Description
This classic Cut Out Sugar Cookie recipe yields perfectly soft and buttery cookies ideal for decorating and sharing during holidays or any special occasion. The dough is chilled to prevent spreading, rolled out, and cut into charming shapes before baking to golden edges, resulting in a tender bite that pairs beautifully with royal icing or buttercream decorations.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
Wet Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Optional for Decorating
- Royal icing or buttercream
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined to ensure consistent texture in the cookies.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together using an electric mixer until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes, to incorporate air and give the cookies a tender crumb.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Mix in the egg, milk, and vanilla extract until fully combined, creating a smooth and homogenous dough base.
- Combine Dry and Wet Mixtures: Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing just until the dough comes together. Avoid overmixing to keep the cookies tender.
- Chill the Dough: Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a disc. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour. This step prevents the cookies from spreading too much during baking.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and promote even baking.
- Roll and Cut Dough: On a lightly floured surface, roll out one dough disc to about 1/4-inch thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut into desired shapes and place the cookies about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake the Cookies: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the edges just start to turn golden brown, indicating they are cooked but still tender inside.
- Cool the Cookies: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to firm up, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.
- Decorate: Once fully cooled, decorate the cookies using royal icing or buttercream as desired to create festive and beautiful designs.
Notes
- Chilling the dough thoroughly helps prevent the cookies from spreading during baking and improves texture.
- You can freeze unbaked cut-outs by placing them on a baking sheet and then transferring them to a freezer bag after firm. They can also freeze baked cookies for later enjoyment.
- Adding a splash of almond extract enhances the flavor with a subtle nutty note if desired.
