Cut Out Sugar Cookies

The best, SOFT cut out sugar cookie I've ever made! Customizable for any occasion, these soft & thick cut out sugar cookies are perfect for Christmas, Valentines, and birthday cookies! I'll walk you through tips on how to roll out the dough to avoid spreading & sticking, as well as give you my favorite, easy frosting recipes. Makes 12-24 cookies depending on size/thickness.

For EASY circle Christmas cookie decorating ideas, check out my 5 EASY Christmas Cookies for Kids!

Course Dessert

Cuisine Cookies

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 12

Total Time 22

Calories 116kcal

Author Melissa Rose

Ingredients

¾ cup unsalted butter (softened at room temperature)
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract (nut allergy? you can substitute this with extra vanilla!)
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
2 - 2¼ cups all-purpose flour *see note section below

Frosting

Christmas Cookie Frosting

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. To prep for rolling, lay a piece of parchment on the counter and sprinkle with about 1 teaspoon of flour.
In a large bowl, cream together unsalted butter (¾ cup; i.e. 1½ sticks) and granulated sugar (¾ cup) on medium speed for 20-30 seconds.
While mixer is still on medium speed, add in egg (1 large), vanilla extract (1½ teaspoons) and almond extract (½ teaspoon).
Once mixed, add in baking powder (1 teaspoon), salt (½ teaspoon), and all-purpose flour (2 - 2¼ cups), ½ cup at a time, on low speed.
Once mixture is combined and all the flour disappears, transfer dough to the piece of floured parchment paper. Press mixture into large ball so that it is all incorporated and any loose floury pieces are pressed in. Knead dough for 5-10 seconds until it becomes a smooth ball, then press into 2" thick disc (see photo guides above in post).
Use a rolling pin to roll dough ⅜" to ½" thick.
Use cookie cutters to cut out and transfer to a parchment baking sheet.
Bake at 350°F for 8-10 minutes. Do not overbake. Depending on size, cookies may look underdone at 10 minutes, but I recommend removing them from the oven before seeing any brown on the edges. If you've used a medium/large cutter and made them ½" thick, you may need to bake for a few extra minutes.
Once baked, remove from oven and place pan on a cooling rack. Do not remove cookies from hot pan. Let them rest on the hot pan for 10-15 minutes to finish baking before removing from the pan.
Once completely cooled, top with frosting. See notes section below for frosting ideas.
Store in airtight container for 2-3 days or freeze for later.

Notes

Flour amounts: Since the pandemic, some butter companies have added more palm oil to their butter resulting in changes to how cookies spread. While I still prefer 2 cups of flour for a super soft, slightly underbaked texture, I recommend using 2 ¼ cups if you are using intricate shapes and want the sharpest edges. They are a little more firm with more flour but still soft & delicious.
Yield: Depending on size/thickness of cookies, you can typically get 12-24 cookies.
Easy Sugar Cookie Icing = Great for one-color designs
Royal Icing = Great for intricate designs, where you want the icing to fully harden.
Buttercream Frosting = Great for spreading or piping swirls

Nutrition