Description
Magical Christmas Reindeer cookies blend festive cheer with whimsical charm, creating delightful treats that sparkle with holiday spirit. Sweet chocolate and cheerful decorations bring seasonal joy to your cookie platter.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter (softened)
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 ½ cups (310 g) all-purpose flour
Flavoring and Binding Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Decorative Ingredients:
- Mini pretzels (for antlers)
- Mini chocolate chips (for eyes)
- Red or brown candy-coated chocolates (like M&Ms, for noses)
Instructions
- Prepare the oven environment by heating to 350F (175C) and lining baking sheets with parchment paper, ensuring an even cooking surface.
- In a spacious mixing bowl, vigorously blend butter and sugar until the mixture becomes airy and pale, creating a smooth foundation for the dough.
- Incorporate the egg and vanilla extract, stirring thoroughly to marry the ingredients and develop a rich, consistent base.
- Separately combine flour, baking powder, and salt, whisking to eliminate potential lumps and create a uniform dry mixture.
- Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, stirring gently until a soft, pliable dough emerges.
- Craft small spherical portions of dough, rolling them between palms and positioning them on the prepared baking sheets with adequate spacing.
- Gently press each dough ball to create a flat surface, preparing the canvas for reindeer facial features.
- Carefully position mini pretzels at the top of each cookie to simulate antler structures, ensuring symmetrical placement.
- Delicately embed mini chocolate chips as eyes and place a vibrant red or brown candy to represent the characteristic reindeer nose.
- Transfer the decorated cookies into the preheated oven, allowing them to bake for 10-12 minutes until edges acquire a gentle golden hue.
- Remove from oven and let cookies rest on baking sheets for a brief 5-minute cooling period.
- Carefully transfer cookies to a wire cooling rack, permitting complete cooling and solidification of their festive design.
Notes
- Pretzel Placement Hack: Gently press mini pretzels into cookie dough before baking to ensure they stick perfectly without falling off during baking.
- Chocolate Chip Eye Trick: Use tweezers or a toothpick to precisely position mini chocolate chips for symmetrical and adorable reindeer faces.
- Gluten-Free Adaptation: Swap regular flour with a gluten-free all-purpose blend, ensuring the same tender texture while accommodating dietary restrictions.
- Make-Ahead Magic: Prepare cookie dough in advance and refrigerate for up to 3 days, allowing for stress-free holiday baking and spontaneous festive treat creation.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Snacks, Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 196
- Sugar: 8.3 g
- Sodium: 40 mg
- Fat: 10.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 6.3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3.9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25.4 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 1.7 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg