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Yep. It’s the world’s best sugar cookie recipe because you can work with the dough – there’s no frustration. Cut out cookies that hold their shape – they roll out beautifully.
The Only Sugar Cookie Recipe You’ll Ever Want!
The Only Sugar Cookie Recipe You’ll Ever Want!I think this is the perfect sugar cookie recipe. Talk about is a game-changer for me!! I have ALWAYS wanted to find a recipe for rolled cutout sugar cookies that I can trust, and I’ve finally found it.
In the past when I’ve tried to make rolled sugar cookies, I’ve had trouble with getting the dough to cooperate. It was either difficult to roll out or the cut-outs didn’t want to lift up off of my work space to be placed onto the baking sheets. Sooooo frustrating!
I am so thankful to have found this classic sugar cookie recipe since my family adores frosted sugar cookies. I’m no longer afraid to make them!
Sugar Cookie Cutouts
This recipe came from Kate Banks, co-owner of Vain Foods, Kansas City, KS. It makes a nice, sturdy cookie dough that won’t fall apart when you roll it out, yet the texture of the cookies is still tender, yet a bit chewy. Be sure to read the tips below to really master this foolproof recipe!
Royal Icing is a Royal Treat!
Since I’ve never worked with royal icing before, I was really pleased to learn how EASY it is to make and work with…even when you are squeezing it from the corner of a plastic bag to decorate with.
Royal icing sets up quickly on the cookies which is helpful when placing the frosted cooked into a container for storage. This prevents your masterpieces from sticking together.
How to Make Christmas Cookies
In a large mixing bowl, combine the ingredients to make the dough.
Form the dough into two discs and wrap into plastic wrap; chill 2 hours.
Sprinkle your work surface liberally with powdered sugar; place one of the discs onto the powdered sugar, rolling the dough out into a 1/4-inch thickness.
Use cookie cutters dipped in powdered sugar to make the cookie cutouts, placing them onto prepared baking sheets. Bake until golden brown; cool.
Prepare the royal icing and frost the cookies once they have cooled.
What can I do to make sure my sugar cookies cooperate when I’m rolling out the dough?
When rolling out the dough in this recipe, make sure the dough will easily move around on your surface when you test it. This tells you that the dough isn’t adhered to your work surface and your cookies can easily be lifted to a baking sheet.
Use powdered sugar for rolling out the dough instead of flour; this ensures the cookies will have a more tender texture. (BRILLIANT!!)
If dough gets too warm and won’t cooperate as you’re rolling it out and trying to lift the cutouts to a baking sheet, cool the dough by placing a chilled cookie sheet on top for a few minutes. This will harden the butter up a bit in the dough, making it easier to work with again.
Should my cookie dough be chilled?
After removing the dough from refrigeration, use your rolling pin to test dough; if it easily rolls out, continue. If dough resists, this means it’s too cold and simply needs to rest a bit at room temperature. Wait a few minutes, then try rolling the dough out again.
How thick should my cookie dough be when I roll it out?
To make the most of your dough, roll it out to ¼” thickness then place all your cookie cutters on top. Working them in as close as possible to each other, optimize the number of cookies you can get from the dough, then press them down, all at once to gain your cutouts.
Should I use parchment paper when making rolled sugar cookies?
I like to use parchment paper when baking cookies since this makes for really easy clean up. Parchment paper can be reused, too. And, if you happen to bake your cookies a bit too long, you can grab the edge of the parchment and pull the entire sheet of cookies off at one time, pulling them right over to the cooling rack. (This stops the baking process.)
Because this dough holds its shape really well when baking, the cookies won’t spread out much on the baking sheet, so they can be placed fairly close together on the baking sheet as you cut them out.
Have several baking sheets available as you bake these sugar cookies, rotating them so that you are placing your dough cutouts onto cool baking sheets each time
Other Sweet Treats to Enjoy –
- Easy Baked Cinnamon-Sugar Donuts
- Andes Mint Chocolate Swirl Cookies
- Butterscotch Cowboy Cookies
- Mom’s Russian Tea Cakes
- Peanut Butter Polka Dot Bars
- Granny Grandma’s Old Fashioned Cookies
- Cinnamon Sugar Bear Paws
The Best Sugar Cookie Recipe
I FINALLY found a sugar cookie recipe I can depend on!!! The only sugar cookie recipe you will ever need. These are easy, delicious, and come with all the tips to make them right every time. This sugar cookie recipe is a game-changer for me!! I have ALWAYS wanted to find a recipe for rolled cutouts that I could trust, and this is it.
