This is the best cut out sugar cookies recipe because they make the perfect blank canvas for your creative designs. You can decorate them to match any season or celebration during the year. Try them with a simple cookie glaze or spread your favorite frosting over them and top with sprinkles for a special treat your family will love.
PREP TIME 30 minutesminutes
COOK TIME 5 minutesminutes
TOTAL TIME 35 minutesminutes
YIELD 36cookies using a medium-sized cutter
Ingredients
1cup(2 sticks) salted buttersoftened
1cupsugar
1large egg
1tspvanilla extract
1/2tspalmond extract
3cupsall-purpose flourplus more for dusting
2tspbaking powder
1/2tspsalt
Instructions
Make the Sugar Cookie Dough
In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter and sugar and beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
Crack the egg into a small bowl to check for shells. Add the egg and extracts to the butter mixture and beat to combine.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt and whisk them together. Add the flour mixture to the butter and beat on medium-low speed until the dough comes together.
If the dough is too thick for your mixer to work, scrape everything off the beaters onto a floured work surface. Rub some flour on your clean hands and knead the dough into one solid portion.
Chill the Dough
Pat the dough into a flat disk and cover it with plastic wrap. Chill it in the fridge for 15 minutes before rolling.
Bake the Cookies
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Set out two cookie pans and line them with parchment paper; set aside.
Use a rolling pin to roll out the cookie dough so that it is evenly 1/4 inch thick. You may find it easiest to work with smaller portions of dough. I like to cut my dough in half and work with just part of it at a time.
Dip your cookie cutters in flour and cut out your shapes. Knead the remaining dough scraps back into a disk and repeat the rolling and cutting until you've made as many cookies as you can. Place the cookies on the baking pans with a little bit of space between them so you don't overcrowd your pan.
Bake the cookies for 6 to 8 minutes. The cookies should not brown around the edges. Remove from the oven and let the cookies cool on the pans for 3 to 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Once cool, frost the cookies with cookie glaze, your favorite frosting, or a batch of royal icing.
Recipe Notes
The yield will change depending on the size of the cookie cutter you use.