Red Mitten Cookies– Festive Italian Sugar Cookies with Glaze Icing
If you love festive baking, these Christmas mitten cookies are sure to become a seasonal favorite — easy to decorate, pretty on any dessert table, and irresistibly delicious.
A Cookie Tradition Worth Keeping
Every year, I love baking up batches of festive cookies to share with friends and family, and these red mitten cookies always make people smile.
The dough rolls out smoothly and bakes into perfectly shaped cookies that hold their edges — no spreading or puffing. They’re finished with a simple glaze icing that gives a shiny, smooth surface, perfect for decorating.
-
Not overly sweet – a delicate Italian-style sugar cookie that pairs beautifully with glaze icing.
-
Festive and fun – bright red mittens with sparkly sugar trim.
-
Perfect for gifting – wrap a few in clear bags with ribbon for adorable homemade treats.
-
Easy to make ahead – the dough can be refrigerated or frozen before baking.
Tips for Perfect Mitten Cookies
-
Roll your dough evenly (about ¼ inch thick) so all cookies bake consistently.
-
Let cookies cool completely before icing to avoid melting the glaze.
-
Use a small piping tip or squeeze bottle for clean edges and neat cuffs.
-
Allow the icing to dry fully before stacking or packaging.
- These cookies stay fresh for days,
- You can bake them ahead of time,
- Do the icing the next day
- No need to feel overwhelmed on one day to try to do it all.
Red Mitten Cookies– Festive Italian Sugar Cookies with Glaze Icing
Ingredients
- 5 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups butter, melted and cooled (10 minutes)
- 5 cups all purpose flour
- 1 3/4 cupa granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Glaze Icing
- 2 cups powdered sugar, also known as confectioners sugar
- 4 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon corn syrup
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk eggs and melted butter.
- In a large bowl with a mixer, combine flour, sugar, and baking powder.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the egg mixture, then vanilla. Mix about 2 minutes on medium speed until shiny.
- Cover bowl with waxed paper and let the dough stand at room temperature for 20 minutes
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out the dough with a little flour and cut with a floured cookie cutter. So it doesn't stick to the dough.
- Place the cookie on a thick cookie sheet with 2 inches in between each cookie. Do not overcrowd the pan, the cookies need space so the pan stays evenly heated.
- Bake 12 minutes, or until the bottoms of the cookies are golden, and the tops remain "blonde"
- Allow cookies to cool completely.
Glaze Icing Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together until smooth. Add more water if too thick or confectioners’ sugar if too thin.
- Add gel food coloring and mix well. Allow colors to rest for 10 minutes to develop fully.
- Place plastic wrap directly over the icing, touching it so it does not get hard and crust over.
- Using a piping bag with a small round piping tip #3 works well.
- Pipe the frosting onto the cookies in the desired designs. I colored most red, and a small portion white, and dipped the white into clear sanding sugar.
- Allow the frosting to set before stacking or wrapping. I allow 12 hours,
those look too cool and very very yummy
Oh, Diane…these are precious! I really need to try that icing…it's so pretty and sounds really yummy!
Those mittens are so cute! I like a good cookie recipe that is not too sweet but rich, so I'll definitely have to try these!
Cute cookies! Recipe looks good too; I'll have to give them a try. Looks like they hold their shape very well; do you chill the dough at all?
I can see why they are your favorite…so CUTE, and festive! Happy New year!
I just love the mittens! They are so creative! I'll have to try that cookie recipe.
I love the mittens. They are sooo cute!!! I'll have to get a mitten cookie cutter for next year! 🙂