There are three holiday films that make the season feel right for my family: A Christmas Story, Christmas Vacation and Die Hard. To me they carry the same seasonal magic others find in It’s a Wonderful Life or Miracle on 34th Street. They set the mood, spark laughter and bring everyone together—so these are my holiday classics.
To honor those trilogy-worthy Christmas movies, I baked a Santa-sack-sized batch of Christmas Movie Cookies inspired by each film. The cookies are built on a simple shortbread sugar cookie, but a touch of movie-inspired decorating and silky royal icing turns them into showstoppers.
Every year I use a straightforward shortbread sugar cookie recipe adapted from the Grand Central Baking Book for consistently sharp-edged, buttery cookies. The royal icing takes a little practice, but once you get comfortable with its consistency you’ll never go back to store-bought frosting. If you want a step-by-step guide, the baking team at Grand Central Bakery offers detailed instructions and a helpful decorating video for working with royal icing.
These cookies are a whole-day project, but it’s the kind of day that pays back in memories. Clear a large workspace, queue up your favorite holiday films and settle in. Decorating becomes an event: we laughed as we recreated the singed tree from Christmas Vacation (squirrel and all), decorated cookies shaped like Red Rider BB guns and broken glasses from A Christmas Story, and finished with sweater-shaped cookies bearing the cheeky Die Hard quote, “Now I have a machine gun, Ho-Ho-Ho.” We even ordered Chinese takeout to complete the Die Hard vibe while decorating.
If malls and inflatable Santas aren’t your thing, find your own version of holiday fun. The season can feel magical if you build the moments you love. Personally, I look forward to the moment my dad opens a package to reveal the warm glow of electric sex—the Leg Lamp cookie—and watches his reaction. It’s those little reveals that make the day.
Happy Holidays: may your days be merry, bright and filled with cookies inspired by the movies you love.
Recipe
Christmas Movie Cookies
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- Author: Baking The Goods
- Total Time: 1 hour
Description
Simple buttery shortbread cookies decorated with royal icing become movie-inspired Christmas Movie Cookies—perfect for gifting or a festive decorating party.
Ingredients
SHORTBREAD BUTTER COOKIES
- all purpose flour – 4 ⅔ cups
- salt – 2 teaspoons
- unsalted butter at room temperature – 2 cups (4 sticks)
- granulated sugar – 1 ⅓ cups
- pure vanilla extract – 2 teaspoons
ROYAL ICING
- 2 large egg whites (plus extra for thinning if needed)
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
Instructions
FOR THE SHORTBREAD BUTTER COOKIES
- Whisk together the flour and salt in a bowl.
- Using a stand mixer with the paddle, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape the bowl as needed.
- With the mixer on medium-low, add the vanilla.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined, scraping the bowl.
- Turn the dough onto a clean surface, divide into three balls, flatten into disks, wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour.
- Choose cookie cutters and shapes—get creative and let your favorite holiday movies inspire you.
- Let disks soften slightly, then roll to about ¼” thickness.
- Cut shapes and transfer to a lined sheet; chill in the fridge or freezer. Re-roll scraps and repeat until all dough is used.
- Freezing the cut cookies helps them hold shape in the oven.
- Preheat oven to 350°F once cookies are chilled.
- Bake on lined sheets 2″ apart for 10–15 minutes, until edges are just golden and tops feel firm.
- Cool on the sheets or transfer to racks before icing.
FOR DECORATING
- Use liquid or gel food coloring; gels give vibrant color with less liquid.
- Have a decorating kit and extra pastry bags or squeeze bottles ready for multiple colors.
- Make the royal icing: whisk egg whites and lemon juice, add 3½ cups sifted confectioners’ sugar and beat until smooth and glossy. It should pause briefly before streaming off the beater. Adjust thickness with more egg white or sugar as needed. Store airtight in the fridge up to 3 days; whisk before using.
- Test consistency: for detail work the icing should pause slightly before streaming off a spoon; for flooding, thin it so it runs off immediately.
- Divide icing into small bowls and color gradually. Transfer to bags or squeeze bottles fitted with small tips. Practice piping on parchment before decorating.
- Flooding: outline the cookie, then fill the center and smooth if needed. Let the base dry at least an hour before raised details.
- Raised designs: pipe borders, stripes or other elements on top of the base. For sparkle, sprinkle colored sugar on wet icing and tip to remove excess after about 15 minutes.
- Marbleizing: flood the surface, add stripes or dots of another color and drag a toothpick through to create swirls.
Notes
For additional tips and visual guidance, refer to Grand Central Bakery’s holiday cookie decorating resources and video.
Royal icing recipe adapted from Grand Central Bakery.
- Cook Time: 15 minutes