How To Make Hanging Mug Santa Hat Cookies

Well, we finally got out first snow here in Central Jersey. It was a cold weekend and yesterday afternoon we finally got snow. The kids were so excited and even thought the snow wasn't that much the kids were able to play outside a little.
I am happy to say that I didn't leave the house both days, we had plenty of time to bake and I had time to get some post ready for the upcoming weeks.

Baking always involve cookies...so here are these hanging mug cookies that I have seeing all around the web and I have been wanting to make for a long time.

Making these cookies is easier than you think, any cookie cutter will do just fine.I am sure small cookie cutters would be really cute also, but since this was my first time making these cookies I went for a regular size cutter.

This Santa Hat comes in the Wilton kit that I got at Michael's last year. 

Make your favorite sugar cookie recipe, roll out the dough, cut the cookie shapes and place the dough back in the refrigerator for around 30 minutes. You want your dough to be really cold before cutting the notches out. 

When the cookies are really cold, using a small pairing knife, cut the notches about 1/2" wide. 

Keep in mind that cookies tend to spread, mine didn't do it that much, but as I got the cookies out of the oven, still warm, I did a few cuts to adjust the size of the notches and make sure the cookies were going to fit into the rim of the cup. 

When the cookies have completely cool, outline and flood with red royal icing the hat. 

While the icing is still wet, sprinkle with red sanding sugar directly into the icing.

Let the sanding sugar set for an hour or so and then shake the excess off.

Use a dry small paint brush to remove any sugar from the hat band and pompom of the hat.

 Using stiff white royal icing and a grass tip, pipe on the pompom and the hat band.
Set the cookie aside and let it dry overnight.

 Make your favorite hot drink, place the cookie on the mug and enjoy!!