Description
Delight in these festive Peppermint Candy Sugar Cookies, featuring a tender sugar cookie base decorated with smooth, peppermint-flavored royal icing. Perfectly crisp on the edges and soft in the center, these cookies are rolled thin, cut with a 1.5-inch round cutter, baked until lightly golden, and beautifully adorned with a peppermint swirl icing design. Ideal for holiday celebrations or any time you crave a sweet, minty treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Sugar Cookies
- 3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter, cold and cut into cubes
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1.5 inch round cutter
Royal Icing
- 1/2 cup meringue powder
- 1 scant cup water (almost full)
- 2 pounds (32 ounces) powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract (optional)
- Super white gel icing color
- Pink, red or green icing color
- Small squeeze bottles
- Toothpicks
- 3X4 Treat bags
- Twine or twist ties
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Dry Ingredients: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder, then set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the cold cubed butter and sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy, which ensures a tender cookie texture.
- Add Egg and Extracts: Beat in the egg followed by the vanilla and almond extracts, mixing until well combined to add flavor depth to your cookies.
- Incorporate Flour Mixture: Add the flour mixture one cup at a time, mixing on low speed just until the dough comes together. Scrape down the bowl sides as needed. The dough will be thick and crumbly at this point.
- Roll Out Dough: Line your rolling surface with wax paper and dust it along with your rolling pin generously with flour. Roll a portion of dough on the prepared surface and knead gently until smooth. Then roll the dough to about 1/4 inch thickness. Dip the 1.5-inch round cutter in flour and cut out as many circles as possible, re-rolling scraps as needed.
- Freeze and Bake: Place the cut cookies on the prepared baking sheets. Freeze for about 10 minutes to help them hold their shape. Bake in the preheated oven for 9-12 minutes until the edges are lightly golden. Remove and allow cookies to cool briefly on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Trim edges with the cutter if desired.
- Prepare Royal Icing: Once cookies are fully cool, make the royal icing. In a large mixing bowl, combine meringue powder, peppermint extract (optional), and water; beat until foamy. Gradually sift in powdered sugar and add corn syrup, mixing on low until combined. Scrape down sides, then beat on medium-low for 5 minutes. Increase speed to medium-high and continue to beat until the icing is glossy and forms stiff peaks.
- Color and Thin Icing: Tint a small portion of the royal icing pink and leave the rest white, adding a few drops of white gel color if desired. To create flood icing consistency, thin the icings by adding water a few drops at a time until thick syrup-like.
- Decorate Cookies: Using squeeze bottles, pipe an outline of white icing around each cookie. Fill in with white flood icing. Pipe pink dots around the edges, then use a toothpick to drag the dots inward, creating the classic peppermint swirl effect. Allow cookies to dry undisturbed for 24 hours.
Notes
- Ensure butter is cold for optimal cookie texture.
- Freezing the cookies before baking helps maintain their shape and prevents spreading.
- Adjust icing consistency carefully for neat piping and flooding.
- Let decorated cookies dry completely for at least 24 hours before packaging or serving.
- Use gel colors for vibrant icing without altering the consistency.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature to preserve freshness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 110
- Sugar: 13g
- Sodium: 45mg
- Fat: 5g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 15g
- Fiber: 0.3g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 20mg
