Cookie Monster Cookies
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I mentioned that my baby turned 1 a few weeks ago. Lots of family joined us to celebrate all the joy he has brought to us this past year. But really they just came for cake. That’s why we go to birthday parties, right? And let’s face it: there is a whole lot of sitting around staring at a {cute} baby going on at a first birthday party. All that pressure to make the cake stellar forced me to cave in and buy a cake from our local grocery store.
I consoled myself by making Cookie Monster Cookies.
You see I’ve been making this basic sugar cookie recipe for 10 years. The paper it is written on is well worn and has lots of updates added to it. I like it just the way it is now. And buttercream? Well, I think I could make that in my sleep.
Is there anything more enticing than a cookie that is eating another cookie? I love 2-for-1 cookies! The Wilton grass tip #233 made the hair on this fun and easy to squeeze out. It has 11 tiny holes that the frosting pushes through at once (think back to your Play Doh days).
I used a basic flower cookie cutter. You could easily substitute a circle cutter. Pipe the blue hair buttercream. Add white chocolate and M&M eyes. Eat all of the other M&M colors. Insert a broken chocolate chip cookie. Multiply and you’re done! (I am by no means the first person to come up with this idea. If you google it you will see many other people’s take on this design.)
Basic Sugar Cookies and Basic Almond Buttercream Frosting Recipe
PrintNo-spread cut out cookies frosted with a crusting almond buttercream icing
Ingredients:
For the Cookies:
- 2 cups of butter, softened
- 2 cups of sugar
- 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon of almond extract
- 2 eggs
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 6 cups flour
For the Frosting:
- 2 Cups shortening
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 8 Cups powdered sugar
- 1/8 Cup heavy cream (more or less to desired consistency)
- food coloring, if desired
Directions:
For the Cookies:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In the bowl of your mixer cream butter and sugar until smooth.
- Beat in extracts and eggs.
- In a separate bowl combine baking powder with flour and add a little at a time to the wet ingredients. The dough will be very stiff. If it becomes too stiff for your mixer turn out the dough onto a countertop surface. Wet your hands and finish off kneading the dough by hand.
- DO NOT CHILL THE DOUGH. Divide into workable batches, roll out onto a floured surface and cut. You want these cookies to be on the thicker side (closer to 1/4 inch rather than 1/8).
- Bake at 350 for 6-8 minutes. Let cool on the cookie sheet until firm enough to transfer to a cooling rack.
For the Frosting:
- In the bowl of your mixer beat shortening until smooth and creamy.
- Mix in vanilla (and almond extract if using).
- Add powdered sugar (1 cup at a time) until combined, then add cream & mix until smooth and spreading consistency. Adjust cream to desired frosting thickness
- Add a few drops of color, if desired.
Notes:
For the Cookies:
- If you must chill the dough just leave it on the countertop for 10 minutes before rolling or work the dough with your hands for a few minutes.
- I hesitate to put a recipe yield on cut out cookie recipes because the yield varies with the size of cookie cutters being used. This recipe makes a LARGE amount of dough. It can easily be halved to meet your needs.
For the Frosting:
- This frosting dries soft but firm- okay for stacking (may crush a little). You can let the frosted cookies dry uncovered on the countertop overnight (the frosting acts as a barrier and will keep the cookies soft and fresh.
- Use clear vanilla in the frosting if you need pure white.
- Half the shortening may be replaced by half butter but it will change the consistency and not dry as firm.
- Use more or less cream (or milk) to reach your desired consistency for piping or spreading.
- To get this color of blue I used Americolor gel paste in Electric Blue.
Hi there! I’m Katrina, a wife and a mom in a house full of boys who love to eat. This is my girly space where I make pretty things. 
I LOVE these!!!!!!! sooo cute! and your pictures are precious!
So cute, looks like so much fun.
-Gina-
I love cookies and frosting. I can’t stop thinking about my baby’s 1 year party. Not so much because we get to celebrate his first year as it means, he will be done or nearly done nursing so I can eat some foods I really miss that consist of dairy, egg & soy. It will be a big celebration for EVERYONE!
Awesome 🙂
Too cute!! Love these cookies. 🙂
Cutest cookies I’ve ever seen ;).
SO adorable!!! (the boys and the cookies!) I love Cookie Monster!
these are crazy adorable! And so are your own two little cookie monsters 🙂
I’m positive these blew the doors off the grocery store cake. They are so cool! I would not have been able to resist doing my best cookie monster impersonation before chomping down. Great work!
