Alphabet Letter Cookies
This letter cookies recipe could be made with letter cookie cutters or animal shapes for animal crackers. My intent was to recreate the cinnamon alphabet cookies that my son loves from Trader Joe's. I hope you like them as much as we do!
How to make letter cookies:
- Mix the cookie dough in the food processor. Refrigerate.
- Roll out the sugar cookie dough. Use letter cookie cutters to make letter shapes.
- Bake for 10 minutes.
These are fun sugar cookies to make with children at home. The dough comes together quickly in a food processor and then it is refrigerated for at least an hour. Take the dough out when your helpers are ready to roll out the dough and you'll have an alphabet of fun in no time!
Spelling Bee treats
It is Spelling Bee time of year at many schools and my son's elementary school held their school Bee last week. He was excited to be involved in the Bee again this year and I wanted to make him a special treat to celebrate after the stress of the competition was over (for both of us!).
My goodness, some of the words these kids spelled were years beyond them. It was fun to watch the twelve kids spell but heartbreaking to see them miss a letter here and there. I guess that is the point of a spelling bee-- not everyone gets each word correct-- but it is painful when a wrong letter slips out.
Schoolhouse Cookies from Trader Joe's
These cookies are made with the Trader Joe's schoolhouse cookies in mind. They come in a round, plastic tub and you can't eat just one. My son is an extremely picky eater and has never had even a crumb of any baked good I've made at home.
I thought there was a slim chance he'd try these since they look and taste nearly the same as the bucket of letter cookies he likes from the grocery store.
Well, no luck there but that is ok, sometimes it honestly is the thought that counts and when my younger son and I made these cookies we sure were sending happy spelling thoughts with them!
The recipe comes from King Arthur Flour's website and they called these Animal Cookies but for me, animal cookies have a bit more crunch like a cracker. I changed the recipe slightly so maybe that was the difference.
What shapes can I make these cookies for kids?
Try letters cookie cutters or animal cookie cutters and see what you think. There are few things sweeter than little hands covered in flour and baking in the kitchen. A collection of cookie cutters from Wilton does the trick. This bucket offers letters, shapes and more for your cookie creations.
Here are other cookies that are fun to bake and share with a classroom:
- Cookies in the shape of the Greek letter, Pi, for #PiDay
- Apple cookies are fun to bake especially for Teacher Appreciation Week
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Alphabet Letter Cookies
These are fun cookies to make with children at home. The dough comes together quickly in a food processor and then it is refrigerated for at least an hour. Take the dough out when your helpers are ready to roll out the dough and you'll have an alphabet of fun in no time!
Ingredients
- ¾ cup butter, softened (12 Tablespoons)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons honey
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup almond flour
Instructions
- In a food processor combine the butter, sugar, honey, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, vanilla and water. Pulse 15-20 times.
- Add the all purpose flour and the almond flour and process until the dough forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the container.
- Make two flat circles with the dough and place in a zip loc bag. Refrigerate for about an hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment.
- Flour your surface (I like to flour on top of a piece of parchment). Roll the dough to ¼ inch thick. To keep the dough from sticking to the small letter cookie cutters, dip the cutters in flour each time before you press the cutters into the dough.
- Bake the cookies for about 10 minutes or until just starting to brown.
- Cool cookies on a wire rack.
Notes
Note that some letters such as "I" or "L" bake more quickly than letters like "M" or "B". You may want to place similar letters on a tray together to ensure even baking.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
36Serving Size:
2Amount Per Serving: Calories: 82Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 78mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gProtein: 1g
This data is provided by Nutritionix and is an estimate only.
Holly Baker started the food blog, A Baker's House, in 2011. She is the writer, recipe creator, and photographer for the site. Holly loves to bake and shares recipes for gluten free food, canning recipes, as well as traditional desserts too. Her recipes and food photography have been highlighted by BuzzFeed, Reader's Digest, and She Knows.
These cookies would certainly make my day! The alphabet shapes are just so cute.
Isn't it fun to bake cookies with someone else in mind? I enjoyed baking these letter cookies for sure!
These are super cute! My kids at school would love them!
Yes, these letter cookies would be fun at school! Maybe I'll send some in with my kindergartener.
