Basic Sugar Cookie Recipe

After making my very first batch of sugar cookies earlier this summer, I've rolled, cut, baked, and decorated about 350 sugar cookies.  Wow- that's a lot of cookies!  I still feel like a rookie when it comes to decorating sugar cookies, but I feel like I could bake them in my sleep. I've learned that, like many things, cookie making is all a matter of practice. 

  

Here is the recipe that has worked for me these past few months.  It's simple, freezes well, and can be easily doubled for larger batches of cookies.  If you don't like almond extract or if you are worried about nut allergies, you can omit the almond extract and increase the vanilla extract to 2 teaspoons.  I wouldn't recommend using an oil-based extract (such as lemon), as the added oil will change the consistency of the dough.  Alcohol-based extracts will work fine.  

(click here for printable recipe) 

Basic Sugar Cookies
(very closely based on this recipe from Annie's Eats, which Annie received from a family friend)

Cook Time: 10-12 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours

Ingredients

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp. almond extract
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 1/2 cups flour

 Instructions

1. With a hand mixer, cream butter and sugars on low speed.  Add in egg, extracts and salt, and mix until well incorporated.

2. Still using hand mixer, incorporate flour into wet ingredients.  I typically add the flour in three separate portions.  
3. Shape dough into flat disks and wrap tightly with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate until firm (1-2 hours).
4. When firm, roll dough to 1/4" thickness and cut into desired shapes. 
5. Bake at 350 degree for 10-12 minutes on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Cookies should just start to brown at the edges.  Allow to cool on cookie sheet just until set, and then transfer to cooling racks.  Decorate as desired -- or enjoy them plain!

Yield: Will vary depending on size and shape of cookie.  When I use a 3-inch cookie cutter,  I typically get 18-24 cookies, depending on how many times I re-roll the scraps. 

Tips for Rolling Cookie Dough

It can be challenging to roll and cut cookies that have a consistent thickness, do not stick to the rolling surface, and hold their shape when transferred to a cookie sheet.  Here are a few tips I've picked up along the way.

Roll your cookie dough on a piece of parchment paper covered with plenty of flour. This will prevent the cookie dough from sticking to your counter or tabletop.  I use one large piece of parchment paper to roll all the cookies, and then transfer the cookies to a parchment-lined cookie sheet for baking. 

Make sure your rolling pin is liberally coated with flour, as well.  

If your cookies are thinner than 1/4", there is a greater chance they will become misshapen when transferred to the baking sheet.  

At regular room temperature, I can typically roll and cut one round of cookies before the dough starts to soften.  The scrap dough from that first round of cookies is usually too warm to re-roll immediately, so I return the cookie dough scraps to the refrigerator for 5-10 minutes first.  

Tips for Baking Sugar Cookies

If cookies are thinner than 1/4", or if they have pointed edges (like star shapes, for instance), you may need to remove them from the oven sooner than the recipe specifies to avoid burnt edges.

If cookies are spreading too much while baking, try refrigerating the cookies between cutting and baking.  Space permitting, I usually pop the cookie sheets into the fridge for a few minutes between steps four and five on the recipe.  

Tips for Rolling Cookie Dough in a Kitchen That is Hotter Than Hades

In the summer, our kitchen is routinely 80-86 degrees even when our window-unit AC is running.  Those temperatures make for some challenging and frustrating cookie-rolling conditions.  I change my approach a bit when the kitchen reaches the mid-80s in temperature.  The important thing is to keep the butter from softening to the point that the dough loses its shape. 

Roll out cookie dough on a sheet of floured parchment, as directed.  Then, place parchment on a cookie sheet, and freeze for 2-3 minutes.  After 2-3 minutes, remove from freezer.  Cut cookie dough into shapes, and put directly into preheated oven.  Combine scrap dough, and repeat steps (freeze, cut, bake) using another cookie sheet.  This method also works well when using cookie cutters that are very small or very intricate. 

(click here for printable recipe)

Thanks for reading, folks!  In the near future, I'll be posting the royal icing recipe that works best for me.