Description

These festive Advent Calendar Cookies are a delightful holiday treat featuring buttery, soft sugar cookies decorated with colorful royal icing and numbered from 1 to 25 for a fun countdown to Christmas. Perfect for sharing, gifting, or enjoying with family, these cookies combine classic flavors with festive decorations.

Ingredients

Scale

Cookie Dough

2 1/2 cups (300 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional but recommended)

Royal Icing

1 pound confectioners’ sugar (about 4 cups)
2 tablespoons meringue powder
5 tablespoons water (plus more as needed)
Red and green gel food coloring (optional)

Decorations

Sprinkles and sanding sugars, for decorating
Holiday-shaped cookie cutters (2 3/4″ to 3 1/2″ in diameter)
Small number cutters numbered 1 to 25
A piping bag with a small plain tip (about 1/16″ in diameter)

Instructions

Prepare Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, kosher salt, and baking powder to ensure an even mix of leavening and seasoning.
Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, use a handheld mixer on medium-high speed to beat the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar until the mixture is fluffy and pale in color, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Add Wet Ingredients: Beat in the large egg, pure vanilla extract, and optional almond extract until fully combined.
Combine Dry and Wet Ingredients: Gradually add the dry flour mixture to the butter mixture, beating on medium-low speed until the dough is combined and no dry streaks remain.
Chill Dough: Divide the dough in half on a clean surface, shape each half into a disc, wrap them in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Arrange oven racks in the upper and lower thirds and preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Roll and Cut Dough: Work with one dough disc at a time on a lightly floured surface, rolling the dough out between 1/4″ and 1/8″ thick. Use assorted holiday-shaped cookie cutters to cut out shapes and place them spaced on the prepared baking sheets. Reroll scraps as needed, refrigerating any overly soft dough.
Stamp Numbers: Press small number cutters (1 to 25) into the cookies where desired, leaving some blank or repeating numbers as preferred.
Bake Cookies: Bake the cookies for 13 to 15 minutes, rotating trays from top to bottom and front to back halfway through, until the edges are firm and just beginning to brown. Optionally, carefully restamp numbers for deeper marks right after baking. Let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Prepare Royal Icing: In a large bowl, whisk together confectioners’ sugar and meringue powder. Add 5 tablespoons water, then use a handheld mixer on low speed to combine. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until smooth, shiny, and thick but able to slowly drip off a spatula, about 2 minutes. Divide icing into bowls and tint with red and green food coloring as desired.
Decorate Cookies: Fit a piping bag with a small plain tip and fill it with the icing. Pipe over the stamped numbers and decorate with borders or other designs. To cover cookies completely, gradually thin some icing with water so it gently spreads on its own. Add sprinkles or sanding sugars on wet icing. Allow cookies to set at room temperature for about 20 minutes.
Storage and Make Ahead: Decorated cookies can be made up to one week in advance. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature to maintain freshness.

Notes

For best results, chill the dough well before rolling to prevent excessive spreading.
If the dough becomes too soft while working, refrigerate it briefly to make cutting easier.
Use gel food coloring for vibrant colors without thinning the icing too much.
Restamping the cookie numbers immediately after baking enhances the clarity of the numbers.
Royal icing must be allowed to set completely before stacking or packaging to avoid smudging.
These cookies can be gifted beautifully in holiday tins or boxes, making them ideal for festive occasions.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Keywords: Advent cookies, holiday sugar cookies, Christmas cookies, royal icing cookies, festive cookie recipe