Ingredients
Method
Preheat the oven to 170C/160C Fan /325F and line several baking trays with baking paper.
Mix the butter, sugar and vanilla extract
- Measure out the butter, sugar and vanilla extract and pop them in a large mixing bowl or freestanding mixer. Cream them together until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Add the egg
- Crack the egg in a small bowl and add to your mixture. Mix everything together. If you need to, use a spatula to scrape unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl.
Add the dry ingredients
- Measure the flour, salt, cream of tartar and add to the butter/sugar mixture. Mix everything together so it comes together into a ball of soft dough.
Make the Christmas cookies
- Dust your work surface with a little flour and roll out your dough until it is about ½ a cm thick.
- Use festive cutters to cut shapes out and place them on your baking trays.
Bake the Christmas cookies
- Pop the cookies in the oven for around 10 minutes. They’re ready when the edges are starting to turn a little golden. They should still be pale in the centre.
- Leave them to cool on the baking trays for a minute or two before removing them and placing them on a wire rack to cool completely.
Decorate the Christmas cookies
- In a few separate bowls, mix some icing sugar with a few tsp of water. Add your chosen colours and mix well. Put the icing in a small freezer/zip lock bag. Cut a tiny hole in one corner and pipe your designs. You could alternatively just spoon the icing on to the cookies, but it can be a bit messier. Leave to set.