Aren't those competitions the most stressful things to watch?! I can't bear it even when I don't know the children, never mind my own. Alphabet cookies are a wonderful encouragement, Holly. What if you put them in the store container and tell him the recipe changed slightly. Or just don't say a word and see the reaction?
Yes, you are right-- it is just as hard watching someone else's child in these competitions let alone my own. Thanks for the suggestions-- I did buy his favorite ones from the store and put them side by side to show him how similar they are but no luck. In fact, just the opposite, he thought the homemade cookies might have touched the store-bought cookies and decided he wanted nothing to do with either one! Oh well, one day he'll come around.
How cute are those and I have loads of alphabet cookie cutters too that I have never used. You have inspired me with these cookies to pull them out!
Happy Baking, Tara! These little letters are fun to make.
What a wonderful surprise for your very clever son. I know what you mean about heartbreaking when they miss a letter. My son missed the word "entrapment" in his 5th grade spelling bee. Neither one of us will ever forget it. 🙂
Isn't it funny what childhood memories stick with us? Yes, we are busy learning more words-- now the test includes vocabulary and spelling too so it is a lot to learn in a short time. Next Bee is Feb 6th!
I'm sure someday your son will be begging you to make him cookies! These are so cute, and it's so fun to have little helpers!
Thanks, Karen, there are some wonderful cookies shared this month and to think of all the smiles they brought to others is the best part!
You are the most patient mom...and you keep plugging away! One day hopefully he will turn a new leaf and be open to more food items and will be kicking himself for not eating mom's cookies!
Time for coffee right? Let me know when and we can 'Parker it' OK? 🙂
Hi Barb! One day he'll have to eat something more than cereal and yogurt, right? Each year I think he'll try birthday cake but here we are approaching year 10 and no such luck. SO it goes, he is healthy (enough) and that is what is important.
Yes, let's get together soon. The next few weeks are busy but hopefully later in Feb or early March?
My daughter misspelled arthritis in the final of the spelling bee in 5th grade. Then she cried buckets and I cried with her. She for misspelling it, I for her heart break. I hope some day soon, your older one will wake up and smell a home made cookie and just gobble it. Fun idea - your cookies are.
Yes, I am with you, Ansh. It is the heartache for the child that is so difficult on the parents. Send us happy thoughts on Feb 6th because that is the date of the district event. : )
I came here to right a comment, and my kiddo saw the picture of your cookies... And she said," Mom, do u know how to make them. Can you ask her, how to make them?" So, compliments from my Kiddo...She wants exactly same cookies.
Well isn't that the ultimate compliment! Thanks! These letter cookies are really fun for kids (and moms too!).
Love the inspiration and thoughtfulness behind your letter cookies, Holly =) So glad they are still doing spelling bees...Wish I'd attended the event...What with spell check and all it's good to jog my memory about writing words correctly, right? At any rate, I'll take whatever cookies your son doesn't eat =)
Yes, Spelling Bees are still in full swing. My son will be in the district spelling bee in a few weeks so he is busy learning more words I've never heard of! I've learned a lot too which is fun.
That is impressively picky! Well I am sorry your son would not eat them but I think they look fantastic!
Well, at least one of my boys ate these...and it means I had more than my share too!
What an absolutely adorable idea!
Thanks, Becca, I loved the posts this month and am motivated to make some more cookies!
and I thought I had a picky son! These cookies are absolutely adorable! My boy is only 3, but he knows all his ABC's. I think these would be perfect for him!
Yes! These are such fun for children who delight in knowing their letters. My son squished together the letters to write "Elf of the Shelf". He wants his Elf to know that he is thinking of him even though we have nearly the full year to go before Christmas rolls around again!
What a cute cookie idea! I was in a spelling bee a few times growing up! They're super nerve wracking! I remember one time I wrote down the word correctly, but then when saying it I got my letters mixed up and was disqualified. So embarrassing. I would have loved to have these letter cookies to cheer me up! 😀
That's a great idea and such a fun thing to do with your son too!
I can’t wait to try this recipe with my kids! Can I substitute almond flour with all purpose flour?
I haven't tried this recipe with almond flour, although I'd like to do so. Let me know if you give that switch a try!