The Nightmare Before Christmas is a classic Halloween/Christmas movie. These Nightmare Before Christmas cookies are in theme of Sally Stiches. A colorful sugar cookie that is rolled and shaped and baked into a Mickey Mouse head with icing stitches on top.
These Christmas sugar cookies are one that are a bit different than a classic holiday cookie recipe. Now you could have went with Jack Skellington cookies, but I feel those are more Halloween themed, where these offer a hint of Christmas.
Sally cookies are colorful, and a fun nightmare treat to serve up for the unconventional sugar cookie dough. Now I did use a colored icing to create the stich marks on the cookies. You could easily do a royal icing as well if you would want, just use some black gel food coloring to give it a black theme.
This Sally’s Cookie Recipe Is…
- A great Halloween Cookies Recipe or Christmas Recipe
- Sally Nightmare treat
- Mickey Mouse Shaped Cookie
- Colorful Tie Dye Cookie
Ingredients You Will Need
Butter – Softened butter is needed for this cookie recipe, as it will create the right texture to the cookie.
Sugar – The granulated sugar is going to give you a sweetness that isn’t overpowering.
Vanilla Extract – Flavor your cookies with vanilla. Or add a splash of almond extract to elevate the flavor even more.
Flour – Make sure to scoop the flour into the measuring cup and level it off. This will ensure you don’t add too much dry ingredients to the wet.
Egg – Reach for a large room temperature egg.
Salt – A must for making these cookies. It enhances the overall flavor of the cookies.
Food coloring – I used a mix of food coloring. Yellow, blue, green, and red food coloring.
Black Icing – I used the black icing to pipe on the cookies.
Equipment Needed
- Cookie Sheet
- Mickey Mouse Cookie Cutter – or other shape of choice
- Rolling Pin
- Mixer
- Cooling Rack
How to Make
Full steps on how to make Nightmare Before Christmas cookies see the post at the bottom of the post. This is a quick walk through on how it is made.
Step One: Cream Butter and Sugar
In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, you will cream your butter and sugar together. This will take 2-3 minutes on medium speed. You will find the color will lighten up and become sugar creamy.
Step Two: Add Egg and Vanilla
Next you will work in the egg and vanilla. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl.
Step Three: Dry Ingredients
In a medium bowl you will add all your dry ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine.
Step Four: Incorporate Dry
Add in the dry ingredients, working till the dough is formed. Then you will separate the cookie dough, into three sections.
Step Five: Color Cookie Dough and Refrigerate
With each dough you will color it. I did one part yellow, red and then a teal color.
Cover each dough and refrigerate for 1 hour to overnight.
Step Six: Assemble Cookies and Bake
Take different colors and place the dough in random spots on a floured surface. Then roll the cookie dough, allowing the colors to touch.
Use a cookie cutter of choice, ( I did circles and Mickey Mouse shaped) and place on a baking sheet.
Bake as directed.
Expert Tip: Line the cookie sheet with parchment paper or use a silicone baking mat. This will help prevent the cookies from sticking.
Step Seven: Cool and Decorate
Allow the cookies to cool completely then use the black icing to pipe on little stiches where the colors meet on the cookies.
Recipe Notes:
Here are some fun ways to change up the Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas cookie recipe.
- You can color frosting with black food coloring and use a piping bag if you want. I just bought a pre-done black icing.
- Make sure the cookies are fully cooled, before you pipe on the small lines for the stitches.
- You can use different colors of cookie dough, you can use any of your favorite colors. I just used the classic colors.
- I used a paddle attachment to mixing up the cookie dough.
- Cover the cookie dough in plastic wrap when you refrigerate the cookie dough. To prevent it from drying out.
- I used a separate bowl for each color of dough, that way you ensure the cookie colors stay separated.
Storing
Room Temperature: Store your sugar cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days. These cookies are best served fresh, but they will store for a bit.
Freezing Cookies: Now you can also freeze the cookies. Just place in a freezer friendly container and freeze for up to three months.
FAQs
Related Recipes
Nightmare Before Christmas Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- teal, yellow, and red food coloring
- 1 tube black decorating icing
Instructions
- In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer cream your butter and granulated sugar for 2-3 minutes. You want the color to lighten up and will become ultra creamy.
- Add in the egg and vanilla. Make sure to scrape down the sides.
- In a medium bowl add all your dry ingredients and mix well.
- Slowly incorporate the flour into the wet ingredients. Mix until it is combined.
- Separate the dough into 3 different bowls. Then color one bowl red, teal, and then one yellow. Cover each bowl and refrigerate an hour.
- Once the dough is chilled preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Then add parchment paper to the cookie sheets.
- Place the colored cookie dough on a floured surface. Do balls of different colors of dough, this will create a tie-dye look.
- Roll the cookie dough out, and then use the cookie cutter to make the cookies, and place on the baking sheet.
- Bake as directed and then allow the cookies to cool.
- Once the cookies are cooled use the black icing and add stiches where the colors of cookie dough meet on the cookies.
Notes
Equipment
- Mickey Mouse Cookie Cutter
Nutrition
did you make this recipe?
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Comments & Reviews
Kim says
These are the cutest cookies ever!!