Easiest and Tastiest Sugar Cookies (Works Great with Cookie Cutters)

Just thinking about sugar cookies makes my mouth water! I love them!

Over the past few years, I have searched for and tested several sugar cookie recipes. You know how that process goes. Some doughs are just too "sticky" and don't work well with cookie cutters. Some cookies turn out a little too dry and crumbly. Other cookies just don't have that classic sugar cookie taste. Sigh. It is a process finding the right recipe!

Guess what? I think I've found a true winner! This cookie dough is incredibly easy to make, works perfectly with cookie cutters, and tastes amazing! Since I'm a fan of decorated sugar cookies, the cookies taste extra amazing with a layer of cookie icing.

Oh, and stay tuned for tomorrow's post. I'm going to share some tips for quick and easy cookie decorating. Want a sneak peek?

Tutorial

Step 1: Gather all of the ingredients.

You'll need:

• 3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) of softened unsalted butter
  
  
• 1 cup of granulated sugar
  
  
• 2 eggs
  
  
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  
  
• 2.5 cups of all-purpose flour
  
  
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
  
  
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder

Step 2: Create and chill cookie dough.

• Put the 3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) of unsalted butter and the 1 cup of granulated sugar into your mixing bowl. Make sure your butter is softened a little (either leave it out on the counter for 30 minutes before creating the dough OR place the butter in the microwave for 30 seconds).
  
  
• Mix the butter and sugar together for 1 minute. Don't cheat here. Set a timer for one minute and mix away!
  
  
• Add 2 eggs to your creamed butter/sugar mixture. Mix together until combined.
  
  
• Add 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Mix again until combined.
  
  
• Add 2.5 cups of flour, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of baking powder to the bowl with the other ingredients. Mix everything together until combined. Don't over mix at this point! Just make sure your ingredients have "disappeared" into the dough.
  
  
• Using your hands, form dough into a circle shape. Place dough back into your bowl, cover the bowl, and then place the bowl in the refrigerator.
  
  
• Allow the dough to chill for at least 1 hour.

Step 3: Prepare for rolling out cookies.

• After you have waited at least 1 hour for the dough to chill, preheat the oven to 400° F.
  
  
• Make sure you have at least 2 baking pans ready and lined with parchment paper or baking mats.
  
  
• Prepare your countertop or cutting board by flouring the surface lightly.
  
  
  

Step 4: Roll out dough and create cookie shapes using cookie cutters!

• Remove bowl with dough from refrigerator. Remove about 1/3 of the dough from the dough circle and place it on your countertop/cutting board. Place the remaining dough in the bowl, cover the bowl, and return the bowl to the refrigerator.
  
  
• Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thick.
  
  
• Create cookie shapes using cookie cutters. Roll out dough again as needed. 
  
  
• Place cookies about 1-1.5 inches apart on baking pans. Once pans are filled with cookies, place them into the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes. This will help to ensure that the cookies keep their shape while baking.
  
  
• Once you have used up the first round of dough, remove dough bowl from refrigerator. Remove 1/2 of the dough from the dough circle and place it on your countertop/cutting board. Place the remaining dough in the bowl, cover the bowl, and return the bowl to the refrigerator. Repeat steps above for rolling out and cutting cookies.
  
  
• Once you have finished with the second round of dough, remove dough bowl from refrigerator. Remove remaining dough and place it on your countertop/cutting board. Repeat steps above for rolling out and cutting cookies.

Step 5: Bake cookies.

• After at least 15 minutes of chilling, remove baking pans from the refrigerator and place them in a preheated 400° F oven.
  
  
• Bake cookies for 7-8 minutes or until the cookie edges have slightly browned. Important Note: We recommend rotating pans from top/bottom racks at the 3-4 minute mark. This will ensure that both pans of cookies brown evenly.
  
  
• Remove pans from oven. Allow cookies to rest on the pans for 2-3 minutes before placing cookies on cooling rack or parchment-lined countertop.

Easiest and Tastiest Sugar Cookies (Works Great with Cookie Cutters)

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Category

Cookies

Servings

15-20 cookies (using medium-sized cookie cutters)

This cookie dough is so easy to make, works perfectly with cookie cutters, and tastes amazing! The cookies taste extra amazing with a layer of cookie or royal icing.

Author:

Cottonwood Limited

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) of softened unsalted butter

• 1 cup of granulated sugar

• 2 eggs

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 2.5 cups of all-purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon of salt

• 1 teaspoon of baking powder

Directions

1. Put the 3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) of unsalted butter and the 1 cup of granulated sugar into your mixing bowl. Make sure your butter is softened a little (either leave it out on the counter for 30 minutes before creating the dough OR place the butter in the microwave for 30 seconds).

2. Mix the butter and sugar together for 1 minute. Don't cheat here. Set a timer for one minute and mix away!

3. Add 2 eggs to your creamed butter/sugar mixture. Mix together until combined.

4. Add 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Mix again until combined.

5. Add 2.5 cups of flour, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of baking powder to the bowl with the other ingredients. Mix everything together until combined. Don't over mix at this point! Just make sure your ingredients have "disappeared" into the dough.

6. Using your hands, form dough into a circle shape. Place dough back into your bowl, cover the bowl, and then place the bowl in the refrigerator.
   

7. Allow the dough to chill for at least 1 hour.

8. After you have waited at least 1 hour for the dough to chill, preheat the oven to 400° F.
   

9. Make sure you have at least 2 baking pans ready and lined with parchment paper or baking mats.

10. Prepare your countertop or cutting board by flouring the surface lightly.

11. Remove bowl with dough from refrigerator. Remove about 1/3 of the dough from the dough circle and place it on your countertop/cutting board. Place the remaining dough in the bowl, cover the bowl, and return the bowl to the refrigerator.

12. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thick.

13. Create cookie shapes using cookie cutters.

14. Place cookies about 1-1.5 inches apart on baking pans. Once pans are filled with cookies, place them into the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes. This will help to ensure that the cookies keep their shape while baking.

15. Once you have used up the first round of dough, remove dough bowl from refrigerator. Remove 1/2 of the dough from the dough circle and place it on your countertop/cutting board. Place the remaining dough in the bowl, cover the bowl, and return the bowl to the refrigerator. Repeat steps above for rolling out and cutting cookies.

16. Once you have finished with the second round of dough, remove dough bowl from refrigerator. Remove remaining dough and place it on your countertop/cutting board. Repeat steps above for rolling out and cutting cookies.

17. After at least 15 minutes of chilling, remove baking pans from the refrigerator and place them in a preheated 400° F oven.

18. Bake cookies for 7-8 minutes or until the cookie edges have slightly browned. Important Note: We recommend rotating pans from top/bottom racks at the 3-4 minute mark. This will ensure that both pans of cookies brown evenly.

19. Remove pans from oven. Allow cookies to rest on the pans for 2-3 minutes before placing cookies on cooling rack or parchment-lined countertop.