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes minutes
Servings: 24 cookies
Author: Chef Alli
Ingredients
Sugar Cookies
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 Tbs. milk
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract, I love VAIN Original Baker's Blend vanilla extract. made in Kansas
- Powdered sugar, for rolling out the dough
Royal Icing
- 3 ounces pasteurized egg whites, approx. 3 egg whites when separated from the yolks
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 4 cups confectioners' sugar (powdered sugar)
Instructions
Make the Sugar Cookies
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. Place the butter and sugar into a large bowl of a electric stand mixer, beating until the mixture is light in color. Add the egg, vanilla and milk, continuing to beat until combined.
Turn the mixer to low speed, gradually adding the flour; beat until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Remove the dough from the bowl, dividing it in half, creating a flat disc with each half; wrap in waxed paper and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Sprinkle the work surface with powdered sugar where you will be rolling out the dough. Removing one wrapped dough disc from the refrigerator at a time, sprinkle your rolling pin with powdered sugar, then roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness.
As you roll out the dough, make sure there is plenty of powdered sugar beneath it so that the dough doesn't stick to the counter surface; this can make lifting the cookies from the counter to the baking sheet a lot more difficult. If the dough that you've rolled out has warmed and seems rather difficult to work with at this point, place a cold cookie sheet on top of the dough for 10 minutes to chill it.
Using cookie cutters cut the rolled dough into the desired shapes, placing them 1-inch apart onto a greased parchment-lined baking sheet; bake for 7 to 9 minutes, just until the cookies are beginning to brown around the edges, rotating the cookie sheet halfway through the baking time.
Let the cookies rest on the baking sheet for 2 minutes after removal from oven, then move the cookies to a cooling rack. Cookies may be served as is, or iced with Royal Icing (recipe below), as desired. Store the cookies in airtight container for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Dough will freeze well also.
Make the Royal Icing
In a large bowl of an electric stand mixer, combine the egg whites and vanilla, beating until frothy. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar, mixing on low speed until the sugar is incorporated and frosting is shiny. Turn the mixer speed up to high, beating the frosting until stiff, glossy peaks form; this should take approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Add food coloring, if desired.
For immediate use, transfer the icing to a pastry bag, piping the icing onto the cooled and baked cookies as desired. Store the icing in airtight container in refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
- When rolling out the dough in this recipe, make sure the dough will easily move around on your surface when you test it. This tells you that the dough isn’t adhered to your work surface and your cookies can easily be lifted to a baking sheet.
- After removing the dough from refrigeration, use your rolling pin to test dough; if it easily rolls out, continue. If dough resists, this means it’s too cold and simply needs to rest a bit at room temperature. Wait a few minutes, then try rolling the dough out again.
- Usepowdered sugarfor rolling out the dough instead of flour; this ensures the cookies will have a more tender texture. (BRILLIANT!!)
- If dough gets too warm and won’t cooperate as you’re rolling it out and trying to lift the cutouts to a baking sheet, cool the dough by placing a chilled cookie sheet on top for a few minutes. This will harden the butter up a bit in the dough, making it easier to work with again.
- To make the most of your dough, roll it out to ¼” thickness then place all your cookie cutters on top. Working them in as close as possible to each other, optimize the number of cookies you can get from the dough, then press them down, all at once to gain your cutouts.
- I like to use parchment paper when baking cookies since this makes for really easy clean up. Parchment paper can be reused, too. And, if you happen to bake your cookies a bit too long, you can grab the edge of the parchment and pull the entire sheet of cookies off at one time, pulling them right over to the cooling rack. (This stops the baking process.)
- Because this dough holds its shape really well when baking, the cookies won’t spread out much on the baking sheet, so they can be placed fairly close together on the baking sheet as you cut them out.
- Have several baking sheets available as you bake these sugar cookies, rotating them so that you are placing your dough cutouts onto cool baking sheets each time.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: holidays, sugar cookies
Did you make this recipe?
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Let’s Get You Cookin’,
Chef Alli
**These recipes were featured on Chef Alli’s Farm Fresh Kitchen with From the Land of Kansas, as part of WIBW 13 News This Morning, November 2017. To order your favorite From the Land of Kansas products and ingredients, visit the From the Land of Kansas Marketplace!
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