These Christmas Star Cookies are an impressive addition to your Christmas dessert table – baked to golden brown perfection, they’re dipped in white chocolate, then sprinkled with pistachios and silver sugar pearls on top! These cookies are so easy and fun to make, they may even become a new Christmas tradition!
- Why We Love This Recipe
- What You’ll Need
- How to Make Christmas Star Cookies
- Recipe FAQ’s
- Tips for Success
- Make a Test Batch
- Substitutions and Variations
- More Christmas Cookie Recipes
- Christmas Star Cookies Recipe
Christmas Star Cookies encapsulate the essence of the holiday season, bringing joy, warmth, and a touch of elegance to your festive celebrations. Commonly found at Christmas markets, these festive treats are a traditional part of many holiday tables and a perfect choice for Santa’s plate on Christmas Eve.
While they pay homage to traditional German Christmas cookies, like the beloved Zimtsterne Cookies, there is not a hint of gingerbread in sight here. Made with a hint of lemon zest, and covered in yummy white chocolate, these cookies are perfect for any time of year.
For more Christmas Sugar Cookies, check out my Frosted Swig Sugar Cookies , Oatmeal Rolled Sugar Cookies , Frosted Coconut Sugar Cookie Bars , and Best Sugar Cut Out Cookies with my Easy Royal Icing Recipe for Sugar Cookies !
Why We Love This Recipe
- This recipe is quite versatile and would be perfect for cookie decorating parties or as a fun activity to get kids involved.
- The combination of lemon, white chocolate, and pistachio creates a flavor blend that is truly unique and delicious.
- Made with simple ingredients you may already have at home, this is one of those easy recipes you’ll want to have on hand for last-minute baking!
What You’ll Need
Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for the full ingredients list with quantities and detailed instructions.
Star Cookies
- Salted Butter – Gives the cookies a rich, wonderful flavor and soft texture.
- Granulated Sugar – Adds sweetness and helps make the edges crispy.
- Egg Yolks – Binds the ingredients together and add richness due to natural fats.
- Lemon Zest – Adds a fresh, citrusy aroma and flavor that balances the sweetness.
- Vanilla Extract – Enhances the flavor with a subtle depth.
- Cornstarch – Creates a tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture.
- All-Purpose Flour – Adds gluten to make the dough pliable and the cookies chewy.
- Baking Powder – Leavens the dough, ensuring the cookies rise slightly and remain light.
- Salt – Balances the sweetness and enhances the overall flavors.
Decoration
- Chopped White Chocolate – Used for dipping, it adds a creamy texture and an elegant, snowy white appearance.
- Sliced Pistachios – Adds a pop of festive color and delicious nutty flavor.
- Wilton Metallic Sugar Pearls – I’ve used both silver and pink metallic sugar pearls but you can use whichever colors you prefer.
How to Make Christmas Star Cookies
- Combine butter, egg, and sugar. Place the butter, egg yolks, and sugar into a large mixing bowl.
- Cream together and add flavoring. Beat on medium speed with a hand mixer for 2-3 minutes until light. Add the vanilla extract and lemon zest and mix until combined.
- Add dry ingredients. Add the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt.
- Make into dough. Mix just until combined and the dough forms.
- Roll, chill, and cut the dough. Transfer the dough to a silicone mat or large cutting board and roll out to ¼-inch thickness with a rolling pin (affiliate link) . Cover the rolled-out dough with plastic wrap and freeze for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Use a star-shaped cookie cutter to cut shapes out of the sugar cookie dough and transfer these to the prepared baking sheet using a thin metal spatula.
- Bake cookies and cool. Bake for 8–10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow the cookies to fully cool on the baking sheet before decorating.
- Melt chocolate. Melt the white chocolate in the microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring in between to avoid burning. You can use the “melt chocolate” setting on your microwave if it has one. Alternatively, place the chocolate in a heat-safe medium bowl over a pan of simmering water, keeping the bottom of the bowl from touching the water, and stir the chocolate until fully melted.
- Coat cookies in chocolate. Dip the top of each cookie into the melted white chocolate.
- Decorate cookies. Place the dipped cookies back onto the cookie sheet, then decorate your cookies. I have decorated mine in three different ways, but you can get creative with your own. On some of my cookies I have placed one metallic sugar pearl in the center , and I decorated half of the larger cookies with sprinkled pistachios and the other half with pistachios and a metallic sugar pearl on each of the points of the stars.
