Print

Christmas Lights Cookies

Christmas Lights Cookies
Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

A festive recipe for making sugar cookies decorated to look like Christmas light strings, using icing and colorful mini M&M’s.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 2–3 tablespoons milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (for icing)
  • Black gel food coloring (or black icing pen)
  • Mini M&M’s candies (red, green, yellow, blue, orange)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, cream together softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until well combined.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined and a soft dough forms. Do not overmix.
  4. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to about 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out rectangular shapes (about 2 inches long and 1 inch wide) using a knife or a rectangular cookie cutter. You can also cut out traditional sugar cookie shapes and just make the “lights” on them.
  5. Place cookies on the prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart.
  6. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. Let cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
  7. Prepare the icing: In a medium bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth. Add more milk if needed for a thinner consistency, or more powdered sugar for a thicker one.
  8. Once cookies are completely cool, frost each cookie with a thin layer of white icing. Let the icing set slightly (about 15-20 minutes).
  9. Using the black gel food coloring or icing pen, draw a wavy or straight “wire” across each frosted cookie.
  10. Carefully place mini M&M’s along the black “wire” to represent the colorful lights, pressing them gently into the icing before it fully dries.
  11. Let the cookies dry completely before storing in an airtight container.

Notes

  • Ensure the butter is properly softened for the creaming process.
  • Do not overmix the dough once the flour is added to keep the cookies tender.
  • Adjust icing consistency by adding milk (thinner) or powdered sugar (thicker).
  • Allow the base white icing to set before drawing the black ‘wire’ to prevent colors from bleeding.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://www.masterthecook.com/christmas-lights-cookies/