These are the cutest cookies ever! Love it!!
these are adorable!!! love it 🙂
You are SO creative! As much as I’m happy to be through our Sesame Street years, I would love these cookies! Cookie Monster was one of my favorites, and I like Bert (Burt?) too. Happy birthday to your little guy, they grow so quickly.
These are so cute, I love them! Your boys are cutie patooties too. =)
Forget about the cake! I would have focused on the cookies too. They are so cute!
Oh how cute! I will share this with a friend of mine that has a little guy with a birthday coming!
Ok, totally awesome. This is one creative cookie and I am totally cracking up. Me want these cookies!!!
They look so cute, your kids must be having the time of their life munching on those cookie monster!
OMG…you are such a great mommy making super cute cookies! I love them. I’m going to show these to my kids tomorrow morning…It’s amazing! Your boys are so cute… They look so happy! 🙂
These. Are. Adorable! I say you did the right thing, buying the cake and making these instead!!!
Absolutely Adorable…cookies & kids!!!
They look so cute! Isn’t it awesome the way their eyes light up when they see cookies 🙂 I made an Elmo cake for my little girl’s first birthday, six months ago! It was a perfect Elmo at all, but she LOVED it 🙂
You have done such a fabulous job with these cookies… 🙂
Your cookie monster cookies are beautiful! A cookie eating a cookie is the best kind of cookie!
Adorable, adorable, adorable! I want some of these for my birthday!
How cute and the pics are just amazing 🙂
I love these! You’re so talented with cute things like this.
Stop it! These are too cute!!!! Your little ones are just adorable 🙂
I am sorry, but I have to repeat what Butcreamblondi said above: These cookies are TOO CUTE!! And both boys have got matching T-Shirts…:D)!!
OH my goodness those are just the most precious thing ever!! haha, C is for cookie is good enough for me… <---totally used to watch Sesame Street and Cookie Monster was my favorite. Great job on these!
Love it! I’m definitely down with the two-for-one cookies as well. These turned out great. Happy Birthday to your little’un!
Oh goodness, you are so creative! I love these, they are so fun for so many occasions, love them!
very very cute! I wish I had kids to share this with, but lets be honest. I think my husband would get a kick out of it too.
From Connie:
Super Cute Katrina, but I must say my favorite part is “Four Year Old Foodie’s Caption” It was cracking up because I know that had to be exactly what he was thinking 😉
Looks like you all had a great time!
Those cookies make me smile! How neat for your boys that they have such a fun, creative mommy!
OMG SO CUTE!!!!
Love these….love them! Awesome job.
These are so stinkin’ cute! You did a great job! I must find the grass frosting tip. How cool is that??? Thanks for another AWESOME inspiration! You rock!
these are ADORABLE!!! LOVE them! 🙂
Absolutely adorable!! I’m going to make these for my 2 year old daughter. Thanks!
So adorable! I’m definitely going to have make these for a little boys 2nd birthday!
I love these, they are so cute! Happy (belated) Birthday to your little one!
These are so adorable. They are just amazingly cute, you did a great job!
SOOO cute! I love how you added the choco chip cookies…
These are spectacular!
I want some cookie monster…not fair! :)))
This is wonderful Katrina..what a great idea, just want to thank you for sharing!!!
OH.MY.GOSH!! I cant stand how CUTE these cookies are! You are amazing girl!
These are the most adorable “cookie monster” cookies I have ever seen.
Happy Belated Birthday to your little guy:DDD
Katrina, these are too friggin’ cute! You are so unbelievably creative and fun, and you certainly have a lucky son to receive these for his birthday! 🙂
not sure what i can say beyond what everyone else has said… but DITTO! =) your boys are such cuties – happy belated to your lil’ one!
I think I will be making these for my mom this year for Mothers’s Day since we have so many fond (haha) memories of singing the Cookie Monster Song during car rides when I was a young child. Thanks for the step by step, I think I can!!
Adorable. You’re right, what can be more enticing than a cookie eating another cookie LOL. My niece and nephew would love these. Thanks for sharing.
I have to tell you that I have been showing these to everyone…LOL. If someone is having a birthday a kids party, then they have seen this picture. Such a fantastic idea – love it!
These are adorable!
It’s a cookie eating a cookie – I’m loving it! I have a sugar cookie recipe that I finally wrote down on the inside flap of my BH&G cookbook because the paper & ink were fading so bad.
Too-too cute! These beat cake by a mile!
These cookies are so gorgeous it’s almost a shame to eat him! Love, love Cookie Monster and you have a lucky son to have a mommy make him such a beautiful treat.
these cookies are so cute and very easy to make! i really like how you made the eyes…. and look at your little ones enjoying those yummy treas… totally adorbs! 🙂
Hi, katrina! Congrats on babble top 100!
