Sugar Cookies: Grandma's tested and true recipe will become your go-to recipe for soft and tender cut out sugar cookies you can decorate with icing.
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Everybody need a good cut-out sugar cookies recipe in their recipe box. You need that reliable recipe that you've made a million times, and always turns out great. This is mine. It was my Grandma's go-to sugar recipe and between her, my mom, and I, I think we've made it hundreds of times over the years.
It's day three of Christmas Cookie Week, and today I'm sharing my recipe for Sugar Cookies.
Grandma's Recipe
This is not actually my recipe for sugar cookies. It's my Grandma's recipe. These were a favourite of hers, then a favourite of my mom's and now they're a favourite of mine. I have lots of memories of having these on special occasions, and always at Christmas. They're a really delicious Sugar Cookie that's buttery, and soft in the middle. And they're made from simple ingredients you probably have on hand. I really love them. This classic sugar recipe really is perfect for making decorated cookies for any occasion. Use your favorite cookie cutters to make cut-out cookies for the holiday season, Easter, Halloween, 4th of July, Fall or to make any theme for a party.
Tips For Making The Best Sugar Cookies
- Don't use too much flour on your work surface when you're rolling them out. It can make for a crumbly dough when you re-roll the scraps and tough cookies.
- Do chill the dough before rolling out.
- Do freeze half the cookie dough if you don't need a big batch of cookies.
- Do use soft room temperature butter for this recipe. It's easier to cream than hard butter.
- Do measure your cups of flour carefully. Don't press the flour into the measuring cup, and do use the back of a knife to level it off.
- Do use real vanilla extract and not artificial vanilla, you really taste the difference.
- Do make these ahead of time and freeze them fully iced for a big party or celebration so that you're not trying to bake them and ice them at the last minute.
- Do not overwork your dough. Especially if you're using a stand mixer, stop mixing as soon as the dough comes together for a more tender cookie.
- Do use your favorite icing, royal icing, or coarse sugar to decorate these cookies.
- Do use these cookies for a cookie decorating station at a party. It's such a hit with kids -and kids at heart.
White Sugar and Icing Sugar
These sugar cookies have both white sugar and icing sugar in them. They both add sweetness to the cookies, the different sugars also have different properties. The white sugar when creamed together with the butter creates millions of tiny air pockets that make any cookie dough light and fluffy, and bake to a crisper cookie. Powdered sugar does not incorporate as much air and results in a cookie that is denser, ultra tender, crumblier and melt in your mouth. The combination of using both white sugar and powdered sugar in this sugar cookie recipe makes the perfect sugar cookies, that are soft and chewy, with a crispness around the edges.
How To Make Sugar Cookies That Hold Their Shape
- Chill the dough before rolling it out.
The key to sugar cookie dough holding its shape well is chilling it. We suggest chilling this dough for at least 30 minutes after making it in the refrigerator before rolling it out. Chilling the dough helps it keep its shape while it bakes.
- Chill the cutout cookies before baking them.
You can also give the cut out cookie dough pieces a second chilling, to help the dough keep its shape even better. After cutting out your pieces place them on a cookie sheet and put the entire cookie sheet into the refrigerator to chill for 20 minutes before baking them in the oven.
- Don't bake your cookies on a hot cookie sheet.
Always bake your cookies on a cool cookie sheet to start, not a hot one.
Soft Cookies Vs. Crispy Cookies
It's not just the recipe that determines if a cookie is hard or soft. For soft sugar cookies, roll your dough out thicker. up to about a ¼ inch thick. These thicker cookies will take longer to bake, and stay softer in the middle than thinner cookies. Also for softer cookies reduce your bake time. As soon as the cookies are set, and before they start to turn golden brown remove them from the oven and place them on a wire rack to cool.
If you like your crispy sugar cookies, make sure the cookie dough is quite thin. Make your rolled-out dough about ⅛ inch thick. And allow the cookies to bake until they are golden brown. This will result in a more crisp sugar cookie, with crisp edges.
Storing Your Sugar Cookies
Store your sugar cookies in a airtight container at room temperature for up to 2-3 weeks. If the cookies are iced, place sheets of wax paper or parchment paper between eash single layer in the container. You can also freeze baked and iced sugar cookies stored in the same way for 2 -3 months. You can also store uniced baked cookies in the freezer, to decorate at a later time. This is great if you're preparing cookies for a decorating party ahead of time.
You can store unbaked sugar cookie dough in the fridge for 2-3 days. Just make sure it is wrapped tightly with plastic wrap, and inside of an airtight container or ziplock bag to keep it from drying out. You can also freeze cookie dough, wrapped the same way for 2-3 months in the freezer. To use it fully thaw in the fridge overnight.
These cookies are rolled and cut out, so they're perfect for using seasonal cookie cutters. We especially love making them into Christmas sugar cookies. They look great on a cookie tray during Christmas time.
They're also really great for a cookie decorating party with kids. Bake your cutout sugar cookies ahead of time and then set up a table with paper plate of cookies for each child, and different colors of icing made with food coloring, and sprinkles in the middle for everyone. A Squeeze bottle works really well to hold icing for younger kids, since the icing can't squeeze out the back like sometimes happens with piping bag. If you are using piping bags, add a clip the end to help prevent this problem.
We kept ours really simple with star shapes, and a thin vanilla icing. Feel free to get as fancy and extravagant as you like in terms of decorating these. This sugar cookie recipe is a perfect base for a simple cookie like ours, or a fancy detailed one with royal icing. You can also just sprinkle them with coarse colored sugar before baking for an easy option.
We used a whole bunch of different sprinkles, stars, sanding sugar, and nonpareils in whites, gold, and silver. It certainly adds a fun festive feel.
Gift Giving
These cookies are really perfect for gift giving. Use them as part of a cookie tray/box during the holidays. They look amazing with other cookies and are a great way to add some color to a cookie collection. Or wrap them up in a bakery box on their own. Who won't love to receive a box of homemade classic sugar cookies during the holidays? And these ones aren't just beautiful, they taste amazing also.
I also love them as a party favor. Find a cookie cutter that matches your party theme. Make sure it's a little on the large size. Make your cookies to match your party and package them up inside clear cellophane bags, tied with ribbon. They will look amazing, fit your party theme perfectly, and be such a tasty treat for your guests after the party. You can even make them ahead of time and freeze them so that you're not scrambling at the last minute. Don't be surprised if your guests ask you for the recipe afterwards.
This is my go-to recipe for Sugar Cookies, and I'm sure they'll become yours as well.
Recipe
Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 3 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine butter and both sugars. Combine until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs and vanilla, and mix until fully combined.
Add the dry ingredients of flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix until dough comes together, but don't over mix. - From the dough into a disk and wrap tightly with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 30 min. or more.
- Roll-out dough on a floured surface to about ⅛ inch thick and cut into shapes. At this point you can decorate the cookies with coarse colored sugar, or leave them plain to decorate with icing after baking. Bake cookies on a baking sheet at 350F for 8-10 minutes, until the cookies are slightly puffed and the very edges are just beginning to turn light golden brown. Cool the cookies on a wire rack.
Nutrition
With homemade Sugar Cookies for Christmas, life really is a party!
More Great Cookie Recipe Inspiration
Be sure to check out our Brown Sugar Caramel Thumbprint cookies here.
And try our Toblerone Shortbread Browned Flour Cookies if you missed it here.
You might also enjoy our Raspberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies here.
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