Santa Suit Christmas Cookies

Here’s a fun and festive recipe for Santa Suit Christmas Cookies! These cookies are decorated to look like Santa’s iconic red suit and make a great treat for your holiday celebrations!

Ingredients:

For the Sugar Cookies:

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract (optional)
1/4 cup milk

For the Royal Icing:

4 cups powdered sugar
1 large egg white (or 1 tbsp meringue powder)
1 tsp lemon juice
2-4 tbsp water (to adjust consistency)

For Decorating:

Red food coloring
Black food coloring (or black gel for piping)
Yellow food coloring (for buttons)
Mini marshmallows (for Santa’s fluffy white fur)
Sprinkles (optional)

Instructions:

1. Prepare the Sugar Cookie Dough:

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy (about 3-4 minutes).
Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract (if using), and mix well.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, alternating with milk. Mix until just combined.
Divide the dough in half, wrap it in plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

2. Roll and Cut the Cookies:

Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4-inch thickness.
Use a round cookie cutter or a Santa suit-shaped cookie cutter (if you have one) to cut out the cookies. If you don’t have a Santa suit cutter, you can cut the cookies into circles and then use icing to create the suit details.
Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets and bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden.
Let the cookies cool completely on a wire rack.

3. Make the Royal Icing:

In a mixing bowl, beat the egg white (or meringue powder) with lemon juice until frothy.
Gradually add powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, and beat until stiff peaks form.
Add water, a tablespoon at a time, to adjust the icing consistency. The icing should be thick enough to hold its shape but smooth enough to pipe.
Divide the icing into three bowls: one for red, one for black, and one for white (you can add yellow for buttons if desired).

4. Decorate the Santa Suit Cookies:

Red Icing: Color one bowl of icing red. Use a piping bag or a spoon to cover the top half of the cookie with red icing, mimicking Santa’s suit. Let it set for about 15 minutes.
White Icing: Use white icing for the fluffy white trim at the bottom of Santa’s suit and around the sleeves. You can pipe a border and use mini marshmallows for extra fluffiness. Also pipe a white belt around the middle of the cookie, separating the top and bottom parts of the suit.
Black Icing: Use black icing to pipe a belt buckle in the middle of the cookie. You can make a simple rectangle shape and fill it in.
Yellow Icing: If desired, add small yellow dots as buttons down the front of Santa’s suit.

5. Let the Cookies Set:

Allow the royal icing to dry completely, which may take 1-2 hours. Once set, you can add extra decorations, such as sprinkles or edible glitter, for added flair.

6. Serve and Enjoy:

Once the cookies are dry and decorated, serve them at your holiday gatherings or package them up as delightful homemade gifts!

These Santa Suit Christmas Cookies will add extra cheer to your holiday season, and they’re fun to make with kids or friends! Enjoy your festive treats!