Recipes and Cooking Teardrop Santa Almond Sugar Cookies Be the first to rate & review! Lay out the ingredients and gather the family to make these ornate almond sugar cookies. Create Santa's iconic looks with gumdrops, tart licorice candy, and black food coloring. By BHG Test Kitchen BHG Test Kitchen The Better Homes & Gardens Test Kitchen has been in continuous operation for nearly 100 years, developing and testing practical, reliable recipes that readers can enjoy at home. The Test Kitchen team includes culinary specialists, food stylists, registered and licensed nutritionists, and other experts with Bachelor of Science degrees in food science, food and nutrition, or culinary arts. Together, the team tests more than 2,500 recipes, produces more than 2,500 food images, and creates more than 1,000 food videos each year in the state-of-the-art test kitchen. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on June 14, 2016 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Prep Time: 1 hrs Chill Time: 2 hrs Bake Time: 7 mins Total Time: 1 hrs Servings: 48 Yield: 48 to 60 cookies Jump to Nutrition Facts Ingredients 1 cup butter, softened 1 ½ cup granulated sugar ½ teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 2 eggs ¼ cup milk 1 teaspoon vanilla ½ teaspoon almond extract ½ cup ground blanched almonds 3 cup all-purpose flour 1 recipe Creamy White Frosting flat red tart licorice candy (such as Rips) large white gumdrops black food coloring small red candies Creamy White Frosting 1 cup shortening 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla ½ teaspoon almond extract 1 16 ounce package powdered sugar (about 4 cups) 3 tablespoon milk Directions In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in eggs, milk, vanilla, and almond extract until combined. Beat in ground almonds. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour. Divide dough in half. Cover and chill about 2 hours or until dough is easy to handle. Preheat oven to 350°F. On a lightly floured surface, roll one dough portion at a time to 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Using a 3- to 4-inch teardrop-shape cookie cutter, cut out dough. Place cutouts 1 inch apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes or until edges are light brown. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; cool. To decorate, cut flat red tart licorice candy into half-circle bibs for coats and tiny squares for hats. Attach bibs and tiny squares with white Creamy White Frosting. Use a ribbon tip to pipe white Creamy White Frosting for hatbands. Cut large white gumdrops into slices; halve slices and attach two halves with frosting for each mustache. Using a small round tip, pipe white Creamy White Frosting for eyes; let dry. Pipe black-tinted Creamy White Frosting for pupils of eyes and buttons. Use frosting to attach small red candies for noses. Creamy White Frosting In a large mixing bowl beat shortening, vanilla, and almond extract with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds. Gradually add about half of the powdered sugar, beating well. Beat in 2 tablespoons of the milk. Gradually beat in the remaining powdered sugar and enough of the remaining milk to reach spreading consistency. To Store: Layer cookies between sheets of waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Rate it Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 178 Calories 8g Fat 25g Carbs 2g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 48 Calories 178 % Daily Value * Total Fat 8g 10% Saturated Fat 5g 25% Cholesterol 28mg 9% Sodium 99mg 4% Total Carbohydrate 25g 9% Total Sugars 19g Protein 2g Vitamin C 0mg 0% Calcium 16mg 1% Iron 0.5mg 3% Potassium 29mg 1% Folate, total 16.6mcg Vitamin B-12 0mcg Vitamin B-6 0mg *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.