Description
Melted Snowman Cookies are delightful sugar cookies decorated to look like adorable snowmen, perfect for holiday celebrations. These soft, sweet treats feature a tender sugar cookie base topped with smooth white icing, marshmallow snowman heads, colorful mini M&M buttons, and vibrant candy scarves, making them as fun to make as they are to eat.
Ingredients
For the Sugar Cookies
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour (345 grams)
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch or cornflour (6 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (226 grams; 2 sticks)
- 1 ⅓ cups granulated sugar (270 grams)
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
For the Icing and Decoration
- 3 cups powdered sugar (360 grams)
- 3 to 4 tablespoons milk (45 to 60 ml), plus more as needed
- 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
- Black gel food coloring
- Orange gel food coloring
- Marshmallows (regular size, optionally trimmed)
- Mini M&M’s (for buttons)
- Airheads Extremes or Twizzler’s Pull & Peel candies (cut into thin strips for scarves)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C). Line three large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set aside to prep for baking the cookies.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. Set this dry mixture aside until needed.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment or a handheld mixer, beat the softened butter with granulated sugar for 1 to 2 minutes until the mixture is well combined and creamy.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Mix in the large egg, egg yolk, and pure vanilla extract until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure even mixing.
- Combine Dry and Wet Ingredients: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Use a rubber spatula or your hands if necessary to bring the dough together without overmixing.
- Shape and Bake Cookies: Using a 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop, portion dough onto prepared baking sheets, spacing them apart. Slightly flatten each dough ball with your palm to encourage even spreading. Bake in the preheated oven for 11 to 13 minutes, until the tops are set and edges lightly golden. Remove from oven.
- Flatten Cookie Tops: While still warm, gently press the top of each cookie with the bottom of a spatula to create a flatter surface without cracking. Let cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 to 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
- Make the Icing: In a large bowl, whisk powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons of milk, light corn syrup, and vanilla extract until smooth and free of lumps. The icing will be thick initially.
- Adjust Icing Consistency: Add additional milk, one teaspoon at a time, whisking until the icing reaches medium consistency where it spreads but holds shape. The finished icing ribbons should take about 5 to 6 seconds to blend back together after lifting the whisk.
- Color Portions of Icing: Divide a small amount of white icing into two small bowls. Add black gel food coloring to one bowl for arms and eyes, and orange gel food coloring to the other bowl for the snowman noses. Cover with damp towels or transfer to piping bags until use.
- Assemble the Snowman Cookies: Spoon and spread white icing messily over each cooled sugar cookie. Place a marshmallow on one side of the icing as the snowman’s head. Attach mini M&M’s vertically on the cookie to serve as buttons. Optionally trim marshmallows to desired height.
- Decorate with Colored Icing: Pipe black icing to create snowman arms on the cookie and eyes on the marshmallow heads. Use orange icing to pipe a small nose onto each marshmallow face.
- Allow Icing to Harden: Let the decorated cookies sit undisturbed for up to one day to fully harden the icing. For best results, make them the day before serving and store covered.
- Add Candy Scarves: Once icing is hardened, cut Airheads Extremes or Twizzler’s Pull & Peel candies into thin strips with one or two colors and wrap them around the marshmallow heads as scarves.
- Serve and Store: Enjoy immediately or store the finished cookies in an airtight container to keep fresh until ready to serve.
Notes
- Use room temperature eggs for best mixing and texture.
- Flattening the cookies after baking helps achieve a smooth surface for icing.
- Adjust icing thickness by adding milk or powdered sugar to get perfect spreading consistency.
- Allow icing to fully harden before adding candy scarves to prevent smudging.
- Trimming marshmallows can improve the balance and appearance of the snowmen.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 13 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
