What you'll need
- Batch of sugar cookie dough *
- Flour
- Wax paper
- Rolling pin
- Round cookie or fondant cutters, one 2-inch and one 3-inch (or smaller sizes)
- Small pastry brush and water
- Spatula
- Baking sheet
- Wire cooling rack
- White cookie icing (the type that hardens when it sets)
- Kitchen knife
- Currants or raisins for snowmen eyes
- Orange candies for noses (such as Mike and Ike candy)
- Mini chocolate chips for grins
- Small green candies for buttons (such as M&Ms or jelly beans)
- Cocoa candy melts
- Ramekin or other small microwavable container to heat the Candy Melts
- Small chocolate candies for ears (such as Junior Mints)
- Red fruit snack (such as Fruit by the Foot)
- Kitchen scissors
Notes:
Homemade sugar cookie recipes tend to work best for these cookies. If you don't already have a favorite, try aClassic Sugar Cookie Dough recipe that's especially tasty and reliable. If you choose one of the ready-made refrigerated doughs sold at grocery stores, keep in mind that they tend to spread. You may want to knead in additional flour to stiffen it and then bake a single cookie to see how the dough holds up. If it still loses shape, try kneading in a bit more flour and then chilling the cookies before you bake them.
How to make it
- Working on a flour-dusted piece of wax paper, roll out the dough 3/8 inch thick. Use the cookie cutters to cut out an equal number of larger and smaller circles.
- Assemble each snowman cookie by using the smaller cutter to cut a curved notch in the top of a larger circle, as shown. Then moisten the cut edge with a bit of water. Fit the smaller circle into the notch and gently press the dough together at the seam to help it stick together.
- Use a spatula to transfer the assembled snowmen to a baking sheet and bake the cookies according to the recipe directions. Allow the baked cookies to cool briefly on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Working with one cookie at a time, spread white cookie icing on each and gently press currant eyes, a candy nose, a chocolate chip grin, and candy buttons in place before the frosting sets. Set the cookies aside for a few hours to let the icing harden.
- Melt a handful of cocoa candy melts according to the package directions. Again working with one cookie at a time, dip the top of each snowman's head into the melted candy and then set it on a sheet of wax paper. For each ear, place two chocolate candies back-to-back and gently press them into the melted candy at the top of the head, as shown. As the candy melts re-harden, the mint ears will stick in place.
- Finally, cut a long scarf-length strip from the red fruit snack and fringe the ends. Wrap the scarf around the snowman's neck, crossing one end over the other to hold it in place.
