Christmas Wreath Cookies Recipe

featured shortbread Christmas wreath cookies

Course: cookie, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 11

Chill/Set Time: 2

Total Time: 2 41

Servings: cookies

Calories: 91kcal

Author: Becky Hardin

These christmas wreath cookies start with soft, buttery shortbread and finish with a glossy glaze and festive sprinkles. They’re simple to make, adorable on cookie trays, and perfect for holiday gifting.

Print Recipe

US Customary - Metric

Equipment

Kitchen Scale (optional)
Stand Mixer
Baking Sheet
Rolling Pin

Ingredients

For the Shortbread

1 cup unsalted butter room temperature (2 sticks)
⅝ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons orange zest (from 1 orange)

For the Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon corn syrup
Sprinkles for decorating

Instructions

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla together on medium high speed for 1 minute.
1 cup unsalted butter, ⅝ cup granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Add the flour, salt, and cinnamon. Beat together to incorporate.
2¼ cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Add the orange zest and mix well. The dough will be fairly hard at this point.
2 tablespoons orange zest
Remove the dough from the bowl, form into a ball, and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the cookie dough for at least 1 hour.
Once chilled, unwrap the dough and place it onto a well-floured surface. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
Roll out the dough into a rough rectangle about ½-inch thick.
Use a 2-3-inch cookie or biscuit cutter to cut as many cookies from the rectangle of dough as possible. Use a smaller circle (like a piping tip) to cut a hole from the center of each cookie. Carefully transfer each cookie onto the prepared baking sheet, leaving 1 inch of space between each cookie.
Bake for 11 minutes. The cookies will still be soft.
Remove cookies from the oven and place onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
Continue rolling, cutting, and baking the cookies until all of the dough is used and all of the cookies are baked.
Once the cookies are completely cool, make the glaze and decorate the cookies. Place a piece of parchment paper on the counter. Set aside. Whisk the powdered sugar, milk, and corn syrup together in a small bowl until completely smooth.
1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon milk, 1 teaspoon corn syrup
Dip the top of each cookie into the glaze. Do not dip the entire cookie into the glaze. Once dipped, pull the cookie straight up out of the glaze and hold it there for several seconds to let any excess glaze drip off. Flip the cookie over so that the glaze is right side up and place onto the parchment paper. Decorate with sprinkles, holly leaves, and berries. Repeat for all cookies.
Sprinkles
Once cookies are decorated, let them set at room temperature for at least 1 hour to allow the glaze to harden.

Notes

Measure the flour using the spoon-and-level method to avoid dry, crumbly cookies.
Don't overmix the dough, or the cookies will turn crumbly and hard.
I like to use a fluted circular cookie cutter since it gives ridged edges like a wreath. You could also get a large wreath cookie cutter as well.
If the cookie dough is too hard to roll out after chilling, let the dough warm up for 10 minutes and try again.
If the dough feels too soft, pop it back in the fridge, then rinse and dry your hands under cool water to prevent the dough from over-warming.
Twisting the cutter can cause the cookies to bake unevenly or warp. Firmly press straight down, lift, and transfer--your wreaths will keep their perfect circular shape.
To easily lift the cookies onto the baking sheet and keep their shape, use a bench scraper.
After cutting your wreath shapes, pop the whole baking sheet into the fridge for 10-15 minutes. This helps the cookies keep sharp edges and prevents spreading in the oven.
Shortbread browns fast on the edges. Rotating the baking sheet halfway through keeps all the wreaths evenly baked and prevents over-browning on one side.
If the glaze is too thick, add a little more milk. If the glaze is too thin, add a little more powdered sugar.
As you dip, crumbs and flecks of cinnamon can cloud the glaze. I split the glaze into two small bowls and switch halfway through for cleaner, brighter cookies.
Once glazed, letting cookies sit on a rack instead of paper helps the glaze drip cleanly and prevents pooling around the edges.

Make-Ahead: These cookies are perfect for prepping ahead. You can make the dough up to 3 days in advance and keep it tightly wrapped in the refrigerator. If you want to get even further ahead, freeze the dough for up to 3 months--just thaw it in the fridge overnight before rolling and cutting.

Storage: Store Christmas wreath cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 6 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

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