Original German Butter Cookies

Ingredients

For quick and easy Christmas cookies, a good basic dough is essential. You can make this recipe with chilled butter or as a creamed shortbread with softened butter. The dough is perfect for baking with kids—just make sure to use only a portion at a time, keeping the rest of the dough in the fridge.

How to Make the Cut-Out Christmas Cookies

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Let's get started! First, combine the flour and sugar in a bowl. Then, add the butter in small pieces along with the egg and knead into a shortcrust dough. Shape the dough into a large ball, wrap it in foil, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Divide the chilled dough in half (return the other half to the fridge) and roll it out on a baking mat or a lightly floured surface. Cut out the cookies and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Repeat the process with the remaining dough. Gather the scraps, knead them together gently, and chill briefly before rolling out again. Brush the cut-out cookies with a whisked egg yolk, then bake them for 10-12 minutes, depending on their thickness. Once done, let them cool before decorating with icing, decorative sprinkles, or whatever you prefer.

Top Tip

I usually make a double batch—this way, the butter cookies last a bit longer 😉. Below are some tips to help you make sure the basic cookie recipe turns out perfectly every time.

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5 from 4 votes

Best Cut Out Christmas Cookies

A basic cookie dough recipe for the whole family, these shortbread cookie cutters are a Christmas baking classic for a good reason!

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Baking Time11 minutes mins

Cooling Time30 minutes mins

Servings: 35 cookies

Calories: 63kcal

Ingredients

1x2x3x

• 250 grams (2 cups) all-purpose flour
• 90 grams (½ cup) sugar
• 125 grams (⅔ cup) butter
• 1 egg, medium

Instructions

• Put the flour and sugar in a bowl. Add the butter in small pieces along with the egg, and knead everything into a shortcrust dough. Form the dough into a large ball and wrap it in foil. Refrigerate for at least half an hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Divide the dough ball in half (return one half to the refrigerator) and roll it out on a baking mat or a lightly floured work surface. Cut out cookies and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Repeat with the second portion of dough. Gather the dough scraps, knead them together, and chill briefly before rolling out again.
• Brush the cookies with whisked egg yolk (see notes). Bake for about 10-12 minutes, depending on thickness. Allow them to cool, remove from the baking sheet, and decorate as desired with icing, decorative sprinkles, etc. (see notes).

Notes

The Christmas cookies are delicious on their own. If you want to add decorations, here are a few options:

1. Before baking, brush with beaten egg yolk and decorate with (bake-safe) sugar sprinkles.
2. After baking, let the cookies cool, then brush them with icing and sprinkle with sugar decorations.
3. Alternatively, carefully melt white or dark chocolate glaze and use it for coating. Instead of covering the cookies completely, you can also drizzle fine chocolate lines over them.

Ingredient substitutions

Do you want to replace some ingredients? Here you find tips for baking ingredient substitutions!

Variations

Alongside this cut-out cookie dough, I bake vanilla crescents and cinnamon stars every year. And if I need a super quick recipe, I go for the 3-ingredient biscuits. The gingerbread men are also fantastic. Let me know in the comments what your Christmas must-bakes are!