Holiday Sweater Cookies Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Mix the sugar cookie mix according to the package instructions and divide the dough into 3 equal dough balls. Color one dough ball red and the other dough ball green so you have 1 plain, 1 red and 1 green.
• Tear teaspoon-sized pieces of each color dough and drop them on a piece of parchment or a silicone baking mat, alternating colors close together so it looks like confetti. Place a sheet of parchment or wax paper on top of the dough pieces and roll out to 1/4-inch thick. Refrigerate the rolled out dough for at least 20 minutes or up to 1 hour (this helps keep the cookies from spreading).
• Using a sweater cookie cutter, press out as many sweaters as you can and place them on a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Re-roll the leftover dough and keep punching out cookies. (Note, the more you roll, the cooler the dough pattern will be, but if you over-roll it, it will become a muddy color.)
• Bake just until the bottoms start to brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before decorating.
• Mix the royal icing according to the package instructions. Divide the icing into three bowls. Leave one bowl white, dye another red and the last green. Add the icing to piping bags or squeeze bottles. Outline a cookie with one color, then another inside the first outline, working in from the perimeter and alternating colors until the whole cookie is covered. Drag a toothpick from the center of the cookie out to the edges to create a tie-dye effect. Repeat with the remaining cookies. Let set until dry, 20 to 30 minutes.

Steps:

• Cookies:.
• In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside. Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Reduce speed to low and gradually add in flour mixture until dough is just combined.
• Turn dough out of bowl and divide in half. Form into two disks. Wrap each disk tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour and up to overnight.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Remove one disk of dough from refrigerator and allow to temper slightly, 10-15 minutes. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to just under 1/4" thick, adding more flour as needed to prevent dough from sticking. Cut out cookies using desired cutters and transfer to parchment-lined sheet trays. Reroll scraps once, and cut out any additional cookies. Transfer sheet trays to refrigerator and chill until very firm, at least 30 minutes (or to the freezer, for 15 minutes). Repeat with remaining dough.
• Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges are just golden, 14-16 minutes. Allow to cool completely on sheet trays set on wire cooling racks before decorating.
• Royal Icing:.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine all ingredients and beat on low speed until smooth and opaque, about 7 minutes. Icing should have the consistency of glue, and ribbons should disappear in 15-second intervals. If icing is too thick, add water 1 teaspoon at a time until proper consistency is reached; if icing is too thin, add additional confectioners sugar 1 tablespoon at a time until proper consistency is reached. If desired, tint icing with gel paste food coloring before transferring to piping bags or plastic squeeze bottles for decorating.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. In medium bowl, stir cookie mix, flour, melted butter and egg until soft dough forms. Place one-third of the dough into small bowl. Tint red by stirring in food color.
• On floured surface, drop by slightly less than tablespoonfuls of doughs in random pattern to make large rectangle. Dough pieces should be just touching together.
• Push dough toward center on all sides to make 6x5-inch rectangle. Roll dough 1/4-inch thick to create marbled pattern. Cut shapes with floured 3 1/2- to 4-inch sweater shaped cookie cutter. Lightly press back of cookie spatula in flour, and slide under cookie dough; place cutouts 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Press any leftover scraps together, and reroll on floured surface to make more cookies.
• Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool 2 minutes; remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Use Decorations as desired, using photo as a guide. Let stand at least 1 hour or until set. Store covered in airtight container at room temperature with waxed paper between layers.