute!! I love your trees—they look a little Dr. Seuss-y!
Thank you so much Emily! I am really glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Where is the tall tree cutter from? I LOVE IT!
Hey Heather,
I hand drew the tree:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Hi! Could I use the King Arthur gluten-free flour instead of the all-purpose flour for this recipe?
Hey Erika,
Yes, you can use an equal amount of GF flour. I hope you enjoy the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
These were so good!! I didn’t have hazelnut liquor so I decided to try browning the butter for a nutty flavor and they turned out great! Next time I’m at the store I’ll def pick up the liquor though bc I would like it try it how it was actually written haha!
Thank you so much! I am really glad these turned out so well for you! xTieghan
I love the whimsical bent Christmas trees. Could you share the brand of the cookie cutter?
Hey Kristen,
Sorry I don’t have a link, I hand drew the stencil for the tree. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Is that frosting recipe correct? If the hazelnut liquor is optional, does other liquid need to replace it if you’re opting not to?
Hey Chris,
Yes, the recipe is correct, simply omit the hazelnut liquor if you do not want to use it. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
I made these cookies and they were just amazing!! Super easy to make and even added red food coloring for extra color. My family ate them up and there were no leftovers! Awesome awesome recipe!!
Thank you so much Aashka! xTieghan
These taste very good. I don’t know if I did something wrong, but even after 15 min in the oven, they were super soft. Still delicious, but softer than I expected. Texture reminds me of shortbread. Also doubled the Frangelico in the glaze!😉
Thank you so much Anna! xTieghan
This was one of the best sugar cookies I’ve ever had and the texture of the cookie was SO good! Also. One of the easiest ones to make!
Thank you so much Sam! xTieghan
I will never make my old sugar cookie recipe again. Soo good 😋 And now we need a cocktail for the Frangelico. Please. 😀
Thank you so much Renee! xTieghan
I’m honestly agitated at how good these cookies are. I used the dough recipe to bake cookies for my kids to decorate. Well now I can’t stop eating them. Honestly haven’t had a sugar cookie that tasted this good before. Made the butter cream frosting and the vanilla frosting using baileys. Both were delicious. The vanilla frosting was AMAZING. You could probably use any liquor in there ! Grand marnier or Cointreau would probably be so good also. Keeping that frosting recipe in my back pocket !!
Haha I am so happy these turned out so well for you India! Thank you for trying this one! xTieghan
Love!! Where did you get the sprinkles from?
Hey Norah,
Here is the link for the sprinkles: https://sprinklepop.shop/products/red-sprinkle-mix?variant=12494651555911&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Google+Shopping&gclid=CjwKCAiA5IL-BRAzEiwA0lcWYpgEHgNILzQ7swmja9dDYjFY_frvtxZ3eJWEsKGoQ8xHNu-eGMVCsBoChGEQAvD_BwE
I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Three words: yum yum YUM! Truly the best Christmas cookies I have ever made. They truly have the best flavor. I made them at 4pm last night and by this morning half of them were already gone! I did whole wheat flour instead of all purpose and I did Bailey’s instead of hazelnut liquor and they were to die for. These are the only cookies I have been able to make with whole wheat flour that don’t taste like dog bisects. You have to try these cookies!
I am so happy these turned out so well for you, Michelle! Thank you so much for trying this one! xTieghan
Yum!! How long do the baked cookies stay good for? And can they be frozen for a long period of time after baking and/or frosting?
Hey Allie,
The cookies are good for up to 1 week in an airtight container. If you want to freeze them I would freeze without the frosting. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other question. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Does the hazelnut liquor add a chocolate-y flavor at all to this? I’ve never had that type of liquor but always find hazelnuts taste like chocolate in deserts.
Hey Annie,
I taste a hazelnut flavor but you can leave it out if you want. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other question. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Just made these with my kids and they had so much fun! Cookies are soft and delicious. Didn’t have hazelnut liquor on hand but would love to try that addition next time.
