Go Back
+ servings
Snowflake cookies decorated with buttercream.

Decorated Snowflake Sugar Cookies with Buttercream

Heather Smoke
Soft and buttery almond flavored snowflake sugar cookies, decorated with fluffy buttercream frosting.

All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.

5 from 8 votes
Prep Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 40 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings24

Equipment

  • Disposable Piping Bag
  • Piping Tip #18 (small star tip)
  • Piping Tip #4 (small round tip)
  • Small Tapered Palette Knife
  • Food Processor (for making the cookie dough)
  • Stand Mixer with Paddle Attachment (for making the buttercream)

Ingredients
 

Instructions
 

Cookies

  • Prepare 1/2 recipe of No Spread Vanilla Sugar Cookie Dough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
    Note: I also added 1/2 teaspoon almond extract to the dough, which gives these cookies the most wonderful holiday flavor.
  • On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thick. Dip your snowflake cutters in flour and cut as many cookies as you can, dipping the cutters in flour between each cookie.
    Gather up the dough scraps, roll them out again, and continue cutting cookies until you've used up all the dough. If you're using a 3-inch cookie cutter, you should be able to cut about 18-24 snowflakes.
  • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the cut cookies 1-2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 350 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Bake the chilled cookies for about 8-10 minutes. They should still be very pale, but with no appearance of raw or wet dough. If you very carefully turn one over, it should be a pale golden brown on the bottom.
    Cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then very gently transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
    Note: Snowflake cookies are extremely fragile, especially when warm, and need to be handled gently so as not to break the points. I avoid picking them up by the points, and always slide a small spatula underneath them to move them.
  • Once cooled, store the cookies in an airtight container. You can freeze the baked cookies for up to 3-6 months, before you're ready to decorate them.

Buttercream

  • Prepare 2x my recipe for Perfect American Buttercream as instructed.
    Note: I recommend making the buttercream with half butter and half vegetable shortening, for a whiter color. I flavored mine with 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1/4 teaspoon almond extract to complement the almond flavored cookies.
  • If you won't be using the buttercream right away, you can make it in advance and store it in a freezer bag or airtight container. Refrigerate the buttercream for up to 1 week, or freeze it for up to 3-6 months. Let it come to room temperature before using.

Decorating

  • Fit a piping bag with a coupler so you can easily switch between tips 4 and 18.
  • Decorate your snowflake cookies by piping the buttercream onto the cooled cookies. Add sugar pearls and sparkling sugar before the buttercream crusts over.
  • Snowflake sugar cookies decorated with buttercream will need to be stored in a single layer in an airtight container.
Keyword Christmas Cookies, Holiday, No Spread Sugar Cookies, Snowflake, Sugar Cookies
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
https://curlygirlkitchen.com/