Sugar Cookies
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Sugar Cookies
These sugar cookies are soft, buttery, and hold their shape, which makes them perfect for cutting and decorating. The keys are chilling the dough so it does not spread and not overbaking so the centers stay tender. This recipe makes about two dozen cut-out cookies, plus a simple icing.
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk, for icing
Directions
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light, about 3 minutes.
- Beat in the egg and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and mix just until a dough forms.
- Divide the dough in half, flatten into disks, wrap, and chill at least 1 hour.
- Heat the oven to 350F. Roll the dough 1/4 inch thick on a floured surface and cut into shapes. Place on lined sheets.
- Bake 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are just set but not browned. Cool on the sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack.
- Whisk the powdered sugar and milk into a smooth icing and decorate the cooled cookies.
Tips and variations
- Chill the dough so the cookies keep their shape and do not spread.
- Roll the dough to an even thickness so the cookies bake at the same rate.
- Pull the cookies before the edges brown to keep them soft.
- Let the icing set fully before stacking the cookies.
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Common questions
- How do I keep sugar cookies from spreading
- Chill the dough at least an hour and bake on a cool sheet. Warm dough spreads and loses its shape.
- Can I make the dough ahead
- Yes. The disks keep in the fridge for 3 days or in the freezer for 3 months. Thaw frozen dough before rolling.
- Why are my sugar cookies hard
- Hard cookies usually mean overbaking. Pull them when the edges are set but not browned, and the centers stay soft.
- What icing works best
- A simple powdered sugar and milk icing dries smooth and is easy to color. Royal icing works for detailed designs.
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