Christmas Present Cookies
These delightful Christmas Present Cookies are buttery sugar cookies decorated with vibrant royal icing, designed to look like tiny gift boxes. They’re perfect for holiday parties, cookie swaps, or as charming homemade gifts that taste as good as they look.
Calories:
Ingredients
For the Sugar Cookies:
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract or almond extract for a twist
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
For the Royal Icing:
- 4 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 3 tbsp meringue powder
- 8 –10 tbsp water adjust for consistency
- Food coloring red, green, blue, pink, yellow, or festive shades
- Edible glitter or sprinkles optional
Instructions
- Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then mix in the egg and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt, and gradually add to the butter mixture until smooth. Divide the dough, wrap, and chill for an hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Roll out the dough to ¼ inch thick and cut into square “present” shapes. Place on parchment-lined sheets about an inch apart.
- Bake for 8–10 minutes until the edges are just golden. Cool on the sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
- For the icing, mix powdered sugar and meringue powder, adding water slowly until soft peaks form. Tint with your chosen colors.
- Outline each cookie with icing, let it set, then flood the center with thinner icing. Add ribbons and bows with contrasting colors, finishing with a sprinkle of edible glitter before it hardens.