How to create a 3D Winter Wonderland - Classic Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing

Are you ready for the holiday baking season?  Traditionally, I have always been busy baking goodies for friends and family during the holidays!  What are your favorite things to share around the holidays?  This year, I have created these whimsical 3D Winter Wonderland Sugar Cookies.  Be sure to check out the tutorial above on how I make them.



These 3D cookies are made out of Classic Sugar Cookies and decorated with Royal Icing.  Not only these cookies are crispy (with a hint of butter and vanilla), they are also more sturdy and can hold up to the decorations better than other kind of cookies.   According to my Little Girl, these cookies are perfect for dunking in a cup of hot cocoa! Does she talk like a foodie or what?!  In addition to these Classic Sugar Cookies, I also made a variation of a chocolate flavored ones.




In this 3D Winter Wonderland, you will find Christmas Tree, Snowman, Reindeer and Santa’s Sleigh that are all made of cookies.  As shown in the video above, they are cut from from a 3D cookie cutter set that I bought online from awhile ago. 







In addition to Snowman and Christmas Trees, I also created a few gift box/present cookies to place in front of the Christmas Tree!  We’ve got to have some presents for the holidays, right?  The great news is that you don’t need a cookie cutter to make these gift boxes.  Check out my video tutorial and I’ll show you step by step on how to make them.  They are easier to make than they look, and they are super delicious with a layer of chocolate sugar cookie stacked in the middle! 










So, which one is your favorite?  I personally love the present/gift box and the Santa’s Sleigh cookies the best.  Best of all, just a few simple sprinkles and icing can transform these ordinary sugar cookies into something so amazing!  I hope you’ll give this recipe a try and make them for your family and loved ones.  My kids and I had so much fun decorating these cookies together.  They could be a fun holiday activities with your kiddos as well.  Stay tuned for more fun and festive holiday recipes!




Tools and Ingredients Used:
3D Christmas Cookie Cutter Set (Click here for more information)
Natural Food Coloring (Click here for more information)
Meringue Powder (Click here for more information)
Valrhona Unsweetened Cocoa Powder (Click here for more information)
Silver Dragee (Click here for more information)
Fall Color Sprinkle Pearls (Click here for more information)
Christmas Sprinkle (Click here for more information)
Star Shape Sprinkle (Click here for more information)
Organic Vanilla Extract (Click here for more information)
Kerrygold Butter (Click here for more information)
Organic All-Purpose Flour (Click here for more information)
Rolling Pin with Adjustable rings (Click here for more information)
Pizza Roller (Click here for more information)
Cooling Racks (Click here for more information)
Rolling Mat (Click here for more information)
Food Decorating Tongs/Tweezers (Click here for more information)
Measuring Cup Set (Click here for more information)
Stand Mixer (Click here for more information)
Silpat (Click here for more information)
Baking Sheets (Click here for more information)



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Classic Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing:

Ingredients for the Basic Sugar Cookie Dough:
2 sticks (8 ounces) of salted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour

To prepare the basic sugar cookie dough:
In the bowl of the stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter and sugar starting with low speed.  Add the egg, vanilla extract, and scrape down the sides of the bowl if necessary. 

Add the flour and beat until the ingredients are just combine.  Do not over mix the dough, otherwise the cookies will get tough.

Divide the dough into 2 equal portions, wrap each with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour before Rolling.

Ingredients for the Chocolate Sugar Cookie Dough:
2 sticks (8 ounces) of salted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder


To prepare the chocolate sugar cookie dough:In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour and cocoa powder.

In the bowl of the stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter and sugar starting with low speed.  Add the egg, vanilla extract, and scrape down the sides of the bowl if necessary. 

Add the flour and cocoa powder mixture and beat until the ingredients are just combine.  Do not over mix the dough, otherwise the cookies will get tough.

Divide the dough into 2 equal portions, wrap each with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour before Rolling.

To Prepare the stamped out 3D cookies:
Take a portion of cookie dough and let it rest at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes to softened.

Roll the cookie dough in between 2 pieces of plastic wrap.  Roll the dough into 1/4-inch thickness.  See video for details on tools to use.

Stamp out the cookies and transfer them onto a silpat lined baking sheet.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes before baking.

Preheat oven to 350 degree F and bake cookies for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the edges are slightly golden brown.

Cool completely on a wire rack before decorating.

To Prepare the gift box cookies:
Roll basic sugar cookie dough into 1/4-inch thickness.  With a pizza roller, cut out 4 long strips in 1/4-inch in width.

Roll the chocolate sugar cookie dough into 1/4-inch thickness.  With a pizza roller, cut out 3 long strips in 1/4-inch width, and 1 long strips in 3/4-inch width.

To Assemble the gift box cookies:
Place a strip of basic cookie dough on a clean surface, place a strip of the 1/4-inch chocolate dough on top, then, top with another piece of basic cookie dough to create a “sandwiched” cookie dough strip.  Repeat this process one more time.

Next, place the 3/4-inch chocolate cookie dough strip on top of one of the “sandwiched” cookie dough strip, top with the remaining sandwiched cookie dough strip.

Wrap the whole thing up with a piece of plastic wrap.  Gently press on all 4 sides to make sure the tiny cookie dough strips are attached to each other.

Unwrap the dough and cut into 1/2-inch thickness.  The cut-outs should look like a gift box. 

Cut the remaining 1/4-inch chocolate sugar cookie dough into mini triangles.  Place 2 triangles on top of the gift box and garnish with a silver dragee in the middle.  Place gift box cookie dough onto a silpat lined baking sheet. 

Refrigerate for 30 minutes.  Preheat oven to 350 degree F.  Bake cookies for 12 to 15 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden brown.


Ingredients for the Royal Icing:1 cup of powdered sugar
2 teaspoons of meringue powder
2 tablespoons of warm water
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
natural red food coloring
natural red food coloring

To prepare the Royal Icing:In a large mixing bowl, whisk all ingredients together until no lumps.  Divide into 3 portions, leave 1 portion plain, tint 1 portion with a few drops of natural red food coloring, and tint the remaining one in green.

To Assemble the 3D sugar cookies:For the reindeer, with the back of a small spoon, add a small amount of royal icing at the joins of the legs and attach them to the body of the reindeer cookie.  Let the icing dry completely on a flat surface.  Be sure to slightly spread the legs at an angle so that the reindeer can balance when it stands.

For the Santa’s Sleigh, add a small amount of royal icing at the connecting parts.  Adjust the angle of the sleigh while the icing is still wet and let it dry standing up straight.  

For the Snowman, decorate with colored icing and sprinkles.  Let the icing dry before placing the top piece of cookie onto the bottom part perpendicularly.

For the Christmas Tree, decorate with colored icing and sprinkles.  Let the icing dry before placing the top piece of cookie onto the bottom part perpendicularly.