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2020 Home for the Holidays Sugar Cookie Cutouts

Betty Crocker Kitchens
Updated Aug 10, 2023
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If 2020 changed up your holiday plans, we've got the perfect cookie idea to celebrate staying in for the season. Use our Betty Crocker™ Sugar Cookie Mix recipe for the cutout cookies; then the fun can begin as you decorate and customize these house-shaped cookies for your family and friends. There is no one way to decorate these cookies. Have fun piping different looks and designs on houses—can you make it look like your own?

2020 Home for the Holidays Sugar Cookie Cutouts

  • Prep Time 1 hr 25 min
  • Total 6 hr 30 min
  • Servings 12
  • Ingredients 9
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Ingredients

Cookies

Royal Icing

  • 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/3 cup plus 4 to 8 teaspoons warm water (105°F to 115°F)
  • 3 tablespoons meringue powder
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • Betty Crocker™ gel food color(s), if desired
  • Betty Crocker™ candy sprinkles, if desired

Instructions

  • Step 
    1
    Heat oven to 375°F. In medium bowl, stir cookie mix, flour, butter and egg until soft dough forms.
  • Step 
    2
    On floured surface, roll dough 1/4-inch thick. Cut with 4-inch house-shaped cookie cutter; on ungreased cookie sheets, place cutouts 2 inches apart. Reroll dough, and cut additional cutouts.
  • Step 
    3
    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.
  • Step 
    4
    In large bowl, beat powdered sugar, 1/3 cup warm water, meringue powder, vanilla and cream of tartar with electric mixer on low speed until mixed. Beat on high speed 7 to 10 minutes or until very stiff, scraping bowl occasionally.
  • Step 
    5
    Spoon 1/3 cup icing (tint with food color, if desired) into small piping bag fitted with small round writing tip; twist bag to keep closed. Keep remaining icing covered with plastic wrap to prevent drying out; set aside.
  • Step 
    6
    On each cookie, squeeze piping bag firmly and steadily, working counterclockwise to create an icing border (use photo as guide). Release pressure on piping bag to cut off flow of icing and complete border. Allow borders to set completely, 30 to 60 minutes, before filling in. Add any icing from piping bag into bowl of remaining icing; keep covered with plastic wrap.
  • Step 
    7
    Uncover remaining icing; mix well. In small bowl, place 1 cup of the icing. Tint with food color, if desired. Stir in warm water, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, until icing is the consistency of heavy cream. (Make sure icing is mixed well before adding next 1/2 teaspoon water.) Pour thinned icing into squeeze bottle, and screw on top. Keep squeeze bottle tip and any remaining icing covered with plastic wrap to prevent drying out while decorating.
  • Step 
    8
    Using squeeze bottle, on each cookie, fill inside of border with thinned icing. Use nozzle of squeeze bottle or small metal icing spatula to fill in all areas until completely covered. Let stand 1 to 2 minutes before adding any additional sprinkles. Let stand about 2 hours or until completely dry.
  • Step 
    9
    Spoon 1/3 cup icing (tint with food color, if desired) into small piping bag fitted with small round writing tip; twist bag to keep closed. Pipe letters on top of dried glazed cookies. Let stand about 1 hour or until completely dry. Store covered in airtight container at room temperature with waxed paper between layers.

Nutrition

360 Calories
10g Total Fat
2g Protein
67g Total Carbohydrate
51g Sugars

Tips from the Betty Crocker Kitchens

  • tip 1
    Get creative and decorate these 12 house-shaped cookies to celebrate being home for the holidays. To pipe “icicles” on houses, use a grass piping tip to pipe strands of icing on cookie.
  • tip 2
    Cut cookies with a cutter dipped in flour, cutting the shapes as close together as possible on the rolled dough. To move cookie dough cutouts more easily from the work surface to the cookie sheet, lightly press the top and back of your spatula in flour beforehand.
  • tip 3
    For best results, bake cookies on middle oven rack, one sheet at a time. Shiny aluminum cookie sheets with a smooth surface and no sides reflect heat and allow cookies to bake evenly and brown properly, so save your rimmed ones for sheet-pan dinner recipes. Allow cooki...
  • tip 4
    Meringue powder is a pasteurized dried egg white product. It helps to make the icing dry hard. Look for meringue powder in the baking aisle of the grocery store.
  • tip 5
    Plastic squeeze bottles can be found in craft stores or in large grocery stores. Using a small funnel will make it easier to fill squeeze bottle. If you don’t have a squeeze bottle, pour the thinned icing into a 1-cup glass measuring cup, and pour or spoon some into cen...
  • tip 6
    These cookies have a polished, professional look from using royal icing. It dries quickly and gives a smooth, glazed “bakery” look to cookies.
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