This year I have had so much fun baking cookies for the holidays. It started with my M&M Chewy Cookies, then these Rudolph Sugar Cookies, and even venturing in to candies like the M&M Cookie Dough Truffles. Of course I will always love my Christmas Cake Pops - Reindeer, Snowmen, and Elves - but cookies seem to be the theme of my holiday.
When I was perusing Pinterest weeks ago I saw Gingerbread Reindeer and knew I would have to try them. Problem though is I am the only one in my house who like gingerbread, and I really do not need to eat an entire batch by myself. Though I was willing to.... take one for the team, ya know? So I set out to find the perfect sugar cookie recipe and make the same Rudolph cookies - only sugar instead of gingerbread. I have to admit... this is the most proud I have been of anything coming out of my kitchen.
Rudolph Sugar Cookies
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ c butter, melted
- 2 ½ c white sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 5 c all purpose flour
- gingerbread man cookie cutters
- Wilton Sparkle Gel in gold, black, red, white, and green
Mix together butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, baking powder, and salt until well mixed and no lumps. Begin mixing in four about a cup at a time, mixing well. Now, if you are like me and do not own a stand up mixer, this next step will count as a strength training workout. Mix all five cups of flour in to make one large ball of dough. Cover tightly and refrigerate at least one hour. More of possible. The colder the dough is, the easier it is to work with.
Divide your dough into workable sections and roll out to about ⅓ inch thickness. Using your gingerbread cookie cutters, cut cookies out and place on a cookie sheet. Note: Keep the cookie cutters floured and they will not stick. The cookies will not rise too much so you can put them pretty close together.
Bake at 350* for about 9 minutes or until bottom just begins to brown. DO NOT OVERCOOK! This recipe will keep the cookies nice and soft as long as you do not overcook them. Once finished put them on a wire rack to cool completely.
Once cooled, you can decorate the gingerbread men into reindeer by simply flipping them upside-down. The "feet" of the gingerbread men will be the "antlers." You can have so much fun with this, and the girls and I took turns making funny expressions for Rudolph. The Wilton Sparkle Gel was terrific because they have a nozzle to help you have control of where they gel goes, but it is thick enough that the colors do not run together. (We made Christmas Trees too)
Tip: For the eyes use the white Sparkle Gel to make oval shaped eyes, and then put the nozzle of the Black Sparkle Gel directly into the white and squeeze gently. They will mold together quite perfectly.
This was the most fun the girls and I have had in the kitchen in a long time, and we have already made another batch to take to our Bunco Christmas party where they were also a huge hit! These will absolutely be a part of our holiday traditions for many years to come.
Sara Phillips says
1st: How do you NOT own a stand mixer yet?!
2nd: Those reindeer are FREAKIN' ADORABLE!!!!
Liz @ A Nut in a Nutshell says
Those are so cute so I had to pin them!!! I love his little grin. 😉
Lynsey says
aww thanks for the Pin Love! LOL They were as delicious as they were cute - and FUN! 🙂
Pam says
THose are adorable. I wouldn't have thought of making them from a gingerbread pattern.
Lynsey says
I never would have thought of it either! Genius! I love Pinterest! LOL
Sabrina R says
I'm always scared to try something so neat looking thinking I will fail, you guys did great, motivates me to try!
Lynsey says
it REALLY was easy. The Wilton things take most of the credit though - they make it where you are literally like DRAWING the faces. Much easier than like "cake decorating" or something LOL
Beeb Ashcroft says
Oh how CUTE, I love those!
Brett Martin says
omg. how cute. and sparkle gel. nothings more fun than sparkles!!
i would NEVER, ever have thought of this.
Tesa @ 2 Wired 2 Tired says
Those are so cute I pinned them so we can try them this year! My kids will be so excited.
Stefani says
These are sooo CUTE! I will be making cookies this weekend with the kids. I might have to make some reindeers too!
Maryann says
I've been making our GFCF cookies this week. I made GFCF sugar cookies for the kids to take to school - I would not normally make these. Then I made flourless chocolate peanut butter cookies and pignolis. I still want to make some meringues for the boys. They love those.
Christy Soares says
Can you share how you made them GF? What is CF? My best friend has celiac and we bake for 2 days each year and I would love to add thiz to our repertoire!!!!
Maryann says
Hi Christy, which would you like the recipe for? I use King Arthur Gluten Free Flour blend to make all my GF cookies. CF means casein free and casein if the protein in milk. My son is not supposed to have either. I think the best thing to make are naturally GF cookies, such as these http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/claire-robinson/flourless-peanut-butter-cookies-recipe/index.html my pignoli cookies http://www.matthewspuzzle.com/2012/12/pignoli-cookie-recipe-gluten-free-casein-free.html, and nutella cookies http://www.matthewspuzzle.com/2012/12/homemade-nutella-cookies-gluten-free-casein-free.html you can leave out the pepper jelly and just make the plain cookies. Very fudgy.
Kat B. says
These look so good that even though its past Rudolph time, I would totally make these.
Melissa @ A Room for Two with a View says
I know this is an older post, but I host a Foodie Friday Blog Hop every Friday if you'd like to link up any of your recipes.
Melissa
A Room for Two with a View
Anita Jude says
oh wow these are neat going to have to try to fix them so cute and sound delicious