Santa Letter Cookies

Download your own letter to Santa template for Christmas!

Directions

1) Vanilla Cut-Out Cookies

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with Western Family parchment paper.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat unsalted butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute.
3. Add large egg and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Add dry ingredients to mixer bowl and combine the ingredients on low speed until no more dry spots remain, about 1 minute.
5. Between two pieces of parchment paper, roll out cookie dough to ¼-inch thickness. Using cookie cutters of choice, stamp out cookies and transfer cut outs to a lined baking sheet. Chill cut outs in freezer for 15 minutes before baking, this will help the cookies retain their shape.
6. Bake cookies for 11 - 13 minutes, until the edges are lightly golden.
7. Remove cookies from oven and allow them to cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. 

2) Peppermint Royal Icing

1. In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whisk egg whites on high speed until frothy. Add icing sugar and peppermint extract. Mix on medium speed until smooth.
2. Divide icing among small bowls, and dye with gel food coloring if desired. Keep any icing that isn’t being immediately used covered with plastic wrap, Transfer to piping bags and decorate cookies.

Ingredients

1) Vanilla Cut-Out Cookies

• 3/4 cup (170g) Western Family unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
• 1 Western Family large egg, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons Western Family pure vanilla extract
• 2 and 1/4 cups (270g) Western Family all-purpose flour, and more for dusting work surface
• 1/2 teaspoon Western Family baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

2) Peppermint Royal Icing

• 3 egg whites
• 3 ¾ cup (450g) icing sugar
• ½ tsp peppermint extract
• Assorted food colouring
• Edible marker