We love the imperfection of these festive smashed cookies. The addition of two eggs gives the centers a tender and soft texture, while the crinkled edges get ever so slightly golden and crisp. Top with a simple confectioners’ sugar glaze for a holiday treat perfect for a cookie tin.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 2 hr 30 min |
| Active: | 45 min |
| Yield: | 18 cookies |
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting if needed (see Cook’s Note)
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 cup red, green and white sprinkles
- 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 tablespoon whole milk
Instructions
- Beat the granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the vanilla and eggs, then continue to mix until incorporated (it’s ok if the mixture looks slightly curdled). Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl until evenly combined. Reduce the mixer to medium low, then slowly add the flour mixture and mix until just combined.
- Divide the dough into 18 portions (about 2 1/2 tablespoons each), then roll between the palms of your hands into uniform balls; place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Pour the sprinkles into a shallow bowl or baking dish. Roll the dough balls in the sprinkles until completely coated, then return to the baking sheet. Refrigerate until firm and chilled through, about 1 hour.
- Position oven racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Line one additional baking sheet with parchment.
- Place 9 chilled dough balls on each prepared baking sheet. Using a 1/3-cup measuring cup, smash the dough balls down until the edges are starting to crack and they are 3 to 3 1/2 inches wide (leave about 1/2 inch of space between each smashed cookie). If the dough starts to stick to the bottom of the measuring cup, dust with a little flour and continue smashing.
- Bake, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until the cookies puff slightly, the centers are still soft and the bottoms are just golden brown, 14 to 17 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Once the cookies have cooled, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and milk in a small bowl until smooth and combined (it should be thick but pourable). Transfer to a small piping bag or resealable bag, snip the tip and drizzle over the cookies. Alternatively, use a spoon to drizzle over the cookies. Return to the wire rack to set completely, about 30 minutes. The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 18 servings |
| Calories | 236 |
| Total Fat | 8 g |
| Saturated Fat | 5 g |
| Carbohydrates | 38 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0 g |
| Sugar | 24 g |
| Protein | 3 g |
| Cholesterol | 41 mg |
| Sodium | 41 mg |
Reviews
I’ve had these on my radar for quite some time and finally got around to making them. Cookies came out great, except a little bland. Next time I will increase the salt to at least 1/2 tsp….I like the salt/sugar in my cookies to compete 🙂
A smash hit! Second Christmas I made these cookies. This year I just moved the parchment paper to the wire racks to let them cool. Then I mixed the powdered sugar and milk in an 8-ounce measuring cup and drizzled over the cookies on the parchment. Lots easier to clean up!
Fluffy and delicious. I couldn’t find sprinkles so I got sanding sugar. I tried it as the recipe directed and the red looks pink and the green is almost brown. The sugar crystalized like brulee. Awesome! I also tried a tray dipped after smashing. More visually appealing that way. I will definitely make these again.
Great cookies! I made 36 cookies using a heaping tablespoon as a guide. Rolled in sprinkles, but they did not crinkle on the edges when pressed down. They were still delicious and I would try again maybe freezing to get the crinkle effect?
So since some reviewers questioned whether these would work in a smaller version, I baked the first batch according to the recipe, and I agree that I thought they were kind of big. So when I took the second batch out of the fridge, I sliced the balls in half before smashing them and those were just right!
wow so good!
Not a review, a question, Wondering if you made 36 instead of 18 how they’d come out? A 3 1/2 inch cookie is pretty big.
Yummy! I added lemon zest because my nephew likes lemon, and sure enough he liked these. A keeper.
Easy to make, delicious!!!! Try them with various sprinkles for any holiday! You won’t be sorry
These turned out great, just an easy sugar cookie recipe that’s slightly different from the norm. The edges didn’t turn out quite as craggy as the photo, maybe next time I will chill them longer than the recipe calls for to see if that makes a difference. One point – I used a half cup stainless steel measuring cup to mash the cookies since it more closely matched the desired 3″ diameter – I just pressed until the dough peeked past the edge of the measuring cup. This step took a bit, since the cookies were chilled you have to press pretty hard. I skipped the glaze, and these were totally delicious without it!