Description
These adorable gnome cookies are perfect for holiday gatherings, birthday parties, or just for fun baking with the family. Made with soft, buttery sugar cookie dough and decorated with colorful royal icing, these little gnomes will steal the spotlight on any dessert table. They’re as fun to make as they are to eat!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
For the Sugar Cookies:
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
For the Royal Icing:
- 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 3 tablespoons meringue powder
- 6 tablespoons warm water (adjust as needed)
- Gel food coloring (red, green, white, brown, or any colors for decorating gnomes)
Instructions
- Make the Sugar Cookie Dough:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).
- Beat in the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract until well combined.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing until the dough comes together.
- Divide the dough into two discs, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Bake the Cookies:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Roll out the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface to about ¼-inch thickness.
- Use gnome-shaped cookie cutters to cut out the cookies and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are just starting to turn golden.
- Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare the Royal Icing:
- In a large bowl, mix powdered sugar, meringue powder, and warm water until stiff peaks form (about 5-7 minutes with a mixer).
- Divide the icing into small bowls and color each portion as desired using gel food coloring.
- Adjust the consistency as needed—add water for flooding and more powdered sugar for outlining.
- Decorate the Gnome Cookies:
- Use piping bags fitted with small round tips to outline and flood each section of the gnome: hats, beards, noses, and outfits.
- Let the icing dry between layers for a clean finish.
- Add details like buttons, stripes, or polka dots for extra charm.
Notes
- Chill your dough before cutting to help the cookies hold their shape.
- If you don’t have a gnome-shaped cookie cutter, use a triangle for the hat and circle shapes for the face and body to create your own design.
- Let the royal icing dry completely (6-8 hours or overnight) before stacking or packaging.