I’m also passing on a couple blog awards to you. Just go to my site to claim them and then pass them on to other worthy bloggers!
All the best!
–Shelley
http://www.inthelandofspice.com/spiceblog/spiceblog/Entries/2011/4/27_Blog_Award_%26_Banana_Oatmeal_Bread.html
Aww, these are so cute! I love the crazy eyes 🙂
Ohhh these are SO cute!! I’m in love with your blog, its fantastic 🙂 So glad to be your new follower!
http://cookskinny.blogspot.com/
What an adorable idea, i am INSPIRED! Thanks for sharing it!
Oh my goodness, I have two toddlers at home who would love these! So cute.
Too cute and the cookie monsters eating the cookie monsters is great too. what a fun idea and how easy.
Yay! I remember fun baking projects for my kid’s birthday parties. (She’s 22 now.) You set the bar seriously high with these! Beautiful and I’m sure tasty.
These are SOOOOO cute!!!!
New to your blog; happy I found you!
Mary xo
Delightful Bitefuls
You are amazing!!! My 1 1/2 year old is going crazy at the screen screaming “coooookie!” I have to make these for her! Thank you for another brilliant, fantabulous, delicious treat!
I absolutely love these cookies! I am a very amateur cake decorator, but love trying things like this. My husband talks about a Cookie Monster cake they used to get from the store as kids – I am sure even now he would love these (as well as my 6 year old). I am officially a follower.
http://dinnersdishesanddesserts.blogspot.com/
How adorable! You have some wonderful ideas on your blog!
These are SO CUTE!
Love! I’m making Cookie Monster cupcakes for dd’s second birthday next month, but I may make these too!
These are so fun and adorable!!
How adorable!(both the cookies and the babies!)I wish I were invited to the party!I like the fact that your dough doesn’t need to be refrigerated!Thanks for sharing and I hope that you’ll enjoy many more happy birthdays:)))
Adorable cookies as always 🙂 love them!
These are the cutest cookies I have ever seen. I LOVE them! You are so incredibly talented. 🙂
These are so adorable! I love the googlie eyes…and who can go wrong with a cookie on a cookie with lots of icing!
These are the cutest cookies EVER – I love the cookie in Cookie Monster’s mouth! LOVE IT!
Lmao. Ok… Let me start by saying those cookies are adorable. Second, let me explain that ‘lmao’. When I got to the bottom of your post, I saw the picture of the little boy before my eyes saw your adorable baby and my immediate thought was “Holy cow! That’s a one year old!” Now, Im not a kid person but I can’t believe I was that stupid for a moment. Not sure this is translating well via comment but it had me cracked up so I figured I’d try to share. >.<
These are amazing! I love the way you have the cookie in his mouth, and the blue “fur” is incredible! How long did they take you to decorate?
Ooooooh, so cuuuute! I could never get myself to eat them, they are way too adorable. Cutest cookie I have ever seen, really. Love ’em!
Aww, Happy 1st Birthday to your little guy! These cookies are way too cute! Definitely gotta get a hold of one of those grass tips!
Sooo Cute!! I will be giving these cookies a try with my niece and nephew’s birthdays both in May!!
Those cookies are to-die-for cute! And Cookie Monster is my favorite Sesame St character. I would love to give these cookies a try at the next party.
Awesome Job! Those cookies are SO stinkin’ cute!
Adorable!!
This is crazy cute. I posted a link on ediblecrafts.craftgossip.com and have to pin and all that good stuff.
So cute- we’ll make these to celebrate the end of Kindergarten. Thanks for sharing!
These are super cute! And who cares if others out there have done it, your take is adorable! I think my favorite part would be the fact that I get an extra part of a cookie with my cookie! 🙂
Who needs cake when you have these ADORABLE cookies around!?! 🙂
These are too cute! Congratulations on beeign featured.
Also voted for you on babble. Hope you can vote for me and come see me at http://willcookforsmiles.blogspot.com/
These are absolutely the cutest Cookie Monster cookies I have ever seen. Great job.
Love these! So cute!
How adorable and fun! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
BEST…. SUGAR… COOKIE… RECIPE… EVER!!!!!
I made these last night and they turned out great. I love that I didn’t need to chill the dough. Saved me so much time. I didn’t have the right tip for my decorating bag so they aren’t as cool as yours but I don’t think anyone will get them mixed up with Elmo. Thanks!
Love the cookies and love Cookie Monster! Can’t wait to make them!!!!
Oh my gosh….these are DARLING!!!
