Christmas Cookie Ornaments

Total Time

Prep: 30 min. Bake: 10 min. + cooling

Makes

40(3-inch) cookies

Updated: Jun. 27, 2023
You can make these goodies for the Christmas tree ahead of time! Simply whip up the cookies and store them plain in your freezer. Come Christmas, you can fix homemade frosting and decorate. Then tie on ribbons and hang the shapes on your evergreen. You can also create these treats for eating! If you do, start them from scratch at holiday time and store the cookies in an airtight container. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1/3 cup shortening
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • FROSTING:
  • 6-2/3 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Assorted liquid or paste food coloring
  • 9 yards of 1/8-inch-wide ribbon in Christmas colors of your choice
  • Christmas cookie cutters or sizes of your choice

Directions

  1. In a bowl, cream the butter, shortening and sugar. Beat in the honey, egg and vanilla. Gradually add the flour and salt.
  2. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and roll to an 1/8-in. thickness. Cut into shapes using cookie cutters dipped in flour. Transfer cutouts to ungreased baking sheets.
  3. Using a straw, make a hole in the top of each cookie. Remove the center circle of dough. Bake the cookies at 350° for 6 minutes until the edges are lightly browned. Remove the cookies to wire racks to cool.
  4. For frosting, combine the confectioners' sugar, water, corn syrup and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Tint the frosting with liquid or paste food coloring in desired colors.
  5. Place each color of frosting in a pastry or plastic bag. Cut a small hole in the tip of each bag. Spread and pipe frosting onto cookies as desired.
  6. If desired, create stitch marks on a stocking or veins on holly leaves by dipping a toothpick in food coloring and painting on the lines.
  7. For hanging loops, cut forty 8-in. strips of 1/8-in.-wide ribbon. Thread a ribbon strip through the hole in each cookie and tie the ends into a bow.

Nutrition Facts

1 each: 176 calories, 4g fat (2g saturated fat), 11mg cholesterol, 41mg sodium, 34g carbohydrate (26g sugars, 0 fiber), 1g protein.