Instructions

1. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Do not skimp on this step.  (King Arthur flour has an excellent video tutorial on why this is necessary)
2. Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together.
3. Add eggs one at a time to butter/sugar mixture beating only until yellow in each egg disappears.
4. Add flour gradually to mixture.
5. Add milk and vanilla.
6. Scrape dough onto lightly floured surface and shape into a ball.

Baking Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Remove 1/3 of dough from ball.  This will be the dough used for his face, tip of hat, and hand.s
3. Divide the remaining dough in half.  One portion will be dyed red, and the other portion will be dyed green.
4. Place 1 -2 teaspoons red gel food coloring in the center of one ball and knead dough to incorporate dye.  Place the dough between two pieces of wax or parchment paper and knead to keep the food coloring from staining your hands.
5. Pace 1-2 teaspoons of green gel food coloring in the other ball and repeat the same process.  If only making fat Santa cookies, skip this step and dye the remaining dough red.
6. Roll un-dyed dough into 1 inch balls for Santa’s head and 1/2 inch balls for the tip of Santa’s hat, hands, and feet.  You will need 5 (1/2 inch balls) and 1 (1 inch ball) for each Santa.
7. Roll red dyed dough into 1 inch balls for chest and 1/2 inch balls for hat, hands, and feet.
8. Roll green dyed dough into 1/2 inch balls for tree.  You will need 8 balls for each tree.
9. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking sheets.
10. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
11. Shape the Santas and trees on each cookie sheet.
12. Place 2 chocolate chips in Santa’s head for eyes.
13. Place 3 chocolate chips down the center of Santa’s chest for his jacket buttons.
14. Randomly place colored M & M’s through the tree balls for ornaments.
15. Bake the cookies for approximately 10 minutes until puffy and set.
16. Remove cookies from oven, and allow the cookies to cool on the cookie rack for approximately 5 minutes before removing to cooling rack to cool completely.
17. While cookies are cooling make the icing.

Icing Instructions

1. Cream butter and cream cheese together in stand mixer.
2. Add vanilla and powdered sugar and mix again until creamy.
3. Scoop icing into a piping bag or ziplock.
4. Pipe icing onto Santa’s beard, tip of hat, and on hands.
5. Place a miniature red M & M at top of his beard for his nose.
6. Allow the icing to set up and harden slightly before storing in an airtight container with the cookies separated by parchment paper.