Description
At its essence, this holiday recipe is a festive drop cookie elevated with whimsical decorations inspired by Santa’s most famous red-nosed reindeer. The foundation consists of a soft-centered sugar cookie dough made with creamed butter, granulated sugar, fresh eggs, and rich vanilla extract. The dough bakes into a rounded, golden disk with a tender crumb that stays wonderfully soft in the middle.
Ingredients
For the cookies
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½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened
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¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
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1 large egg
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1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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1½ cups (190 g) all-purpose flour
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½ teaspoon baking powder
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¼ teaspoon salt
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1 tablespoon milk, if needed
For Rudolph’s nose and face
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24 red candy-coated chocolates or red chocolate candies
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½ cup (85 g) semisweet chocolate chips, melted
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24 mini pretzel pieces, optional, for antlers
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48 candy eyes, or small dots of white icing with chocolate pupils
Instructions
1. Preheat the oven. Heat to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Cream the butter and sugar. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.
3. Add the egg and vanilla. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until fully combined.
4. Mix the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually mix into the butter mixture until a soft dough forms. Add a little milk if the dough seems too dry.
5. Shape the cookies. Roll the dough into 24 evenly sized balls, about 1 tablespoon each. Place them on the baking sheet, leaving about 2 inches between cookies. Flatten each ball slightly.
6. Bake. Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the edges are set and the bottoms are lightly golden. The centers may still look soft.
7. Add Rudolph’s nose. Immediately after baking, gently press one red candy into the center of each warm cookie. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
8. Decorate the faces. Once the cookies have cooled, use melted chocolate to attach two candy eyes above each red nose. Add chocolate dots for a simple face, if desired.
9. Add antlers. If using pretzels, attach two small pretzel pieces to the top of each cookie with melted chocolate. Let the chocolate set before serving.
Notes
Arrange the cookies on a holiday platter with the red noses facing up, or package them in clear treat bags tied with red and green ribbons for festive homemade gifts.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 125 kcal
Keywords: reindeer nose cookies, rudolph red nose cookies, festive rudolph cookies