Description
These Perfect Cut Out Sugar Cookies are soft, sweet, and irresistibly delicious. Made with a tender buttery dough enhanced by vanilla and almond extracts, they hold their shape beautifully for decorating. With a smooth, pliable texture and a classic buttery flavor, they’re perfect for any occasion and customizable with your favorite icing or decorations.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (sifted)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
Icing
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tbsp milk (amount as needed)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) to ensure it reaches the right temperature when your cookies are ready to bake.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a bowl, whisk together the sifted all-purpose flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda until evenly combined to create a uniform base for the dough.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, beat the room temperature unsalted butter with granulated sugar until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes, which adds air for a tender texture.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Incorporate the large egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract into the butter-sugar mixture, blending until fully combined to infuse flavor and moisture.
- Combine Dry and Wet: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing just until a soft dough forms that is smooth and pliable but not overworked.
- Roll Dough: Divide the dough in half and roll each portion onto parchment paper to about ¼ inch thickness, dusting lightly with flour to prevent sticking.
- Chill Dough: Wrap the rolled dough tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours. This step is crucial for helping the cookies retain their shape during baking.
- Cut Shapes: Once chilled, use cookie cutters to cut out your desired shapes. Place the cutouts on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spaced evenly for baking.
- Bake: Bake the cookies in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are just lightly golden brown, indicating they are perfectly baked through.
- Cool and Decorate: Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely before decorating with icing or other toppings as desired.
Notes
- Chilling the dough for at least 2 hours is essential to prevent spreading and maintain cookie shape during baking.
- Use parchment paper when rolling and baking to prevent sticking and facilitate easy cleanup.
- For a softer icing, adjust milk quantity gradually, adding more as needed to reach desired consistency.
- These cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- To keep cookies fresh longer, freeze baked and decorated cookies in a sealed container for up to 3 months.
