These simple sugar cookies have crisp edges and tender middles. Reduce out into shapes and adorned with icing, they seem to be a scrumptious deal with for any event.
Meet my greatest sugar cookie recipe! It’s an up to date model of 1 I shared just a few years in the past, with streamlined steps, easy components, and completely scrumptious outcomes.
These reduce out sugar cookies have crisp edges, tender middles, and a heat, buttery taste. Embellished with icing, candies, and/or sprinkles, they’re a festive deal with for Christmas, Valentine’s Day, or any event.
Heads up that this recipe requires chilling the dough, so plan to combine it up at the very least 2 hours earlier than you roll out and bake the cookies. For those who’d prefer to house out the steps of this recipe much more, you may freeze the cookies after baking. That manner, they’ll keep recent till everytime you’re prepared to brighten. Let’s bake!
Sugar Cookies Elements
Right here’s what you’ll have to make this simple sugar cookie recipe:
- All-purpose flour – Spoon and stage it to keep away from packing an excessive amount of into your measuring cup.
- Baking powder – It helps the cookies rise.
- Unsalted butter – You’ll want softened butter for this recipe. To melt it, let it sit at room temp for an hour earlier than making the dough.
- Granulated sugar – For sweetness.
- An egg – It binds the cookie dough collectively and offers the cookies a tender texture.
- Vanilla extract and almond extract – For heat depth of taste. For those who don’t have almond extract readily available, be at liberty to switch it with an additional splash of vanilla.
- And sea salt – To make all of the flavors pop!
Discover the whole recipe with measurements under.
Find out how to Make Reduce Out Sugar Cookies
You will discover the whole sugar cookie recipe with measurements on the backside of this submit. For now, right here’s a step-by-step overview of the way it goes:
Begin by making the cookie dough. Whisk collectively the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Within the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream collectively the butter and sugar. Beat within the egg, adopted by the vanilla and almond extracts.
Regularly add the dry components, mixing on low pace till a tender cookie dough kinds.
- Tip: For those who don’t have a stand mixer, make the dough with an electrical hand mixer!
Subsequent, chill the dough. Divide it in half, and type every half right into a 1-inch-thick disk. Wrap every tightly in plastic wrap and chill for at the very least 2 hours and as much as 2 days. Don’t skip this step! Chilling the sugar cookie dough helps the reduce outs maintain their form.
After the dough chills, roll it out. Place one disk on a flippantly floured floor, and use a rolling pin to roll it out till it’s 1/4-inch thick.
- Tip: If the dough is simply too agency to roll out straight away, let it sit at room temperature for five to 10 minutes to melt.
Use cookie cutters to chop out your required shapes. Re-roll the scraps as vital, and repeat with the remaining disk of dough.
Bake the cookies in a 350°F oven till the perimeters are simply starting to show golden brown, sometimes 9 to 11 minutes. The cookies will nonetheless appear underdone within the center, however they may arrange as they cool.
Permit them to chill on the baking sheet for two minutes earlier than transferring to a wire rack to chill fully.
Recipe Ideas
- Use parchment paper. It makes cleanup simple and helps the cookies bake evenly. I discover that once I bake cookies immediately on a baking sheet, they change into too darkish beneath.
- Bake one sheet at time. Temperatures can range all through an oven. For probably the most even bake, I like to recommend baking one sheet of cookies at a time on a rack within the heart of the oven. You don’t need cookies on a low oven rack to burn earlier than ones on the highest rack are prepared!
- The bake time could range. It can depend upon the scale of your cut-outs. I discover that 9 to 11 minutes is an efficient vary for many sugar cookies, however when you’ve got very small cookie cutters, begin checking the cookies at 7 minutes. For those who’re making giant sugar cookies, they could have to bake for 12 or extra.
Find out how to Beautify Sugar Cookies
My favourite a part of making this sugar cookie recipe is adorning the cookies! Listed below are the 2 sugar cookie icings I like to make use of:
- Royal icing (pictured) – Made with meringue powder, this sort of icing units up with a agency texture, which makes it nice for piping positive strains and flooding/filling in shapes. I’m sharing the recipe I take advantage of within the recipe notes under.
- An excellent easy sugar cookie icing – After I’m not planning to make intricate designs, I make an excellent easy sugar cookie icing with milk (any variety) and powdered sugar. I begin with 1 tablespoon milk and three/4 cup powdered sugar and add extra of every as wanted to create a thick drizzleable consistency. This icing takes longer to harden. Retailer cookies in a single layer till it units up.
Be at liberty so as to add meals coloring to both icing to make your required colours. After including icing, high off the cookies with candies, sprinkles, or coloured sugar to make them look extra-festive.
Find out how to Retailer Sugar Cookies
Retailer iced sugar cookies in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 4 days. Unfrosted cookies maintain properly at room temperature.
Are you able to freeze sugar cookies?
Sure! These sugar cookies freeze properly. Seal them in an hermetic container or freezer bag and freeze for as much as 3 months. You possibly can freeze them earlier than or after adorning.
Extra Straightforward Cookie Recipes
For those who love these tender sugar cookies, attempt considered one of these simple cookie recipes subsequent:
Straightforward Reduce-Out Sugar Cookies
Serves 30
This simple sugar cookie recipe is an ideal deal with for Christmas, Valentine’s Day, or any festive event. The cookies have crisp edges, tender middles, and a scrumptious buttery taste. Have enjoyable chopping them out into your required shapes and adorning them with icing!
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In a medium bowl, whisk collectively the flour, baking powder, and salt.
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Within the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or utilizing an electrical mixer, cream the butter and sugar till mild and fluffy. Add the egg and blend to mix, then combine within the vanilla and almond extracts.
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Regularly add the dry components, mixing on low pace till mixed. The dough shall be tender.
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Divide the dough in half. Type every half right into a ball, then flatten right into a 1-inch-thick disk. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at the very least 2 hours and as much as 2 days.
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Preheat the oven to 350°F and line two giant baking sheets with parchment paper.
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Roll out the dough on a flippantly floured floor till about ¼-inch thick. If the dough is simply too agency to roll straight away, let it sit at room temperature for a couple of minutes to melt. Use cookie cutters to chop out desired shapes, then switch the cut-outs to the ready baking sheets, re-rolling the scraps as vital.
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Bake, one sheet at a time, for 9 to 11 minutes, or till the perimeters of the cookies are simply starting to show golden brown. The cookies will appear underdone within the center, however they may arrange as they cool. The precise timing will depend upon the scale of your cookie cutters.
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Let cool on the baking sheets for two minutes earlier than transferring to a wire rack to chill fully. As soon as cool, embellish with royal icing or as desired.
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Makes about 30 cookies. Precise yield will range based mostly on the scale of your cookie cutters.