These holiday Marshmallow Sugar Cookies are soon to become Santa's favorite. This small batch of crisp sugar cookies are delicately flavored with marshmallow creme for the perfect taste of vanilla. Cut out and decorate the cookies for a festive holiday cookie!
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Cook Time9 minutesmins
Chill Time2 hourshrs
Total Time2 hourshrs24 minutesmins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Christmas, Holiday, Marshmallow, Small Batch, Sugar Cookies
In the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment - Add the butter and sugar and beat on medium speed until light an fluffy. Add the egg yolk and vanilla extract and beat until mixed, then add the marshmallow creme - scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Turn the mixer down to low speed and sprinkle in the salt, then flour in a few increments - letting the flour mix in before adding the next increment. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. After adding the last increment of flour, let the dough mix for about a minute until it starts to form a rough dough. The dough will be crumbly.
Turn off the mixer and gently knead the dough together with your hands until it forms a ball. Place the dough ball on a piece of plastic wrap and flatten into a disc. Tightly wrap it with the plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for at least two hours, or overnight.
20-30 minutes before you are ready to bake the cookies - Remove the dough from the refrigerator and to come to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees and adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Lightly flour your work surface and the top of the dough. Roll the dough to (at least) 1/4 inch thick. Use cookie cutters to cut out your shapes. Re-roll scraps to cut out more cookies - I recommend only re-rolling the dough (max) twice. Note - if the dough cracks or crumbles while rolling it out, it may be too cold. Let is sit at room temperature for a few more minutes.
Place the cookie cut outs on the prepared baking sheets at least 2 inches apart. The number of cookies you get from the dough will depend on how thick you roll it and the size and shape of cookie cutters you use.
One baking sheet at a time - bake the cookies for 9-11 minutes - rotating the baking sheet half way through - or until the edges just start to golden. High altitude - check the cookies at 9 minutes as they may not take as long to bake. Note - while the first baking sheet of cookies are baking, refrigerate the other baking sheet of cookies until ready.
Cool the cookies on the baking sheet set on a wire cooling rack for 5 minutes, then transfer to the cooling rack to cool completely.
Royal Icing
In a small mixing bowl, add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and 2 teaspoons of milk or water, and stir to combine. Add a teaspoon milk/water at a time get your desired icing consistency. Note - depending on how you are decorating your cookies, you may need more or less icing. This amount yielded enough for the cookies as they are pictured in this post.
Divide the icing into the amount of colors you are using into separate bowls and color as you like.
Decorate completely cooled cookies - with icing and sprinkles as you like. Happy Holidays!
Notes
Room temp dough for rolling - Allow the dough to sit on the counter for a few minutes (at least 20) before you start to roll it. It will roll much easier.
Cookie yield - This is a small batch recipe and made a dozen cookies for me. The number of cookies you yield from the recipe will depend on how thick you roll the dough, and the size/shape of cookie cutters you use.
Rotate the baking sheet while baking - This may be the only cookie recipe which I recommend rotating the baking sheet while baking. For an even bake.
Bake one sheet at a time - This is my personal preference. Because I find baking one sheet of cookies at a time bakes more evenly.
Keep an eye on the baking cookies - I provide bake time ranges because all ovens are different. I have (personally) found sugar cookies to be very persnickety on their doneness. One bake may be 9 minutes, the next may be 10.
Royal icing - The recipe I have provided is very 'generic'. I have provided a link in the post to 'proper' royal icing recipes - if you prefer.
Freezing the Cookie Dough - The cookie dough can be frozen - for up to 3 months. Shape the dough into a disc, wrap generously in plastic wrap, and place in a Ziploc bag to freeze.
Freezing Baked Cookies - Baked and un-decorated cookies can be frozen for up to 3 months. Either in a Tupperware, or gently placed in a Ziploc bag. Defrosting the cookies can take 1 to 3 hours.