- Chill cookies. Refrigerate for 10–15 minutes. The chill time is important to ensure the chocolate is set properly so that the decorations remain in place.
You can prepare the dough in advance by tightly wrapping it in plastic wrap, placing it in a ziploc bag, and storing it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Bring the dough to room temperature before rolling and cutting it.
Store your Christmas Star Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 4–5 days. In the refrigerator, they can last up to two weeks.
You can substitute all-purpose flour with your preferred gluten-free flour blend to make these cookies gluten-free.
For a vegan version, use a plant-based butter and a vegan egg substitute. Make sure the chocolate is dairy-free, too.
Chilling the dough is essential, as it prevents them from spreading too much while baking, and makes it easier to cut out the cookies.
Tips for Success
- If the dough gets too soft while cutting out the cookies, just stick it back in the freezer for a bit to firm up.
- Make sure the eggs and butter are at room temperature for easier mixing and a smooth dough.
- Overmixing can lead to tough cookies so mix the dough just until the ingredients are combined.
- Roll out your dough to an even thickness to ensure uniform baking. A lightly floured rolling pin (affiliate link) and work surface can help achieve this.
- Ensure the cookies have completely cooled before dipping them into the chocolate so that the chocolate begins to set and remains on the cookie.
- Use fresh, high-quality ingredients for the best flavor. This is particularly important for ingredients like chocolate, vanilla extract, and lemon zest.
Make a Test Batch
Oven temperatures can vary, so it’s always worth baking a small test batch of cookies to make sure you know exactly how long to keep them in for. This prevents you from spoiling a larger batch of cookies!
Be sure to check your cookies a minute or two before the recommended baking time. They will be just turning golden brown around the edges when they are done. Happy baking!
Substitutions and Variations
- I used a star cutter to make the star shapes, but any cookie cutter shapes will work, so use whichever you like.
- If you prefer to use unsalted butter, simply add an extra pinch of salt to the dough.
- For a different nutty flavor, chopped almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, or pecans can replace the pistachios.
- White chocolate has an obviously festive look to it, but any kind of chocolate can be used instead. Try milk chocolate, dark chocolate, or use flavored chocolate like cookies n’ cream, peanut butter, or peppermint.
- You could add food coloring (affiliate link) to the white chocolate for a colorful cookie to match your themed event or special occasion.
- Feel free to experiment with different flavored extracts like almond, peppermint, maple, or coconut for a unique twist.
- Make the decorating fun by using a blend of different nuts, colorful or themed sprinkles, edible glitter, colored icing, or even just a light dusting of powdered sugar to personalize your cookies.
More Christmas Cookie Recipes
- Church Window Cookies
- Soft & Chewy Gingerbread Men Cookies
- Fresh Cranberry Shortbread Bars
- Easy Peanut Butter Blossoms
- Christmas Pinwheel Cookies
Cuisine
Hazelnut Lingonberry Linzer Cookies
Cookies
Cinnamon Walnut Raisin Rugelach
Cookies
Easy Jam Thumbprint Cookies
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
Christmas Star Cookies
Ingredients123
- ▢ ¾ cup salted butter room temperature (170g)
- ▢ ½ cup granulated sugar (100g)
- ▢ 3 egg yolks
- ▢ 1½ teaspoons lemon zest
- ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ▢ 1¼ cups cornstarch (180g)
- ▢ 1 cup all-purpose flour (120g)
- ▢ 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
- ▢ 7 oz high quality white chocolate chopped (200g)
- ▢ 6–8 tablespoons sliced pistachios
- ▢ Wilton metallic sugar pearls for decorating
Instructions
- Combine butter, egg, and sugar. Place the butter, egg yolks, and sugar into a large mixing bowl. ¾ cup salted butter, 3 egg yolks, ½ cup granulated sugar
- Cream together and add flavoring. Beat on medium speed with a hand mixer for 2-3 minutes until light. Add the vanilla extract and lemon zest and mix until combined. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1½ teaspoons lemon zest
- Add dry ingredients. Add the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. 1¼ cups cornstarch, 1 cup all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Make into dough. Mix just until combined and the dough forms.
- Roll, chill, and cut the dough. Transfer the dough to a silicone mat or large cutting board and roll out to ¼-inch thickness with a rolling pin (affiliate link) . Cover the rolled-out dough with plastic wrap and freeze for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Use a star-shaped cookie cutter to cut shapes out of the sugar cookie dough and transfer these to the prepared baking sheet using a thin metal spatula.
