Ugly sweater cookies will make your holidays jolly

We’re all for simplicity when it comes to cookies — but it’s also fun to go crazy with decorations and icing.
We switched up the original icing recipe from 2015 for a royal icing, which dries harder and creates sharper lines when decorating.
Host an ugly sweater cookie decorating party by making the cookies ahead of time and assembling icing and sprinkles in a variety of colours and let your guests go all out.
Ugly Sweater Cookies
For the cookies
1/2 cup (125 mL) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup (125 mL) granulated sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp (2 mL) vanilla extract
1 1/4 cup (310 mL) all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp (2 mL) baking power
1/4 tsp (1 mL) kosher salt
Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). Prepare a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed until fluffy. Turn speed down to low and add egg and vanilla. Continue to mix on medium-high until well-incorporated. Turn speed down to low and slowly add flour, baking powder and salt. Mix until just blended. Do not over mix.
On a clean work surface, roll out dough between two large sheets of parchment paper until dough is about 1/4-inch (0.6cm) thick. Cut out cookies using a sweater-shaped cookie cutter. Place cookies an inch apart from each other on baking sheet.
Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until cookies are just beginning to brown on edges.
Makes about 6 cookies, depending on size of cutter.
For the royal icing
1 1/4 cups (310 mL) icing sugar
2 1/2 tbsp (37 mL) meringue powder
1/4 cup (60 mL) water, plus more as needed
Food colouring
In a bowl, whisk together all sugar, meringue powder and water until well-blended. Whisk in enough food colouring until desired colour is achieved. For a thinner icing used for flooding cookies, add more water a tiny bit at a time. For a thicker icing, add more sugar.
To decorate cookies, spoon icing into piping bags, or a resealable plastic bag with a tiny corner cut off.
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