Indulge in the delightful world of sugar cookies, where crisp edges meet soft and chewy centers. These timeless treats, often associated with the holiday season, are a versatile canvas for creativity, allowing you to explore various flavors, shapes, and decorations. From classic vanilla sugar cookies to unique variations like maple brown sugar and chocolate chip cookies, this article presents a collection of the best sugar cookie recipes that cater to every taste and occasion. Whether you're a seasoned baker or just starting, these recipes offer clear instructions and helpful tips to guide you through the process of creating perfect sugar cookies. Embrace the joy of baking and let your imagination soar as you embark on a sugary adventure.
Here are our top 7 tried and tested recipes!
THE BEST SUGAR COOKIE RECIPE
We have The Best Sugar Cookie Recipe ever and we can't wait to share it so that everyone can have super yummy homemade sugar cookies that always keep their shape.
Provided by Two Sisters Crafting
Categories Cookies
Time 18m
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Add the 4 sticks (2 cups) of butter and 2 cups of white sugar to your mixer. A word about the butter, we use Sweet Cream Salted Butter when we are baking and I think it tastes great with these sugar cookies too. The butter needs to be softened but still cold. A prime culprit for dry sugar cookie dough is butter that is too warm and soft. I let the butter sit out on the counter for just under an hour before I start making the cookies - this seems to be the perfect amount of time for me. The butter is still cold to the touch but you can press into the stick with your fingers. In the past, when in a rush, I have softened the butter in the microwave but inevitably the dough that I get is on the "crumbly" side.
- Cream the butter and sugar until it is completely mixed (3 minutes on medium-high should do the trick.)
- Add 2 tablespoons of vanilla and 2 eggs. I know that sounds like a lot of vanilla but this recipe needs a little extra moisture and the cookies will taste great.
- Mix the cookie dough until light and fluffy (about 3 more minutes.)
- Add 4 teaspoons of Baking Powder and mix.
- Mix in the 6 cups of flour two cups at a time. Don't over-mix the dough when you are adding the dry ingredients. Mix it only until the flour is incorporated into the dough.
- After you have added the 6 cups of Flour the dough should be firm but not dry or crumbly. If the dough seems to dry, add a tiny bit of vanilla or milk (start with a teaspoon) and mix again.
- Roll a handful of the dough out on a prepared surface until it's about 3/8" thick.
- Cut out shapes with cookie cutters.
- Bake in an oven pre-heated to 350 degrees for 6-10 minutes depending on the size of the cookie cutter you used. Do not over-bake! We like thicker sugar cookies so they will hold a good amount of frosting. If you make your cookies on the thick side as we have done in the pictures here, you should cook them 9-10 minutes. They might not look done to you but they are. Take them out of the oven. You don't want them to start browning around the edges the way a Chocolate Chip Cookie would, for example. The cookies should be set and just bet starting to slightly brown around the edges. Over-baking is the prime culprit if you feel your sugar cookies seem dry. If you roll out thinner cookies, or use smaller cookie cutters than the ones we have used here, you should only bake the cookies 6 or 7 minutes.
- Let your cookies cool and then they are ready for frosting. We use our Best Buttercream Frosting recipe with these Best Sugar Cookies. The frosting is easy to color and tastes so delicious and yummy on these Sugar Cookies. You will have all the tips and tricks to make this yummy homemade sugar cookie frosting right here.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 171 calories, Carbohydrate 29 grams carbohydrates, Cholesterol 23 milligrams cholesterol, Fat 5 grams fat, Fiber 1 grams fiber, Protein 3 grams protein, SaturatedFat 3 grams saturated fat, ServingSize 1, Sodium 93 grams sodium, Sugar 12 grams sugar, TransFat 0 grams trans fat, UnsaturatedFat 2 grams unsaturated fat
SUGAR COOKIES
Get Alton Brown's simple Sugar Cookies recipe from Good Eats on Food Network, the perfect base for frosting, sprinkles and other sweet decorations.
Provided by Alton Brown
Categories dessert
Time 2h24m
Yield about 3 dozen-2 1/2 inch
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside. Place butter and sugar in large bowl of electric stand mixer and beat until light in color. Add egg and milk and beat to combine. Put mixer on low speed, gradually add flour, and beat until mixture pulls away from the side of the bowl. Divide the dough in half, wrap in waxed paper, and refrigerate for 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Sprinkle surface where you will roll out dough with powdered sugar. Remove 1 wrapped pack of dough from refrigerator at a time, sprinkle rolling pin with powdered sugar, and roll out dough to 1/4-inch thick. Move the dough around and check underneath frequently to make sure it is not sticking. If dough has warmed during rolling, place cold cookie sheet on top for 10 minutes to chill. Cut into desired shape, place at least 1-inch apart on greased baking sheet, parchment, or silicone baking mat, and bake for 7 to 9 minutes or until cookies are just beginning to turn brown around the edges, rotating cookie sheet halfway through baking time. Let sit on baking sheet for 2 minutes after removal from oven and then move to complete cooling on wire rack. Serve as is or ice as desired. Store in airtight container for up to 1 week.
SUGAR COOKIE CUTOUTS
I found this to be the best sugar cookie recipe for cutouts! very good flavor even without the frosting.