- Bake cookies and cool. Bake for 8–10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow the cookies to fully cool on the baking sheet before decorating.
- Melt chocolate. Melt the white chocolate in the microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring in between to avoid burning. You can use the “melt chocolate” setting on your microwave if it has one. Alternatively, place the chocolate in a heat-safe medium bowl over a pan of simmering water, keeping the bottom of the bowl from touching the water, and stir the chocolate until fully melted. 7 oz high quality white chocolate
- Coat cookies in chocolate. Dip the top of each cookie into the melted white chocolate.
- Decorate cookies. Place the dipped cookies back onto the cookie sheet, then sprinkle with the sliced pistachios and decorate with metallic sugar pearls. 6–8 tablespoons sliced pistachios, Wilton metallic sugar pearls
- Chill cookies. Refrigerate for 10–15 minutes. The chill time is important to ensure the chocolate is set properly so that the decorations remain in place.
Notes
NOTES
- Make Ahead: Tightly wrap the dough in plastic wrap, place it in a ziploc bag, and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Bring the dough to room temperature before rolling and cutting it.
- Store: Store your Christmas Star Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 4–5 days. In the refrigerator, they can last up to two weeks.
- Freeze: Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months, with a piece of parchment paper between each layer to prevent the cookies from sticking together.
Nutrition
Thumbprint Cookies are a buttery shortbread bite-size delight filled with your favorite jewel-colored jams, then drizzled with a simple vanilla glaze. They make a fun and tasty addition to any holiday cookie plate!
If you are looking to round out your Christmas cookie plates, be sure not to miss my Chocolate Crinkle Cookies , Soft & Chewy Molasses Cookies , and Perfect Peanut Butter Blossoms .
I adore shortbread cookies and look forward to making cranberry shortbread bars and toffee pecan shortbread cookies every year.
It’s the perfect canvas for showcasing other flavors in a crumbly, buttery cookie that practically melts in your mouth.
And it’s not as sweet as most cookies, which is why it goes so well with the fruity jam baked in the center of each little one- or maybe two-bite cookie.
These thumbprint cookies are no exception and one of my favorite traditional Christmas cookies. The easy shortbread dough comes together quickly and little helpers love rolling the dough into balls, then making the thumbprint to hold a dollop of jam.
And speaking of jam, you can use any jam flavor you like! I grabbed raspberry, blueberry, and apricot jam from my fridge for these thumbprint cookies and all were absolutely delicious.
But I just bought a jar of cloudberry jam from Ikea and will try that when I make these again closer to Christmas! And strawberry, boysenberry, and peach jam are also yummy choices.
The glaze is optional and thumbprint cookies are good with and without the glaze, but I love the way it dresses up these cookies and makes them just a bit more special.
How to Make Thumbprint Cookies
- Mix the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy in a stand mixer.
- Add egg yolk and vanilla, beating until combined and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Add flour, cornstarch, and salt. At first it might seem like the dough isn’t going to come together because there isn’t much liquid for binding, but if you keep mixing it will form a nice dough that is perfect for shaping into balls.
- Scoop out small amounts of dough and roll into 1 tablespoon size balls, then place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Use your thumb or the back of a ½ teaspoon measuring spoon to make an indentation in the center of each cookie. Some people get hung up on thumbprint cookies with no cracks, but I find that’s pretty hard to avoid. You can press the dough back together a bit before filling with jam and baking, but I actually think it adds charm and a homemade quality to the cookies that I like.
- Fill with about ½ teaspoon of jam. If the jam is thick, you may need to warm it just a bit in the microwave until you can stir in, but you don’t want to get it too hot.
- Bake until barely browned around the bottom edges of the cookies, but definitely don’t overbake. 9-11 minutes in a 375°F oven is perfect for me.
Do I need to chill the dough?
I have found that this dough is easy to work with right after mixing without chilling it in the fridge first.
You should be able to roll the balls of dough between the palms of your hands without any difficulty, even with unchilled dough. Because the cookies are small and have little liquid in them, they don’t spread much while baking, so chilling is unnecessary.
How to Store Thumbprint Cookies
Jam thumbprint cookies can be stored in an airtight container on the counter at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
For longer storage, you can freeze the cookies for up to 3 months. Just let them thaw on the counter for 30-60 minutes before eating.
