Starry Night Sugar Cookies

I am in deep cookie making mode this week because we only have 2 weeks until Christmas! I don’t know about you, but I am definitely looking forward to this year ending. And I plan to end it on a sweet note. These starry night sugar cookies are some of the prettiest cookies I’ve ever made (other than maybe my matcha cookies) because of these cookie stamps I found on Amazon. I saw them over the summer and knew I had to have them for the holidays. (This is definitely a not sponsored opinion.) They give these cookies a whimsical look, and I love it.

What makes these sugar cookies so special

These sugar cookies are adapted from Preppy Kitchen’s sugar cookie recipe, one of my favorite baking blogs. Building on this recipe, I added Vietnamese cinnamon and a little bit of nutmeg to give these cookies a little extra flavor. I absolutely loved the end result because the spices balance out the sweetness from the sugar, and it makes the cookie more interesting than just a plain sugar cookie. The cookie is then coated with a coconut glaze made with coconut milk, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract to take it up to another flavor level. Just all in all, one of my favorite cookie recipes I’ve developed.

Ingredients, Substitutions & Adjustments

Starry Night Sugar Cookies

• Flour & corn starch – Corn starch is the ingredient that helps these cookies hold their shape and prevents spreading.
• Vietnamese cinnamon & nutmeg – Both add yummy flavors to these cookies. If you can’t find Vietnamese cinnamon, I would use regular cinnamon.
• Salt – Brings out the flavors of the other ingredients.
• Unsalted butter – Adds richness and a nutty flavor to these cookies.
• Granulated sugar – Adds sweetness and moisture to these cookies.
• Eggs – Acts as a binder for the cookies which means it helps the dough stay together.
• Vanilla extract – Like I’ve mentioned in a few previous blog posts, I am mostly a vanilla paste user now because it provides more flavor than vanilla extract. But vanilla extract works just fine. Another substitute for vanilla extract is 1 vanilla bean.

Coconut Glaze

I made the glaze using coconut milk, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. You can substitute regular milk for coconut milk but I would reduce the amount to 1 cup since regular milk has more liquid. As mentioned above, I used vanilla paste instead of vanilla extract because it has more flavor. You can also use 1 vanilla bean as a substitute for vanilla extract.

Making my starry night sugar cookies

First combine your dry ingredients. Combine flour, corn starch, Vietnamese cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a bowl. Mix and set aside. In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar together with a hand mixer or stand mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and whisk until combined. Lastly, add the dry ingredients and mix until a soft dough forms. If using a stand mixer, mix on low until a soft dough forms. If using a hand mixer, I would recommend using a spatula or your hands to finish the dough since you risk over mixing the dough. Flatten the dough and place in a Ziploc bag or wrap with plastic wrap. Let it rest in the fridge for 20 minutes.

While the dough is resting, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Add silicone mats to 2 baking sheets. Place the dough on a floured surface. Roll out the dough until it is 3/4 inch thick. Use a cookie cutter that is 3 inches (7.5 cm) in diameter to cut out the cookies. Use the cookie stamp to press the star designs onto each cookie. You can make your cookies any size or any thickness you want, but make sure to adjust your bake time accordingly. Combine all the scrap dough and repeat the process to make more cookies. Place cookies onto the baking sheets and bake for 10-12 minutes until the bottom edges are slightly golden. You may need to bake these cookies in 2 batches. Leave batch 2 in the fridge while batch 1 is baking.

Cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet and then transfer them onto a cooling rack to cool completely. Repeat process for the second batch of cookies. While the cookies are cooling, make your glaze. Whisk together coconut milk, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract in a liquid measuring cup. Pour glaze over the cooled cookies and serve.

Tips on how to make the perfect starry night sugar cookies

1. Use a silicone mat for less browning – Unlike other cookies, most people like a uniform color throughout sugar cookies, so that means little to no browning on the bottoms. The best way to achieve this is to line the baking sheet with a silicone mat instead of parchment paper. The mat acts as insulation for the cookie while it bakes.
2. Use room temperature eggs and butter – This probably one of my top tips for baked goods. It is way easier to emulsify ingredients that are the same temperature than ingredients that are not. What I usually do is set out the eggs and butter over night, so they come up to room temp by the time I need them the next day.
3. Cool cookies in the fridge before baking – You technically don’t have to do this, but I find that this helps the cookie hold its shape better. It especially helps the stamp design stay defined.

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