These are amazing. I cannot wait to make them with my son. He loves cookie monster.
I absolutely adore these cookies! i wish I had a little guy to make these for!! absolutely and completely perfect!!
Absolutely daaarling! <3 i love these!
My good! These look so delicious! A dear friend of mine is planning a cookie themed party for her one year old’s first birthday. What a hit this would be!
Thanks again!
for those of us from the uk, could you tell me what the british equivilent of shortening is, they look lovely would like to try them sometime
Katrina Bahl — December 18th, 2013 @ 9:13 am
You can use all butter for the frosting. It will just stay softer and won’t get firm.
Shortening is lard.
omg I first found these cookies on google images, but finally I found these website ekkkkkkkkk, I have this school assignment to do and I reckon these will defs come in handy to make! they are incredibly cute and they seem edible xx thank you so much for this outstanding cookie monster recp. Katrina
Where can I buy the white chocolate discs used for the eyes? Also, how did you get the M&Ms to stay in place? I’m not a very experienced baker but you made it seem so easy that I’d like to give it a try!
Katrina Bahl — September 17th, 2014 @ 10:55 am
Thank you for asking! You can buy chocolate discs at some grocery stores, or craft stores like Michael’s or even Wal-Mart/Target. I just used a dab of frosting to secure the parts.
I have to say that these are adorable. How does the shortening buttercream frosting compare to royal icing? I’m making Halloween cookies. Also, I made your sugar cookie recipe last night and it is by far the BEST I have ever made. Even better than Martha Stewart’s. Thanks for publishing. I like that there is no refrigeration time and it doesn’t dry out.
Katrina Bahl — October 15th, 2014 @ 4:43 pm
Thank you Liz! Crisping Buttercream dries firm but not hard. Royal icing dries hard (like gingerbread house frosting).
I made this recipe today using honey and only butter as adjustments. They were awesome! Are you sure you followed the recipe Penny because you are crazy to not love these!
I love this adorable idea. I can’t wait to make these for my birthday! Your little boys are precious. How do you get the frosting so “stringy” looking? It kinda looks like fur. Do you use a certain cap for the piping bag? I hope you will write back! And I can’t wait to try some other recipes of you like the red, white and blue drinks. 😉
Katrina Bahl — November 22nd, 2014 @ 9:08 am
Thanks for writing! I used a Wilton grass tip #233. It’s a super fun piping tip!
I’m a terrible baker, but wanted to spend at least a day in the kitchen with my 3 year old baking holiday treats. This was the best sugar cookie recipe I’ve ever tried–they turned out great and it was awesome there was no chiling needed. My dough seemed kind of “crack-y”–cracks developed when rolling. But the cookies were awesome! I made a few copies of the recipe to stick in the different boxes of cookie cutters in the pantry so it’s right at hand next time! Of the four things we baked today (soggy Magic Bars, a cream cheese Babka that didn’t rise, and mini-candy bars sandwiched in pretzels then dipped in white chocolate that just didn’t stick together), these were the only Pinterest success! Thanks!!!!
Thanks for sharing the recipe! It worked out great for me. I wanted to ask, how long can you freeze the cookies? and how long if you keep them in an airtight container (not in the freezer)? I have two little kids and I seem to have to do cookies in different parts and can’t finish them in one day. So I made cookies yesterday and would like to continue until the end of the week for my son’s party at school. Once again thank you!
when recipes call for shortening, as your frosting does, can this be butter or does it have to be Crisco? And what do you use? Thanks.
What food coloring did you use to get such a dark blue? Mine did not come out so dark 😁 and it made the frost kinda runny😐
What brand would you suggest? And how much should I use? Thanks!!
Your website states that these can be frozen. Neice having sweet 16 I want to make mardi gras masks for the party but I’m going to need time. So after I bake the cookies and they cool should I decorate before freezing? Or freeze, thaw, decorate? Thanks
Just a heads up. I tried this recipe and the batter was so crumbly it was like chunky sand. I double checked the recipe multiple times to see if I missed something but I followed it correctly. I didn’t see any other reviews mention this but I ended up adding almost 1/2 cup milk a tbsp at a time to get it to a consistently that would stick together. Also it doesn’t specify if the butter should be salted or unsalted.
The cookies were kind of bland by themselves, a good texture but not a typical sugar cookie. I did a meringue buttercream icing and that added a lot of sweetness to it so together they weren’t well and it was not overly sweet. All in all though I am going to try a different recipe next to compare.
Can’t wait to try the buttercream frosting recipe. I’ve tried dozens of recipes, but I’m never totally satisfied. And these cookies are just so adorable!