These festive Poinsettia Cookies look impressive, but they’re made with a simple sugar cookie dough and a quick petal shaping trick. After baking, they’re coated with red icing, sprinkled with red sugar, and topped with a yellow candy center, adding an easy pop of color to a holiday cookie tray.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Butter
- Granulated sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla extract – Almond extract is another option and gives the cookies a different vibe. Orange extract works too.
- Powdered sugar
- Meringue powder
- Warm water
- No-taste red concentrated food coloring – Red food coloring can be bitter when used in large amounts, so I highly recommend using a no-taste variety if you can find it.
- Red decorating sugar
- Yellow mini M&M’s – Any small yellow candy. I used mini M&M’s and nonpareils, but Sixlets, sprinkles, or even tiny dots of yellow icing would work.
Step-by-Step Directions
Prepare the Dough
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
With electric mixer, beat butter and granulated sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until combined. Reduce speed to low and add the flour mixture a little at a time until the dough comes together. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Shape the Cookies
Before getting started, preheat the oven and line your baking sheets with parchment paper.
For each cookie, roll 2 tablespoons of dough into a ball. Place 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet. Using a serrated knife, cut three-quarters of the way down from the top of each ball. Repeat twice making three cuts to create six wedge-shaped petals. Use the tip of the knife to carefully spread the petals apart and open them slightly.
Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned. They will still be pale, though. Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then move cookies to a rack to cool completely.
Make the Icing
On low speed, mix the powdered sugar and meringue powder. Add the warm water. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until smooth and spreadable. Stir in the food coloring, adding color until it reaches the desired hue.
Decorate the Cookies
Set a cooling rack of cookies over a parchment-lined baking sheet. Spoon or baste icing over each cookie, letting it drip over the edges. I actually like using a basting brush to help get into the nooks and crannies.
Sprinkle the cookies with red sugar. Add a little more icing to the centers (if needed) and then attach the yellow candy pieces or sprinkles. Let cookies stand until the icing sets, about 1 hour.
Helpful Tips
- Keep the dough chilled. Warm dough gets soft and loses its shape, which turns the petals into blobs. I like to roll the dough into balls and then stick them back in the fridge to chill again before I cut.
- Use a serrated knife to cut the petals from the cold dough balls. You could use sharp scissors to make the cuts, but I’ve found scissors tug at the dough and soften the crisp lines of the petals too much. If you mess one up, you can just re-roll and try again. Don’t worry. They’ll taste great no matter what!
- Spread the petals just a little. They open more in the oven.
- After moving the cookies to a wire rack, reuse the parchment paper-lined cookie sheet under the cooling rack to catch drips when icing the cookies, saving your counter from a huge mess.
- Let the cookies cool fully before icing. I usually spoon some icing over each cookie, then use a basting brush to get the nooks, crannies, and edges.
Yes. The dough can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored covered in the refrigerator.
Cut about three-quarters of the way down into the dough. Cutting too deep can cause the cookies to separate while baking.
They spread slightly as the petals open but hold their shape well, especially if the dough is chilled before baking.
Yes. You can use a simple powdered sugar and water icing instead. It won’t set as firm but still works for decorating. You’ll want to store them in a single layer, in that case.
Once the icing is fully set, store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.
Poinsettia Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups powdered sugar sifted
- 3 tablespoons meringue powder
- ¾ cup warm water
- 2½ teaspoons no-taste red concentrated food coloring
- Red decorating sugar
- ½ cup yellow mini M&M’s
Instructions
Prepare the Dough
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
- With electric mixer, beat butter and granulated sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until combined. Reduce speed to low and add the flour mixture a little at a time until the dough comes together. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Shape the Cookies
- Before getting started, preheat the oven to 350℉ and line your baking sheets with parchment paper.
- For each cookie, roll 2 tablespoons of dough into a ball. Place 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet. Using a serrated knife, cut three-quarters of the way down from the top of each ball. Repeat twice making three cuts to create six wedge-shaped petals. Use the tip of the knife to carefully spread the petals apart and open them slightly.
- Bake 10 to 12 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned. They will still be pale, though. Cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then move cookies to a rack to cool completely.
Make the Icing
- On low speed, mix the powdered sugar and meringue powder. Add the warm water. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until smooth and spreadable. Stir in the food coloring, adding color until it reaches the desired hue.
Decorate the Cookies
- Set a cooling rack of cookies over a parchment-lined baking sheet. Spoon or baste icing over each cookie, letting it drip over the edges. I actually like using a basting brush to help get into the nooks and crannies.
- Sprinkle the cookies with red sugar. Add a little more icing to the centers (if needed) and then attach the yellow candy pieces or sprinkles. Let cookies stand until the icing sets, about 1 hour.
