Considering that I’m currently in my cookie era, you can imagine my surprise (and delight) when I found a recipe by the Queen of Christmas herself, Mariah Carey. As soon as I saw the recipe for her Famous Christmas Sugar Cookies I knew it had to be the next recipe on my must-bake list. And the best part is I already had most of the ingredients at home.

Mariah Carey’s Famous Christmas Sugar Cookies Dough

Courtesy of Choya Johnson

Ingredients for Mariah Carey’s Famous Christmas Sugar Cookies

For this recipe, you’ll need butter, sugar, eggs, milk, lemon zest, vanilla extract, flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda.

How to Make Mariah Carey’s Famous Christmas Sugar Cookies

Start by adding butter and sugar into a mixing bowl. Blend well until light and fluffy. Once done, add in your egg, milk, lemon zest and vanilla extract and mix those ingredients until smooth. Next, add in your baking soda, salt and baking powder, blending slowly before adding in your flour. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about an hour.

Mariah Carey’s Famous Christmas Sugar Cookies Cutout

Courtesy of Choya Johnson

When the dough is chilled, roll it out thinly (about 1/8-inch) on a floured surface. Cut out the dough with cookie cutters and arrange the cookies about two inches apart on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° until golden brown, about 10 to 12 minutes. Cool the cookies, then decorate with your favorite icing or sprinkles—or both.

Related: This Simple Christmas Cookie Is Pulled Right Out of a Hallmark Movie (For Real)

What I Thought of Mariah Carey’s Famous Christmas Sugar Cookies

Over the last few months, I have tried many other cookies and some were a hit while others were a miss. With this recipe in particular, however, I would have to say it was a hit. I truly enjoyed making Mariah Carey’s Famous Christmas Sugar Cookies!

From the texture to the taste of these cookies, these were nearly perfect. And while they are labeled as sugar cookies, I love the fact that they aren’t too sweet, leaving room for you to build your desired level of sweetness with the toppings. So, would I make these cookies for Santa this year? Of course! And I owe MC a huge thank you for my newest sugar cookie recipe for this year’s cookie swap!

Mariah Carey’s Famous Christmas Sugar Cookies

Courtesy of Choya Johnson

Tips for Making Mariah Carey’s Famous Christmas Sugar Cookies

1. Let the cookie dough rest. Though you may want to jump right into making these cookies, it’s important that you let the dough rest before rolling it out and baking. This will help make it easier to roll out the dough and prevent the cookie cutters from sticking. Chilling the dough will also help the cookies keep their shape.

2. Use an electric mixture. Of course you can mix everything by hand, but why wouldn’t you want to make things easier? Using a hand or stand mixer will ensure that you have evenly mixed dough and take the stress out of the process.