Not all sugar cookies are created equal.

As a little girl, I didn’t understand this, though. The only cookies I knew about were the sugar cookies I’d make with my mom every year for Christmas. She’d do the heavy lifting—she’d make and chill the dough, showing me how to wrap the disks tightly in plastic wrap before stashing them in the fridge. Then she’d roll the cold, hardened dough out across the counter, and let me eat little scraps of it while she cut it into candy cane and Christmas tree shapes. “The dough is the most delicious before it’s baked,” she’d agree, “but it’ll give us a terrible stomach ache if we eat any more.”

(Lessons from Carrie about too much of a good thing.)

Aside from sneaking raw dough even after being warned of the dire consequences, my favorite part of making Christmas cookies with mom was always the decorating. She’d fill small bowls with various shades of red, green, yellow, and so on, and let me take the reigns. It was a young perfectionist/baker/artist’s ideal way to spend the day, and even more gratifying when we’d show up to Grandma’s on Christmas day with our platter full of beautiful sugar cookies, and bask in the “ooh’s” and “ah’s” from my aunts, uncles, and cousins as they joyfully devoured them. “Aunt Carrie always makes the best cookies!” a cousin would exclaim, and the rest of the full house would nod in agreement.

Being “Aunt Carrie’s” daughter and apprentice, I took for granted how exceptional her sugar cookies were, because she made it seem so effortless and fun. But now, as a grown-up baker who has experimented with enough faulty recipes to know better, I know without a doubt that my mom’s classic Christmas cookies really are the best. So without further ado, allow me to share the recipe with you.

Carrie’s Classic Christmas Cookies

(NOTE: I’ve included affiliate links to some of the supplies listed below. I really use them! And I do receive a small commission from each sale.)

Ingredients

For the Sugar Cookies:

Makes 2-3 dozen sugar cookies, depending on size of cookie cutters.

• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 1 large egg, at room temperature

• 2 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

• 1 teaspoon lemon zest

• 3 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

For the Frosting:

Makes 3 cups of frosting.

• 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature

• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 4 cups powdered sugar

• 3-4 tablespoons milk

For Decorating:

All are optional!

• Food coloring

• Frosting bags and piping tubes (I use these)

• Sprinkles (I got my gold star sprinkles here)

• Colored sugar

• Anything else you’d like to play with!

Make 

1. Cream the wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and beat until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds. Add the cream cheese and beat for 1 minute, scrape down the bowl again, then beat in the vanilla extract, almond extract, and lemon zest until incorporated, about 30 seconds.

2. Add dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter-sugar mixture, mixing just until fully incorporated and a soft dough is formed.

3. Chill the dough: Divide the dough in half, pat each into a disk, then wrap each disk tightly in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours. (Or freeze in a ziplock bag for up to 1 month. Let thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then proceed with the recipe as directed.)

   When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350F.

4. Roll and shape the dough: Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove one dough disk from the refrigerator and roll it to a 1/4-inch thickness, between two layers of parchment paper. Remove the top layer of parchment paper, then with cookie cutters, cut the cookies into desired shapes. Transfer to the prepared baking sheets, and repeat with remaining dough, until you’ve used up both disks.

5. Bake the cookies: Bake at 350F for 8-10 minutes, until the edges are barely lightly golden brown. (The cookies will look slightly under-baked. This keeps them soft.) Let cool completely.

6. Make the frosting: In a large mixing bowl, combine butter, shortening, and vanilla. Beat at medium speed until creamy. Add sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating at low speed until blended. Add milk, one tablespoon at a time, until you reach your desired consistency. beat at medium speed until light and fluffy.

7. Add color: If making colored frosting, this is the time to do it. Add food coloring, one drop at a time, until you get the color you want. Remember: a little color goes a long way!

8. Decorate your cookies: Frost and decorate your cookies however you’re inspired to. Let the frosting set for a few minutes, then enjoy!

to Store:

Leftover baked sugar cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. I recommend separating the cookie layers with wax or parchment paper, so they don’t stick together. You can also freeze your cookies, frosted or unfrosted, for up to 2 months.