One of the vital frequent questions I get from readers is: “Do you may have an ideal sugar cookie recipe?”

And the reply is YES! This cut-out sugar cookie recipe is the one I’ve been utilizing for 14 years. I haven’t deviated from this recipe since I began making it so a few years in the past as a result of its perfection. I’m CRAZY enthusiastic about right now! I displaying you tips on how to make sugar cookies from scratch!

Why You’ll Love This Sugar Cookies Recipe

• Simple. You don’t should be an professional cookie maker to bake up these cookies.
• Tasty. The flavour is buttery and scrumptious! The perimeters are crisp and candy, and the facilities are comfortable with a young texture.
• No Chill. The dough doesn’t should be chilled earlier than rolling and slicing out shapes.
• Excellent for Adorning. These cookies maintain crisp edges when baked. They’re excellent for all shapes of cookie cutters and adorning.

Ingredient Notes

You’ll solely want just a few substances to make these traditional sugar cookies. Right here’s a fast checklist with my notes to ensure you have all the things. (See the recipe card on the backside of this submit for particular quantities.)

• Butter. I take advantage of salted butter, however that’s a private desire. Should you choose unsalted, or that’s all you may have completely use that.
• Vanilla. I all the time advocate utilizing pure vanilla extract.
• Granulated Sugar
• Eggs
• Dry Elements: Baking Powder, All Goal Flour, and Kosher Salt. Should you don’t have kosher you should use desk salt, however I’d advocate slicing again on the quantity by half so that you don’t over-salt your cookies. Desk salt is a finer grain than kosher, so you’ll find yourself with extra.
• Powdered Sugar. The bottom of the icing.
• Water
• Gentle Corn Syrup. Sweetens the icing and provides the shiny texture.

Variation Concepts

• Strive a unique taste profile. You should utilize almond extract…or coconut, or rum, or perhaps a citrus like lemon or orange extract. All these would style nice! Begin through the use of 1/2 teaspoon and enhance the quantity to style. Almond extract is a stronger taste than vanilla and I discover you should use rather less.
• Add some mini chocolate chips. Minis will nonetheless work with cookie cutters and can bake up fantastically on this recipe.
• Combine in some nuts. Add chopped nuts like pecans, walnuts, and even pistachios. Be sure that they’re finely chopped in order that they don’t intrude together with your cookie cutters.
• Use brown sugar rather than granulated. This would possibly trigger the cookies to unfold barely greater than granulated as a result of moisture content material, however not in an enormous approach. You would possibly solely discover that is you’re utilizing an intricate cutter.

Suggestions for the Finest Sugar Cookies

• Don’t substitute margarine or butter flavored shortening. I generally even splurge on a elaborate European butter when making these sugar cookies, as a result of there’s a greater fats content material, and whereas it’s not nice to your thighs, it does assist produce a extra scrumptious, wealthy cookie!
• Use high quality substances. Once you’re making sugar cookies, you need them to style good, proper? So ensure you’re top quality butter and vanilla particularly. These are the 2 flavors that actually shine via, so use contemporary butter and good vanilla!
• Use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. You should utilize a hand mixer in the event you choose, however making these cookies and not using a mixer is troublesome since you need to cream your butter and sugar collectively for two minutes. AND there may be numerous flour in these, and the dough can get exhausting to combine by hand.
• Work with sections of dough at a time. Divide the dough into sections when rolling it out to deal with the dough much less. The extra you deal with it, the hotter it will get, and the much less the cookies will maintain their form. You possibly can refrigerate the opposite sections of dough when you work with one.
• Bake roughly the identical sized cookies. Whereas it’s enjoyable to get out all of your completely different vacation cookie cutters, attempt your finest to make use of uniformly sized shapes that approach every batch will bake evenly. Because you’re diving the dough into 3 sections this can be a smart way to make use of 3 cutters for every batch. That approach you may have selection, but additionally will guarantee even baking!
• Don’t fear about spreading. After all you don’t need to overcrowd the cookie sheet since you want air circulation, however you don’t have to depart numerous house in between the cookies, as they don’t unfold a lot!

Do You Have to Chill Sugar Cookie Dough?

Okay, let’s speak. Chilling cookie dough is annoying. I get it. SO, this reduce out sugar cookie recipe requires ZERO chilling. Are you excited? Let’s discuss what which means…

• Use chilly butter: To make the cookie dough barely chilled proper when it’s made. Simply dice the chilly butter once you combine it together with your sugar and it is going to be high quality! You combine the butter and sugar collectively for two minutes, so all the things will probably be blended. Simply be certain to scrape the perimeters of the blending bowl as vital so all the things is mixed evenly.
• Can I chill the dough if I need to? In case you are prepping your vacation baking prematurely and would like to sit back the dough so you may have issues made forward you ABSOLUTELY can. It isn’t going to harm the dough.
• What about complicated cookie shapes? Does chilling assist? What if you’re utilizing a VERY intricate cookie cutter and need to ensure you have exact edges? If I’m utilizing a really detailed cutter what I’ll do is make the dough, roll it out, reduce out my cookie and pop it within the fridge to sit back for 30 or so minutes. This isn’t vital, however in the event you’re involved, it’s a step that may’t harm.

Why Are My Reduce Out Sugar Cookies Too Darkish?

This can be a quite common concern I get from readers, whether or not it’s this sugar cookie recipe recipe or some other cookie recipe. Cookie will both get too darkish, or not darkish sufficient. After all bake time issues – overbaking and underbaking can lead to too darkish or not darkish sufficient cookies.

However the most typical wrongdoer? Utilizing the mistaken cookie sheet! Listed below are some issues to remember when selecting the very best cookie sheet to your reduce out sugar cookies:

• My favourite cookie sheet: THIS COOKIE SHEET has been my tried and true for years and years. I personal 2 and they’re my favourite. They’re thought-about a “nonstick cookie sheet” however I take advantage of parchment paper to line the pan. My cookies bake evenly with the right quantity of golden brown.
• Lighter-colored baking sheets: These are likely to make your cookies unfold a bit extra and so they don’t give a golden edge as simply, particularly with cut-out cookies.
• Darker-colored baking sheets: Darker, skinny baking sheet offers you a golden edge, and your cookies received’t unfold practically as a lot, supplying you with exact edges.
• Parchment paper or silicone mats: These assist with even baking and forestall the cookies from browning too quick.

Can I Make These Cookies Forward?

If you wish to make all of the dough and reduce out all of the shapes earlier than baking you may place the cup out dough onto your prepped baking sheets and pop these within the fridge till you’re able to bake. This can be a nice choice when you may have a busy cookie baking day across the holidays. After all having further cookie sheets helps!

How you can Retailer Sugar Cookies

Retailer your cookies in an hermetic container on the counter at room temperature. They may hold for as much as 5 days, although I believe you’ll eat all of them effectively earlier than then. Be aware that you probably have iced them ensure you give the icing time to totally set and harden earlier than you stack the cookies in a container.

Can I Freeze Sugar Cookies?

YES!! You possibly can completely freeze sugar cookies (or the dough)! Right here’s how…

• Baked sugar cookies. Permit the sugar cookies to chill fully, then switch to a freezer-safe container or ziploc bag, with parchment paper separating the layers. Be aware that you need to freeze your Christmas sugar cookies earlier than adorning.
• Sugar cookie dough. Alternatively, you may freeze the dough for later. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap then place in a ziploc bag.
• How lengthy do frozen sugar cookies final? Both the frozen dough or frozen baked cookies will probably be good for 30 days in your freezer.