Thank you so much Sarah! I am really glad these turned out so well for you! xTieghan
How long do you think these cookies last in a sealed cookie tin before starting to go stale? Could I bake these and freeze them to frost and serve later?
Thanks, Kelley
Hey Kelley,
I would say about 1 week. Yes, you can freeze and frost later. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
The Santa Clause cookies are so stinking cute! Just made this recipe, it was a nice dough to work with, thank you clever girl
Thank you! I am glad you enjoyed these! xTieghan
Best-tasting sugar cookie recipe! I love the idea of adding the hazelnut liquor. I didn’t have that on hand but I did use hazelnut syrup I found at TJ Maxx and it really does add another layer of flavor and warmth. I have these guys cooling now and will add the frosting later – so far: outstanding! Thank you!
Thank you so much Maria! I am really glad this turned out so well for you!! xTieghan
These cookies look gorgeous and I can’t wait to try them! For the butter, do I have to use salted because I usually bake with unsalted, just wondering:)
Thank you so much Marissa! xTieghan
Question: would it work to bake these from fully frozen? As in, roll out the shapes a week or so in advance, keep them in the freezer and then bake just before gifting? I’m baking a large variety for cookie boxes so trying to prep as many as I can ahead of time!
Hey Kelsey,
I would let these thaw a bit before baking. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Thanks for sharing this! I can never seem to find where you list the number of cookies your recipes make– how many does this recipe make? Thanks
Hey Caroline,
This makes 22 cookies. I hope you love the recipe and happy holidays! xTieghan
Hey Teagan could you give us a little instruction on the buttercream. It’s so easy for you does not mean it’s so easy for newbies and I think mine was too soft I didn’t get the intense lines that you did and if you chill it you actually solidify it so it doesn’t flow until it warms up at any rate I had fun as you said but mine did not look as nice as yours. I don’t have any problem giving them to my family!
Hey Pat,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try! What instruction do you need for the buttercream? Was there anything you adjusted with the recipe? Let me know how I can help! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
These are so cute. Does the vanilla sugar actually stick to the parts of the cookie that doesn’t have frosting? The ones shown have it all over, but I would guess it falls off when picked up.?
Hey Jodi,
It sticks pretty well:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
I’m so excited to make these! Can I substitute espresso liquor for the hazelnut liquor?
Hey Stacey,
Sure that would work! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan!
I am thinking about making these cookies but I have a few questions about the icing and decorations! I’m having trouble finding red sanding sugar, so I’m wondering if I could substitute with red food coloring? In terms of the decorating, I don’t have any frosting tip attachments! Do you have any DIY solutions? Looking forward to hearing back from you!!
Hey Sarah,
Here is the link for my red sprinkles: https://sprinklepop.shop/products/red-sprinkle-mix?variant=12494651555911&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Google+Shopping&gclid=CjwKCAiA5IL-BRAzEiwA0lcWYpgEHgNILzQ7swmja9dDYjFY_frvtxZ3eJWEsKGoQ8xHNu-eGMVCsBoChGEQAvD_BwE
For the icing, just put it into a ziplock baggie and cut the corner off:) I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I love all your recipes! Your Santa’s are the cutest and yummy! Tieghan your the best!
Thanks so much Dana!!
Hello! I’m making these this weekend with my sisters – SO EXCITED! Can I make the dough ahead and keep in the fridge until the next day rather than freezing? Thanks so much!
Hey Brenna,
Yes, this will be fine to do! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Just made these, they came out great! I don’t bake much and don’t have any cookie cutters though (used a cup!) so I didn’t decorate them nearly as nicely as you did at ALL lol, however, taste-wise they were great!!! Thank you!
Hey Mika,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it worked out for you! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
SO GOOD. I never eat plain sugar cookies but I considered not even frosting these. They’re soft and STAYED soft. I have already made 2 double batches this holiday season!! Will be making next year too!