Provided by GLJCAT
Categories Desserts Cookies Sugar Cookies
Yield 36
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Sift together the flour and baking powder, stir into the creamed mixture alternately with the heavy cream. Cover dough, and chill for 2 to 3 hours, until firm.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place cookies 1 inch apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Sprinkle with colored sugar if desired.
- Bake for 12 to 14 minutes in the preheated oven, until bottoms and edges of cookies are light brown. Remove from baking sheet and cool on wire racks. Store in an airtight container.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 135 calories, Carbohydrate 18.4 g, Cholesterol 26.2 mg, Fat 6.1 g, Fiber 0.4 g, Protein 1.8 g, SaturatedFat 3.7 g, Sodium 68.2 mg, Sugar 8.4 g
WORLD'S BEST SUGAR COOKIES
I am so particular about my sugar cookies. Anyway, after trying many different recipes, I have to say I like this one. It was from the Los Angeles Times "My Best Recipe". I have used this recipe for many years now. Please try it out and tell me what you think. These are crispy not the soft kind. The yield is estimated since it depends on how large your cookies are.
Provided by YungB
Categories Drop Cookies
Time 25m
Yield 48 cookies
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Cream butter with 1 cup powdered sugar and 1 cup granulated sugar.
- Beat in eggs until smooth.
- Slowly stir in oil, vanilla, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt and flour.
- Chill for easy handling.
- Shape into walnut-size balls. Dip in sugar. Place on baking sheet and press down with the bottom of a glass.
- Bake at 350 degrees 10 to 12 minutes.
- Make about 4 dozen.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 150.9, Fat 8.7, SaturatedFat 3.1, Cholesterol 17.9, Sodium 87.6, Carbohydrate 16.7, Fiber 0.3, Sugar 6.7, Protein 1.6
THE BEST ROLLED SUGAR COOKIES
Whenever you make these cookies for someone, be sure to bring along several copies of the recipe! You will be asked for it, I promise! NOTE: I make icing with confectioners' sugar and milk. I make it fairly thin, as I 'paint' the icing on the cookies with a pastry brush. Thin enough to spread easily but not so thin that it just makes your cookies wet and runs off.
Provided by J. Saunders
Categories Desserts Cookies Sugar Cookies
Yield 60
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
- Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 109.5 calories, Carbohydrate 14.7 g, Cholesterol 24.6 mg, Fat 5 g, Fiber 0.3 g, Protein 1.5 g, SaturatedFat 3 g, Sodium 92.6 mg, Sugar 6.7 g
BEST SUGAR COOKIES
Make and share this Best Sugar Cookies recipe from Food.com.
Provided by Joy1996
Categories Dessert
Time 13m
Yield 24 cookies
Number Of Ingredients 8
Steps:
- Cream together the Crisco and sugar.
- Add vanilla, egg, and evaporated milk; mix well.
- Add the flour, baking powder, and salt; mix well.
- Cover the dough and chill for 1 hour.
- Roll out and use your favorite cookie cutters.
- Bake at 375° on a greased cookie sheet for 6-8 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 117.1, Fat 6.1, SaturatedFat 1.9, Cholesterol 9.1, Sodium 51, Carbohydrate 14.4, Fiber 0.3, Sugar 6.3, Protein 1.4
BEST-EVER SUGAR COOKIES
What makes these cookies the best ever? A delicious cream cheese dough flavored with vanilla, almond and a hint of nutmeg that's wonderfully easy to work with. The adorable decorations don't hurt, either! -Christy Hinrichs, Parkville, Missouri
Provided by Taste of Home
Categories Desserts
Time 40m
Yield 4 dozen.
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- In a large bowl, cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolk and extracts. Combine the flour, salt, baking soda and nutmeg; gradually add to creamed mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours or until easy to handle., On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut with floured 2-1/2-in. cookie cutters. , Place 1-in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375° until edges begin to brown, 8-10 minutes. Cool for 2 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., For icing, in a small bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, water and meringue powder; beat on low speed just until combined. Beat on high until soft peaks form, 4 minutes. Cover icing with damp paper towels or plastic wrap between uses., Working quickly, spread or pipe icing over cookies; let dry at room temperature for several hours or until firm. Use small new paintbrushes or toothpicks and food coloring to make designs on the cookies. Let stand until set. Store in an airtight container.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 116 calories, Fat 5g fat (3g saturated fat), Cholesterol 16mg cholesterol, Sodium 66mg sodium, Carbohydrate 18g carbohydrate (13g sugars, Fiber 0 fiber), Protein 1g protein.
Tips:
- Use high-quality butter. The butter is the key ingredient in sugar cookies, so it's important to use a good-quality butter that is at least 80% butterfat. This will give your cookies a rich, flavorful taste.
- Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. This will help to incorporate air into the dough, which will make your cookies light and tender.
- Chill the dough before baking. This will help to prevent the cookies from spreading too much in the oven.
- Bake the cookies at a high temperature for a short amount of time. This will help to create a crispy exterior and a soft, chewy interior.
- Let the cookies cool completely before frosting them. This will help to prevent the frosting from melting.
Conclusion:
Sugar cookies are a classic holiday treat that are easy to make and loved by people of all ages. By following these tips, you can make perfect sugar cookies that will be the star of any holiday party.
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