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–+ servings

Christmas Lights Cookies

Christmas Light cookies on a plate
If you are looking for cute Christmas cookie ideas, these Christmas Lights Cookies are perfect! Tender, melt in your mouth Lofthouse sugar cookies frosted and decorated into a string of Christmas lights with and easy quick drying royal icing recipe and mini M&Ms.  The perfect decorated Christmas cookie idea that is easy and fun to make with your kids, perfect for any holiday cookie exchange, bake sale or even a great homemade gift. 
Heather
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Chill Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Serving Size 11

Ingredients

Lofthouse Cookies

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter softened
  • 1/4 cup shortening
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 egg white
  • 2 cups cake flour
  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons almond extract

Royal Icing

  • 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 large egg white, whisked

Extras

  • Black cookie decorating icing
  • 10 ounce bag of Mini M&Ms

Instructions

  • To make Christmas Lights Lofthouse Cookies, start by creaming together your butter, sugar and shortening until light and fluffy. Add in the vanilla and almond extract. Mix in the egg and egg white until well combined.
  • In a small mixing bowl, combine cake flour, all purpose flour, baking powder, salt and cream of tarter. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until combined.
  • Cover with plastic wrap and move to chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Once chilled, remove and preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Using a cookie scoop or a large spoon, scoop up cookie dough and roll into a 2 inch ball. 
  • Lightly roll your cookie ball through a bowl of all purpose flour, making sure the entire ball is lightly coated in the flour.
  • Move the cookie ball to your baking sheet and using the bottom of a glass or any other flat surface, press the ball flat so that it is about only about 1/4 inch thick. Place in oven and bake for 10 – 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 1 minute before moving the cookies to a cooling rack.
  • Once your Christmas Lights Lofthouse Cookies are completely cooled, make your royal icing.  In a small bowl, add your sifted powdered sugar and lemon juice and whisk to combine. Crack an egg and add the egg white to a small bowl and lightly whisk it to loosen it up, then scoop out 2 tablespoons of egg white and add them to your powdered sugar.
    Whisk everything together.  It will be very thick, keep whisking and it will loosen up as the sugar melts.
  • Spoon a small amount of royal icing onto each cookie and using the back of a spoon, spread it evenly almost to the edges of your cookies.
    Let the royal icing harden completely on the cookies before moving forward. By the time I frosted my last cookie, my first cookie was almost set.  I gave it another 5 minutes and they were hard.
  • Pipe thin black lines onto each cookie and then press the mini M&Ms sideways.. don't forget to pick out the brown M&Ms :)

Notes

PRO TIPS FOR PERFECT CHRISTMAS LIGHT COOKIES

  • I went almond forward on this recipe because that was what I was in the mood for last Saturday morning .. feel free to swap the almond / vanilla extract measurements if you want vanilla instead :)
  • Make sure to chill the dough so the cookies stay thick. Chilling your dough keeps your cookies from spreading. Then form your dough into 2 inch balls and flatten them by pressing the tops down with the bottom of a cup or a plate.
  • Sugar cookies go from perfectly soft and tender to over baked in a heartbeat. You’re looking for the cookies to look just barely set up and slightly brown on the bottom.
  • Make sure your Christmas Lights Lofthouse Cookies are complete cooled before frosting them or your icing will melt and you will be sad.
  • Sift your powdered sugar for your royal icing. I can’t stress this one enough.. if you don’t, you WILL have lumps, they will be NOTICED.
  • Your royal icing will be thick, that's what it should be. Practice your icing and black piping on an ugly cookie no one was going to want to eat anyways before tackling all of them.
  • The pictures in this post are taken on a 15 x 11 jelly roll pan.  This Christmas string light cookie recipe makes 12 cookies so when it says make your cookie balls 2 inches, I'm not exaggerating.
  • Once your royal icing is dry and your black lines are drawn, lightly push your mini M&Ms into your icing.  You don't need to push hard, they will stand up and they won't fall.
  • These Lofthouse Cookies will keep in an airtight container for 3-4 days on the counter.