More Christmas Cookies You’ll Love
- Mexican Wedding Cookies [aka Russian Tea Cakes]
- Homemade Iced Oatmeal Cookies
- The Best Snickerdoodle Cookies Recipe
- Oatmeal Rolled Sugar Cookies
- Best Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
- Toffee Pecan Shortbread Cookies
- Peppermint Macarons
- Chocolate-Dipped Almond Biscotti
- Greek Baklava Recipe
- Double Chocolate Nutella Sandwich Cookies
- Soft & Chewy Gingerbread Men Cookies
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
Jam Thumbprint Cookies
Ingredients123
Cookies
- ▢ 1 cup salted butter softened
- ▢ 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- ▢ 1 large egg yolk
- ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla
- ▢ 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- ▢ 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
- ▢ 1/2 cup jam or preserves raspberry and apricot are our favorites but you can use any you like
Glaze
- ▢ 1 cup powdered sugar
- ▢ 1-2 Tablespoons heavy cream or milk
- ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter and sugar and mix on medium-high speed using the paddle attachment for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. 1 cup salted butter, 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- Mix in the egg yolk and vanilla, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. 1 large egg yolk, 2 teaspoons vanilla
- Add the flour, cornstarch, and salt and mix again until everything comes together in a nice dough. It may seem crumbly at first, but just scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl and keep mixing until the dough comes together. 2 ¼ cup all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, ½ teaspoon salt
- Shape the dough into 1-tablespoon size balls and arrange 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Gently press in the center of each cookie with your thumb or the back of a ½ teaspoon measuring spoon to create and indentation. Fill with your favorite jam, warming the jam first for about 10 seconds so it is stirrable. ½ cup jam or preserves
- Bake for 9-11 minutes until set and just barely starting to turn golden around the bottom edges. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes.
- While the cookies cool, prepare the glaze by whisking together the powdered sugar, cream or milk, and vanilla in a medium bowl. Transfer to a ziplock bag and snip off one corner. Drizzle the glaze over cookies, then let set for 1-2 hours until the glaze has set up. 1 cup powdered sugar, 1-2 Tablespoons heavy cream or milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Notes
- These cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 1 week, or frozen for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Christmas Star Cookies
Ingredients
- ¾ cup salted butter room temperature (170g)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100g)
- 3 egg yolks
- 1½ teaspoons lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1¼ cups cornstarch (180g)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour (120g)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 7 oz high quality white chocolate chopped (200g)
- 6–8 tablespoons sliced pistachios
- Wilton metallic sugar pearls for decorating
Instructions
- Combine butter, egg, and sugar. Place the butter, egg yolks, and sugar into a large mixing bowl. ¾ cup salted butter, 3 egg yolks, ½ cup granulated sugar
- Cream together and add flavoring. Beat on medium speed with a hand mixer for 2-3 minutes until light. Add the vanilla extract and lemon zest and mix until combined. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1½ teaspoons lemon zest
- Add dry ingredients. Add the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt. 1¼ cups cornstarch, 1 cup all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Make into dough. Mix just until combined and the dough forms.
- Roll, chill, and cut the dough. Transfer the dough to a silicone mat or large cutting board and roll out to ¼-inch thickness with a rolling pin. Cover the rolled-out dough with plastic wrap and freeze for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Use a star-shaped cookie cutter to cut shapes out of the sugar cookie dough and transfer these to the prepared baking sheet using a thin metal spatula.
- Bake cookies and cool. Bake for 8–10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow the cookies to fully cool on the baking sheet before decorating.
- Melt chocolate. Melt the white chocolate in the microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring in between to avoid burning. You can use the “melt chocolate” setting on your microwave if it has one. Alternatively, place the chocolate in a heat-safe medium bowl over a pan of simmering water, keeping the bottom of the bowl from touching the water, and stir the chocolate until fully melted. 7 oz high quality white chocolate
- Coat cookies in chocolate. Dip the top of each cookie into the melted white chocolate.
- Decorate cookies. Place the dipped cookies back onto the cookie sheet, then sprinkle with the sliced pistachios and decorate with metallic sugar pearls. 6–8 tablespoons sliced pistachios, Wilton metallic sugar pearls
- Chill cookies. Refrigerate for 10–15 minutes. The chill time is important to ensure the chocolate is set properly so that the decorations remain in place.
Notes
NOTES
- Make Ahead: Tightly wrap the dough in plastic wrap, place it in a ziploc bag, and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Bring the dough to room temperature before rolling and cutting it.
- Store: Store your Christmas Star Cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for 4–5 days. In the refrigerator, they can last up to two weeks.
- Freeze: Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months, with a piece of parchment paper between each layer to prevent the cookies from sticking together.
Nutrition
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