These simple and beautiful Winter Wonderland Cookies are perfect for any winter holiday or party!
Here in California we still have lots of sunshine… but I can dream of snow with these cute cookies!
One of my favorite things about this set of cookies is that it only requires a few icing colors and some very simple techniques to create a fun and engaging collection!
And although these cookies would be adorable for Christmas, they’d also be perfect for any winter holiday or party… all the way into January.
Let’s decorate and dream of snow together!
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Winter Wonderland Cookies Decorating Instructions –
Start with a batch of my Perfect Sugar Cookies.
For this set you’ll need some round cookies (large and mini), some snowflakes and a simple tree (I used a mini tree cutter from Ecrandal, but I do not see it on their site currently).
Prepare a batch of Royal Icing.
For this set, I made…
Pale blue icing with a #2 tip, medium/flood consistency
Lime green icing with a #2 tip, medium/flood consistency
Medium-dark green icing with a #2 tip, medium/flood consistency
White icing with a #1.5 tip, piping consistency
White icing with a #2 tip, medium/flood consistency
You’ll also need white non-pareils sprinkles and white and/or light blue snowflake sprinkles (optional)
I’m trying something new and sharing the decorating process with a video, in place of step-by-step photos.
I’d love your feedback as to which you prefer (photos or video). Please don’t say “both”… I’m only human! =)
Enjoy this short video for the step-by-step decorating tutorial…
A few additional decorating notes…
For the large round cookies (the tree scene), the trees should be added immediately after the cookie has been “flooded” with the white and blue icing.
For the mini trees, (pictured in this post, but not show in the video) the same technique (called “wet-on-wet”) should be used.
For the snowflakes, outline and flood the cookies, then allow to dry (1-4 hours) before adding the white details.
How to Make Sugar Cookies and Royal Icing
Sugar Cookies and Royal Icing
Ingredients
Perfect Sugar Cookies
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt good quality
- 1 cup unsalted butter 2 sticks, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg large
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract good quality, see flavor options in notes
Royal Icing
- 4 tablespoons meringue powder
- 4 cups powdered sugar about 1 pound
- 6 tablespoons warm water to start
Instructions
Perfect Sugar Cookies
- In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt, and set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. This should take 2-3 minutes.
- Add the egg and vanilla and beat another minute or so.
- Add the flour mixture slowly. (Be careful not to add too much at a time or you will have a snowstorm of flour.)
- Blend until all of the flour is incorporated. The mixture will look crumbly at first but just keep blending until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
- Remove about half of the dough from the bowl and knead by hand just a bit to form a smooth ball. Roll out dough onto a lightly floured work surface, or onto a piece of plastic wrap (as described in detail in the blog post above).
- Cut out cookies into desired shapes and place entire baking sheet of unbaked cookies into the freezer for 5 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F and bake cookies in preheated oven for 9-11 minutes, depending on the size and thickness of your cookies.
- The cookies are baked when then are no longer shinny on top, but they will not show much of any change in color.
- Cool on baking sheet just a minute or so, then carefully move to a wire cooling rack and allow to cool fully before decorating.
Royal Icing
- Beat all ingredients until stiff peaks form.
- Spoon some of the thick white icing into individual bowls and add coloring .
- Add additional water, about 1 teaspoon at a time until you’ve reached the consistency you need.
Notes
Nutrition
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Happy winter cookie decorating!
Disclosure – Amazon links provided for your convenience. I may receive a small commission when you shop using the links in this post.
Beautiful cookies! I can’t find the video, either! I know I’ve seen it before, but can’t find it here, on Pinterest, or on you tube.
Hi Heidi,
I’m a little perplexed, because the video is in this blog post right after the text “Enjoy this short video for the step-by-step decorating tutorial…”. Do you see anything in that space? I’m guessing you need to just scroll to that area of the post and wait a few seconds for the video to load. Depending on your internet speed, the video may take a few seconds to appear. Please let me know if you do see it. But either way, the video is also on my Facebook page here –> https://www.facebook.com/GloriousTreats/videos/1727366563954750/
Happy decorating!
For the large winter scene cookie, what size circular cookie cutter did you use? What is the diameter?
Is the link to the video still there? I can’t find it.
Thanks!
The video is in this blog post, just after the written directions. Depending on your internet connection you may need to scroll through the post slowly to allow the video to load. Happy decorating!
Love your video. My daughter and I are going to try it today. First time. Hope thwy come out as beautiful as yours. Merry Christmas.
What kind of icing is used to spread nicely on the cookie?
Hi Vickie, The icing is called royal icing. There is a link in the blog post above to the recipe, but I’ll add it here as well –> https://www.glorioustreats.com/spring-cupcakes-with-cookie-toppers/ Happy decorating!
More videos and tips , pretty please
Love, love, Love! I really like the video, and prefer that, but the notes were very important. I couldn’t tell in the video if the big cookie was wet on wet so I needed to read that. In answer to your question I like the video better but I think notes are important as well. Thank you for sharing your beautiful design.
We are having my extended family Christmas party at our house next weekend, and these cookies will be just the perfect addition! I think I have all the supplies, including the snowflakes! I found your video mesmerizing! Any idea how far in advance I could bake the cookies? I’d love to get that task over with sooner rather than later.
Thanks from Holland, MI
Hi Gory
could you please tell me if there is a book out there that has this lovely recipe in it because I’m trying to learn all the techniques that I can lean through all these wonderful video’s that you and many other share on facebook . Thank you.
Oh How I wish I could make these beautiful cookies…I will try again…your video is so relaxing I could watch you all day…..thank you for sharing and I will try one.more.time.