That is simply the most effective recipe for cutout sugar cookies! They’re comfortable and tender however maintain their form very effectively throughout baking.

I’ve been making this cutout sugar cookie recipe for over fifteen years, and it’s really the most effective of the most effective. For the right sugar cookies, be sure to observe all the ideas within the recipe!

The Best Sugar Cookie Dough

This cutout sugar cookie dough is fairly straight ahead. What makes it a bit bit distinctive (and further yummy) is the addition of contemporary lemon zest to the batter.

That delicate trace of lemon taste is totally phenomenal and will change your sugar cookie sport eternally.

Nonetheless, for those who don’t have a contemporary lemon hanging round, you possibly can depart it out. (Simply promise me you’ll attempt it will definitely!)

The cookie dough additionally requires granulated sugar AND powdered sugar. This helps make the cookies extremely comfortable and completely candy.

To Chill or To not Chill

This sugar cookie dough advantages from just a few hours of chilling within the fridge. Not solely will or not it’s infinitely simpler to roll out and reduce into shapes, however the taste of the cookies will style higher, too.

Nonetheless, you can roll and reduce the sugar cookies immediately. The dough shall be sticky, so be sure the counter and rolling pin are adequately floured so the dough doesn’t stick.

The Key to Excellent Sugar Cookies

For the most effective sugar cookies ever, roll the dough no less than 1/4-inch thick (barely thicker is even higher).

If the dough is rolled too skinny, the cookies can simply over bake within the oven, which implies they’ll be dry-tasting and form of crispy.

And whereas I firmly subscribe to the “you do you” perception, I’m going to should put my foot down relating to sugar cookies. We would like buttery comfortable, fluffy, ultra-tender sugar cookies.

For that motive, err on the facet of rolling the dough thicker than you assume you must.

Belief the Baking Temperature

Chances are you’ll discover that the baking temperature on this recipe is far greater than most “regular” cookie recipes.

I promise that there’s a methodology to this insanity! As a result of sugar cookies already go into the oven a lot thinner than, say, a ball of chocolate chip cookie dough, they profit from a shorter baking time.

Utilizing a excessive temperature completely bakes the surface of the cookies rapidly and leaves the within of the cookies tremendous tremendous comfortable. Pull the cookies out of the oven earlier than you assume you must. A barely underdone center is simply fantastic. The cookies will arrange as they cool.

Frosting for Sugar Cookies

These cookies work very effectively frosted with:

When this recipe was initially printed, I included a recipe for essentially the most wonderful whipped cream cheese frosting. It’s the last word in tremendous comfortable, simply spreadable cookie frostings.

If you’re in search of that frosting recipe, it’s in a recipe field all its personal under the sugar cookie recipe…so preserve scrolling and also you’ll discover it. 🙂

A Favourite of Many

My Favourite Sugar Cookies

Yield: 24 -36 cookies

Prep Time: 1 hour hr 25 minutes minutes

Cook dinner Time: 8 minutes minutes

Complete Time: 1 hour hr 33 minutes minutes

Sugar Cookies:

• 1 ½ cups (340 g) butter, softened to chill room temperature
• 1 ½ cups (318 g) granulated sugar
• ½ cup (57 g) powdered sugar
• 4 massive eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ½ teaspoon almond extract, non-compulsory
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest, from about 1 lemon
• 5 cups (710 g) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

• In a big bowl, cream collectively the butter, granulated sugar and powdered sugar for 3-Four minutes, till the combination is gentle and fluffy.

• Add the eggs, vanilla extract, almond extract (if utilizing) and lemon zest; combine till completely mixed, scraping down the edges of the bowl as wanted.

• Add the flour, baking powder and salt. Combine simply till flour is included and the dough is clean and comfortable.

• Press the dough right into a thick disc on a sheet of plastic wrap. Wrap till totally lined and refrigerate for a number of hours (or as much as 2 days). *The dough can be rolled out immediately; nonetheless the cookies will not maintain their form fairly as effectively within the oven – if doing so, you may want to make use of fairly a bit extra flour on the counter to verify the dough would not stick.*

• When able to bake, preheat the oven to 400 levels F. In case your oven bakes scorching, cut back the temperature to 375 levels F.

• Evenly mud a counter with powdered sugar or flour and roll the dough to 1/4-inch or barely thicker.

• Lower the dough into shapes. Place the cookies a number of inches aside on parchment-lined baking sheets.

• Bake for 7-Eight minutes. DO NOT OVER BAKE! There must be no browning on the perimeters or the underside of the cookies and the middle of the cookies might look simply barely underdone.

• Let the cookies relaxation on the baking pans for two to three minutes earlier than eradicating them to a wire rack to chill fully.

• Frost and sprinkle as desired.

Baking Temp: the baking temperature for this recipe could appear excessive however I imagine it is among the keys to success. The cookies nonetheless stay comfortable and light-weight as a result of they bake for such a short while (and so they preserve their form rather well!). In case your oven bakes scorching, cut back the oven temperature to 375 levels F. 

Serving: 1 cookie, Energy: 267kcal, Carbohydrates: 35g, Protein: 4g, Fats: 13g, Saturated Fats: 8g, Ldl cholesterol: 62mg, Sodium: 236mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 15g

Observe @MelsKitchenCafe on Instagram and present me the recipes you’re making from my weblog utilizing the hashtag #melskitchencafe. I like seeing all of the goodness you might be whipping up in your kitchens!

Recipe Supply: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
Recipe initially printed October 2010; up to date February 2024 with new images, recipe notes, and many others

Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting for Sugar Cookies

• 8-ounce (227 g) package deal cream cheese, softened
• 1 ½ cups (171 g) powdered sugar
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream

• In a big bowl with a handheld electrical mixer or in an electrical stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, salt and vanilla.

• Combine till very clean and light-weight and no lumps stay, scraping down the edges of the bowl as wanted.

• In a separate bowl, beat the cream to stiff peaks. Add the whipped cream to the cream cheese combination. Combine till effectively mixed and clean. Retailer within the fridge for as much as one week.

Observe @MelsKitchenCafe on Instagram and present me the recipes you’re making from my weblog utilizing the hashtag #melskitchencafe. I like seeing all of the goodness you might be whipping up in your kitchens!