The holiday season is the perfect time to create warm, delicious memories with your little ones, and what better way than baking sugar cookies? This past weekend, my toddler boys and I rolled up our sleeves, grabbed our cookie cutters, and made a batch of festive Christmas sugar cookies that were as fun to make as they were to eat!
Baking with Toddlers: A Sweet Adventure
Baking with toddlers can be messy, but it's incredibly rewarding. My boys, ages 2 and 4, were thrilled to help from the moment we started. Measuring ingredients turned into a mini math lesson, and mixing the dough was an excellent chance for them to get hands-on (literally). Their favorite part? Choosing cookie cutters shaped like Christmas trees, snowflakes, and gingerbread men.
Here’s the recipe we used to create our festive cookies:
Sugar Cookie Recipe
Ingredients
Sugar Cookies:
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 2 ½ cups (315 g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon table salt
Sugar Cookie Frosting:
- 3 cups (375 g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 3–4 tablespoons milk
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Gel food coloring (optional)
- Additional candies and sprinkles for decorating (optional)
Instructions
1. Making the Cookies:
- In a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until smooth.
- Add the vanilla extract and egg, mixing until well-combined.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add dry ingredients to the wet mixture until fully combined.
- Divide the dough into two portions, wrap each in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2–3 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Roll out the chilled dough to your desired thickness (¼" for softer cookies, ⅛" for crispier ones). Use cookie cutters to create festive shapes, then transfer them to the baking sheets.
- Bake for 8–10 minutes, or until the edges are just golden. Cool completely before decorating.
2. Making the Frosting:
- Combine powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of milk, corn syrup, and vanilla extract. Adjust milk or sugar to reach the right consistency.
- If coloring, divide the frosting into bowls and add gel food coloring.
- Transfer the frosting to piping bags and decorate cookies with sprinkles and candies as desired.
- Allow the frosting to harden before stacking or storing cookies.
The Joy of Decorating
After the cookies cooled, my boys eagerly jumped into decorating. They loved choosing frosting colors and sprinkling (or pouring) decorations onto the cookies. Sure, there was a sprinkle explosion, but seeing their excitement made it all worthwhile!
Why Baking Together Matters
Baking isn't just about cookies—it's about the memories you make. My boys practiced patience while the dough chilled, learned new skills like mixing and rolling, and enjoyed the satisfaction of creating something delicious.
Make Your Own Festive Cookies
If you're in The Woodlands, Montgomery, or nearby areas, these sugar cookies are a perfect activity for the family. Don’t forget to share your creations with us! Tag us on Instagram or Facebook at @MacaroniKidTheWoodlands for a chance to be featured in our next newsletter.
Let the holiday baking fun begin! 🍪✨
Looking for more holiday fun? Check out our Holiday Season Guides Below!
 |  |
 |  |
When visiting events and local businesses, be sure to tell them Macaroni KID sent you... and don't forget to tell all your friends!
Macaroni KID is a free local calendar, weekly newsletter and website focused on family-friendly events and information for The Woodlands - Montgomery areas. We gather all the local family-friendly events and activities we can find and add useful information about classes, family-focused businesses, book and product reviews, recipes, crafts, school and camp guides and more!
Subscribe so you don't miss out on any of the fun!
 |  |  |
 |  |  |
 |  |