Hey Laure,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thank you so much for giving it a try! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
I made these the other week and they were delightful!
I am planning to make again… I just have a question about keeping and freezing the dough before use.. is this possible? And should shapes be cut before freezing or can you store the dough in the fridge for a few days?
Hey Tarni,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try! You could certainly freeze the dough, I would cut the shapes and then freeze on a baking sheet with parchment paper. I hope this helps! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Seriously the best sugar cookies I’ve ever tasted. So easy too. They are THE BOMB! Thank you for such a wonderful recipe and a new holiday tradition for us. 🙂
Hey Sarah,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Made these today they are delicious. I forgot to put the egg in the batter. They were very crumbly but still delicious. Can’t wait to make the correct way.
Hey Susan,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Would you please share where you purchased the red sprinkles for Santa cookies? Thank you. They’re adorable.
Hey Cheri,
Here is the link for the sprinkles: https://sprinklepop.shop/products/red-sprinkle-mix?variant=12494651555911&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Google+Shopping&gclid=CjwKCAiA5IL-BRAzEiwA0lcWYpgEHgNILzQ7swmja9dDYjFY_frvtxZ3eJWEsKGoQ8xHNu-eGMVCsBoChGEQAvD_BwE
I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Great cookie but I think something is wrong with the frosting recipe
There is not enough liquid and the result is a super hard paste the is unusable
Hey Michael,
Thanks so much for trying the recipe, I am so sorry the frosting did not workout for you. Is there anything you may have adjusted? I haven’t had any reviews with issues on the frosting. Let me know how I can help! xTieghan
JUST MADE THESE TODAY. THE DOUGH WAS A BIT TOO STICKY AND I HAD TO ADD MUCH MORE FLOUR THAN THE RECIPE CALLED FOR (EVEN IN THE DIRECTIONS WHEN IT SAID TO ADD A FEW MORE TBSPS). I DIDN’T HAVE THE HAZELNUT LIQUOR THAT IT CALLED FOR SO IM NOT SURE HOW IT TASTES WITH IT, BUT WITHOUT – I WASN’T IMPRESSED. THESE WERE JUST OK. IT ALSO DIDN’T CALL FOR REFRIGERATION OF THE DOUGH BEFORE ROLLING OUT WHICH I THINK MANY SUGAR COOKIE RECIPES DO – SO MAYBE THAT MIGHT IMPROVE THE WORKABILITY OF THE DOUGH.
Hey there,
So sorry the recipe did not workout for you. Is there anything you may have adjusted? The hazelnut liquor really does add so much flavor:) I like to roll and cut my cookies and then pop them in the freezer and then bake as stated in step 2. I find this prevents the cookies from spreading too much while baking. I hope this helps for next time! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
We have made three batches of these in two days. We cannot stop eating them. They are perfection as usual!
Hey Andrea,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
I usually love all your recipes but this one was a miss for me…to be fair I’m not really a big fan of sugar cookies with icing and I was hoping the hazelnut liqueur would elevate these enough for me but no they were just way too sweet and the hazelnut flavor didn’t come through after being baked – odd bc before I baked them I tasted the dough and I could taste it 100% and I was so excited to taste the final result…but nope that note completely disappeared
Hey Beata,
So sorry you did not enjoy the recipe, let me know if there is anything I can do to help! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Easy to assemble, delicious to eat! I can’t wait for Christmas 2021 to make again!
Hey Margaux,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Happy New Year! xTieghan
I know it’s not Christmas time, but I wanted to try making these cookies for Orthodox Easter coming up. Crosses and bunnies, rather than Santa Clause stars! haha! 🙂 I wondered what you are referring to when you mention hazelnut liquor? Do you have a brand name, link, etc., that I can go off of? I just have never used this before.
Hey Anastasia,
The hazelnut liquor is optional, but you should be able to find it at your local liquor store. I hope you love the recipe, let me know how they turn out! xTieghan