Recipe: Peppermint Christmas Cookies

Prettiest and yummiest Christmas stars ever. Shortbread cookies frosted with royal icing, then topped with crushed candy cane bits — classic peppermint flavor, of course. These are Christmas cookies for kids and grownups too. The recipe includes both the shortbread and the royal icing ...

Shortbread Cookies with Royal Icing
and Crushed Peppermint Candy Canes
Recipe & Images: The Entertaining House {altered version licensed under a CC BY-SA 3.0 US license}

INGREDIENTS
for the sugar cookies
3/4 pound butter, at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 - 2 tbs vanilla
Food coloring, your choice

for the royal icing
3 egg whites
1 lb. confectioners' sugar
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 tsp. almond extract or white vanilla extract

for garnishing
6 mini candy canes in individually wrapped

DIRECTIONS
for the sugar cookies
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix together the butter and 1 cup of sugar until they are just combined. Add the vanilla. Add flour to the to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together.

Dump the dough onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk. You can either wrap the dough and refrigerate for later use or roll dough and start cutting into desired shapes with the cookie cutter of your choice. Be sure to liberally apply flour to your work surface as well as your rolling pin. As cookies are cut, place them onto your cutting board.

When ready bake for about 15 minutes until golden brown. (May require up to 20 minutes.)

for the royal icing
Place all ingredients in bowl and beat on medium high for a full 10 minutes. Icing will become thick and glossy but will not increase in volume. Keep covered with damp cloth while using, removing small portions to bowl as needed. Tint if desired. To thin, add a few drops of water. Royal icing hardens with a nice sheen.

for decorating the cookies
When cookies have cooled you can start to decorate.

Use a rolling pin and carefully smash the miniature candy canes.

Using a pastry knife or butter knife carefully spread the frosting on to the cookie. Once the cookies have been covered (I usually do this in batches) shake some of the peppermint candy cane crumbs on to the cookie. A little goes a long way for a perfectly and not overwhelmingly pepperminty cookie!