These Half Baked Harvest sugar cookies are soft, buttery, and easy enough for a weeknight bake. The dough has a gentle vanilla and hazelnut flavor, and the finished cookies have a tender bite under a smooth white vanilla icing.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 sticks salted butter, softened — This gives the cookies their rich flavor and tender crumb. Use it softened but still cool to the touch so it creams well with the sugar.
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar — This sweetens the dough and helps the cookies bake with soft centers and lightly crisp edges.
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract — Vanilla rounds out the flavor of the dough. Use pure vanilla extract for the cleanest taste.
- 1 tbsp hazelnut liquor — This adds a subtle nutty note that pairs well with the vanilla. Its flavor is mild and won’t make the cookies taste boozy.
- 1 egg — The egg binds the dough and helps the cookies hold their shape. Use it at room temperature so it blends in smoothly.
- 2 cups all-purpose flour — This forms the structure of the cookie. Spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off rather than packing it down.
- 1/2 tsp baking soda — Baking soda gives the cookies lift and helps them spread just enough.
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt — Salt balances the sweetness and brings out the butter and vanilla flavors.
- 2 cups powdered sugar — This sweetens and thickens the white vanilla icing. Sift it first if there are any lumps.
- 1 tbsp maple syrup — Maple syrup adds a warm, mellow sweetness to the icing and keeps it smooth and easy to spread.
- 1/2 cup melted chocolate — Use this to pipe the “string lights” on top of the iced cookies. Melt it gently so it stays fluid for piping.
- Decorating mini M&Ms and vanilla sugar — Use the mini M&Ms as the “lights” and the vanilla sugar for a little extra sparkle on top. Quantity is not specified in the source recipe.
How To Make Half Baked Harvest Sugar Cookies
- Cream the butter and sugar. Beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes with a mixer. The mixture should look pale and airy. Pro Tip: If the butter is too warm or melted, the dough will spread too much, so keep it softened but still cool to the touch. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and hazelnut liquor, then mix until fully combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl so everything blends evenly. The mixture may look a little loose at this point, and that’s fine.
- Add the dry ingredients. Add the flour, baking soda, and kosher salt to the bowl and mix until a soft sugar cookie dough forms. Stop mixing as soon as no dry flour shows, since overmixing makes the cookies tough. The dough should feel soft and slightly tacky but hold together when pressed.
- Roll out and cut the dough. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to an even thickness, then cut it into Christmas tree shapes and rounds. Re-roll the scraps once, keeping the shapes as even as possible so they bake at the same rate. Arrange the cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet with a little space between them. If the dough softens too much while you work, chill it for 15 to 20 minutes before cutting.
- Bake the cookies. Bake until the edges are set and just beginning to turn golden. The centers should look set, not wet. Let the cookies rest on the sheet for a few minutes, then move them to a wire rack to cool completely before icing. Make the white vanilla icing. Whisk the powdered sugar with the maple syrup and a splash of water until smooth and spreadable. The icing should coat the back of a spoon and drip slowly. Add more water a few drops at a time if it’s too thick. Ice the cookies. Spread the white vanilla icing over the cooled cookies with a small offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Let the icing set for at least 30 minutes before adding decorations. Pro Tip: Icing a warm cookie will melt it and make the glaze slide off, so wait until the cookies are fully cool. Pipe the chocolate and decorate. Pipe the melted chocolate into thin, wavy “string lights” across each iced cookie. Press mini M&Ms into the chocolate and dust with vanilla sugar, then let everything set before serving.
What To Expect While They Bake
The dough should feel soft and slightly sticky when you first mix it, and that’s normal. If it feels too wet to roll, chill it for 15 to 20 minutes and try again. Halfway through baking, the cookies will look puffy and pale, then slowly set around the edges. The tops will look dull rather than shiny once they’re done, and they will firm up as they cool.
Where This Recipe Can Go Wrong
Overmixing the dough. Once the flour is added, mixing too long develops gluten and makes the cookies tough. Stop as soon as no dry flour shows.
Icing warm cookies. Warm cookies melt the icing into a thin, runny layer. Wait until they are completely cool before spreading the icing, and let the icing set before adding the chocolate and M&Ms.
Rolling the dough unevenly. Uneven thickness leads to uneven baking. Aim for an even thickness so all the cookies finish at the same time.
Why This Recipe Works
Creaming the butter and sugar traps air in the dough, which gives the cookies a tender texture. The small amount of hazelnut liquor and vanilla adds depth without overpowering the buttery flavor. Baking soda gives just enough lift so the cookies stay soft in the center while the edges turn golden. The maple syrup in the icing keeps it smooth and easy to spread while adding a warm sweetness that complements the vanilla.
Storage And Make-Ahead
Store the iced and decorated cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, with parchment between layers so the icing doesn’t stick. You can freeze the baked, unfrosted cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 months; thaw them at room temperature, then ice and decorate. Dough can be refrigerated for up to 2 days and should soften slightly before rolling.
For more recipes, follow Hailee Recipes on Pinterest.
Half Baked Harvest Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
Method
- Beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes; mix in the egg, vanilla extract, and hazelnut liquor until fully combined and scrape down the bowl sides.
- Add the flour, baking soda, and kosher salt and mix until a soft sugar cookie dough forms, stopping as soon as no dry flour shows; chill for 15 to 20 minutes if the dough softens too much.
- Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface to an even thickness, cut into Christmas tree shapes and rounds, and arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet with space between them. Bake until the edges are set and just beginning to turn golden, then rest on the sheet for a few minutes and cool completely on a wire rack.
- Whisk the powdered sugar with the maple syrup and a little water until smooth and spreadable, then spread over the cooled cookies and let set for at least 30 minutes. Pipe the melted chocolate into thin, wavy string-light lines across each iced cookie, press mini M&Ms into the chocolate, dust with vanilla sugar, and let set before serving.
