Christmas Light Sugar Cookies with a small batch of homemade buttercream decorated to look like Christmas Lights. It's the perfect cookie to kick off Christmas Cookies Week!

I am not a cake or cookie decorator but I have been having fun trying my hand at making some fun cakes and cookies here lately. These Christmas Light Sugar Cookies turned out to be a hit.

Most people make them and use royal icing as well as tubed black icing and mini M&M's. However, I wanted to be different, so I made mine using my delicious buttercream icing and fun gel food coloring colors.

The Perfect Sugar Cookie

The cookies are simple and easy, but when you make cutout cookies, you need to make sure to chill the dough before baking them. This will keep them from spreading and will make the perfect sugar cookie.

Decorating the Cookies

For decorating, just divide the icing into several mini bowls and add food coloring to each bowl. Now, use a very small round piping tip so you can draw out the black lines on top of the cookie.

Then, come back with the other colors and add your lights. It really is that simple.

Christmas Cookie Week

Welcome to #ChristmasCookies Week! That time of year when we soften the butter, fire up the oven, and make cookie trays for family, friends, and neighbors. This year more than 20 top-notch bloggers are sharing their very favorite creations for all to make and enjoy. Join us for a week’s worth of Christmas cookie deliciousness.

Bear Paw Cookies by Best Cookie Recipes
Best Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies by Magical Ingredients
Chewy Oatmeal Chocolate Toffee Cookies by Faith, Hope, Love, and Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
Chocolate Mint Pizzelles by Blogghetti
Christmas Light Sugar Cookies by Jen Around the World
Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies by A Day in the Life on the Farm
Cream Cheese Cookies by That Recipe
Devil's Food Thumbprint Cookies by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
Double Ginger Oatmeal Cookies by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
Eggnog Thumbprint Cookies by Christmas Tree Lane
German Rum Balls by Red Cottage Chronicles
Gingerbread Cookie by Hostess At Heart
Gingerbread Sandwich Trees by Jolene’s Recipe Journal
Holiday Double Decker Cookies by The Spiffy Cookie
Hot Chocolate Cookies by Kathryn’s Kitchen Blog
Hot Cocoa Cookies by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
Italian Sweet Taralli by Shockingly Delicious
Macadamia Mint Meltaway Cookies by Palatable Pastime
Merry Grinchmas Cookies by Sweet Beginnings
No-Bake Flourless Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies by Frugal & Fit
Peppermint Chocolate Crinkle Cookies by Family Around the Table
Shortbread Pecan Bars Without Corn Syrup by Art of Natural Living
Twix Cookie Bars by Cheese Curd in Paradise
Vanilla Crown Royal Cookies by An Affair from the Heart

Check Out These Other Delicious Christmas Recipes

Yield: 12 cookies

Christmas Light Sugar Cookies

Name: Christmas Light Sugar Cookies
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1/2 stick of butter; 3 cups of powder sugar; 2 tablespoons of milk; food coloring -- black, red, blue, green, orange, yellow, purple; ¾ cup flour, plus extra for rolling; ½ teaspoon baking powder; pinch of salt; ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened; ¼ cup sugar; 1 egg; ½ teaspoon vanilla

Perfect sugar cookies decorated to look like Christmas lights.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

For the cookie

¾ cup flour, plus extra for rolling
½ teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
¼ cup sugar
1 egg
½ teaspoon vanilla

For the icing

1/2 stick of butter
3 cups of powder sugar
2 tablespoons of milk
food coloring -- black, red, blue, green, orange, yellow, purple

Instructions

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a medium bowl, beat together with an electric mixer the butter and sugar. Once light and fluffy, add the egg and vanilla.
Once well incorporated, sprinkle over half the flour mixture and beat gently until combined, then sprinkle over the rest. Beat until no streaks of flour remain, but be careful not to over-mix.
Dust a clean countertop with flour, and dump the dough out onto it.
Gather it into a ball and press it into a ½" thick round disk. Flour your rolling pin, then roll out the dough. Use a cookie cutter to cut round shapes.
Place the shapes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Gather the dough scraps and re-roll to cut out more shapes and place them on the cookie sheet. You should get 12 cookies.
Place the cookie sheet in the freezer for minutes while you preheat the oven to 350.
Once the oven is hot, bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes, until the edges of the cookies just start to turn brown.
Let them sit on the sheet for a few minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Once the cookies are cooled completely, make the buttercream icing. Divide the icing and color it -- white for the base, black for the string, and then the other colors for the lights.