Description
Soft Cut-Out Sugar Cookies are tender, flavorful, and perfect for decorating with royal icing or buttercream. This classic recipe features a buttery dough enriched with vanilla and optional almond extract, chilled for the perfect texture before baking into delightful cookies.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 and 1/4 cups (281g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), plus more as needed for rolling and work surface
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional, but makes the flavor outstanding)
For Decorating
- Royal Icing, Easy Glaze Icing, or Cookie Buttercream
- Assorted sprinkles
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar. In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until light and creamy, about 3 minutes.
- Add Egg and Extracts. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract (if using), then beat on high speed until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until combined. The dough should be soft; if too sticky, beat in 1 more tablespoon of flour.
- Divide and Roll Dough. Divide the dough in half. Place each portion on lightly floured parchment paper or silicone mats. Roll each to 1/4-inch thickness using a lightly floured rolling pin, adjusting flour as needed to prevent sticking.
- Chill Dough. Lightly dust one rolled portion with flour, place the other rolled portion on top, cover tightly, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Cut Shapes. Remove dough from refrigerator carefully, separate layers, and use cookie cutters to cut shapes. Reroll scraps as needed. Place cookies 3 inches apart on baking sheets.
- Bake Cookies. Bake for 12 minutes or until edges are very lightly browned and set. Rotate sheets halfway if necessary. Cool on baking sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
- Decorate. Once cooled, decorate with royal icing, easy glaze, or buttercream. Use gel food coloring for tinting. Decorate on a baking sheet to speed icing setting in refrigerator if desired.
- Store. Store plain or iced cookies covered at room temperature for up to 5 days, refrigerated up to 10 days, or freeze for longer storage. Buttercream decorated cookies store fewer days as specified.
Notes
- Freezing: Plain or decorated cookies freeze well up to 3 months after icing is set. Freeze dough before rolling for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in refrigerator, then bring to room temperature before rolling and chilling.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Using room-temperature butter and egg is essential for proper dough consistency.
- Flavor Variations: Substitute almond extract with maple, coconut, lemon, or peppermint extracts or add spices like cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice for different flavors.
- Icing Options: Choose from royal icing, easy cookie icing, or buttercream depending on decoration preference.
- Recipe Doubling: The recipe can be doubled; divide dough into 3 or 4 portions for easier handling and chilling.
- Recommended Tools: Electric mixer, rolling pin, silicone mats or parchment, cookie cutters, piping tools, and gel food coloring.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 150 kcal
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 80 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 25 mg
