Snowman Christmas Cookies

Ingredients

• Unsalted butter (1 cup, softened)
• Granulated sugar (1 cup)
• Egg (1 large)
• Vanilla extract (1 teaspoon)
• All-purpose flour (2 1/2 cups)
• Baking powder (1 teaspoon)
• Salt (1/4 teaspoon)
• Powdered sugar (2 cups (for icing))
• Milk (2-4 tablespoons (for icing))
• Black icing (for decorating)
• Orange candy melts (for noses)
• Mini chocolate chips (for eyes)

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.
2. Add the egg and vanilla extract to the mixture, and mix until well combined and smooth.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt until evenly mixed.
4. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until a soft dough forms. Do not overmix.
5. Divide the dough into two equal portions and shape each portion into a disc. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to firm up.
6. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
7. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disc of dough to about 1/4 inch thickness.
8. Use a snowman-shaped cookie cutter to cut out snowman shapes from the dough. Place the cut-out cookies onto the prepared baking sheet.
9. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.
10. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and 2 tablespoons of milk to make the icing. Add more milk, a teaspoon at a time, until you reach your desired consistency.
11. Spread a thin layer of icing on each cooled cookie using a spatula or piping bag.
12. Place two mini chocolate chips on each cookie for the eyes, and one orange candy melt for the nose.
13. Use black icing to draw a mouth and buttons on each snowman cookie.
14. Allow the icing to set completely before serving or storing the cookies.