Straightforward Sugar Cookies (No Chill + Step-by-Step Video)

This sugar cookies recipe is the one one I exploit – particularly for holidays like Christmas! The recipe is easy and the dough is ideal for cut-out cookie adorning with no chill time wanted! In the event you’re searching for a foolproof, buttery sugar cookie recipe that is it.

Probably the most widespread questions I get from readers is: “Do you may have an ideal sugar cookie recipe?”

And the reply is YES! This cut-out sugar cookie recipe is the one I’ve been utilizing for 14 years. I haven’t deviated from this recipe since I began making it so a few years in the past as a result of its perfection. I’m CRAZY enthusiastic about at this time! I exhibiting you the right way to make sugar cookies from scratch!

Why You’ll Love This Sugar Cookies Recipe

• Straightforward. You don’t must be an knowledgeable cookie maker to bake up these cookies.
• Tasty. The flavour is buttery and scrumptious! The perimeters are crisp and candy, and the facilities are smooth with a young texture.
• No Chill. The dough doesn’t must be chilled earlier than rolling and reducing out shapes.
• Good for Adorning. These cookies maintain crisp edges when baked. They’re good for all shapes of cookie cutters and adorning.

Ingredient Notes

You’ll solely want a couple of substances to make these traditional sugar cookies. Right here’s a fast listing with my notes to be sure to have every little thing. (See the recipe card on the backside of this put up for particular quantities.)

• Butter. I exploit salted butter, however that’s a private choice. In the event you choose unsalted, or that’s all you may have completely use that.
• Vanilla. I all the time advocate utilizing pure vanilla extract.
• Granulated Sugar
• Eggs
• Dry Components: Baking Powder, All Function Flour, and Kosher Salt. In the event you don’t have kosher you should use desk salt, however I might advocate reducing again on the quantity by half so that you don’t over-salt your cookies. Desk salt is a finer grain than kosher, so you’ll find yourself with extra.
• Powdered Sugar. The bottom of the icing.
• Water
• Mild Corn Syrup. Sweetens the icing and provides the shiny texture.

Variation Concepts

• Strive a unique taste profile. You should utilize almond extract…or coconut, or rum, or perhaps a citrus like lemon or orange extract. All these would style nice! Begin through the use of 1/2 teaspoon and enhance the quantity to style. Almond extract is a stronger taste than vanilla and I discover you should use rather less. 
• Add some mini chocolate chips. Minis will nonetheless work with cookie cutters and can bake up fantastically on this recipe. 
• Combine in some nuts. Add chopped nuts like pecans, walnuts, and even pistachios. Be sure they’re finely chopped in order that they don’t intrude together with your cookie cutters.
• Use brown sugar instead of granulated. This may trigger the cookies to unfold barely greater than granulated as a result of moisture content material, however not in an enormous approach. You may solely discover that is you’re utilizing an intricate cutter.

Ideas for the Greatest Sugar Cookies

• Don’t substitute margarine or butter flavored shortening. I generally even splurge on a elaborate European butter when making these sugar cookies, as a result of there’s a increased fats content material, and whereas it’s not nice in your thighs, it does assist produce a extra scrumptious, wealthy cookie!
• Use high quality substances. Once you’re making sugar cookies, you need them to style good, proper? So be sure to’re top quality butter and vanilla particularly. These are the 2 flavors that actually shine via, so use recent butter and good vanilla!
• Use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. You should utilize a hand mixer if you happen to choose, however making these cookies with no mixer is troublesome since you need to cream your butter and sugar collectively for two minutes. AND there may be a variety of flour in these, and the dough can get onerous to combine by hand.
• Work with sections of dough at a time. Divide the dough into sections when rolling it out to deal with the dough much less. The extra you deal with it, the hotter it will get, and the much less the cookies will maintain their form. You’ll be able to refrigerate the opposite sections of dough whilst you work with one.
• Bake roughly the identical sized cookies. Whereas it’s enjoyable to get out all of your totally different vacation cookie cutters, attempt your finest to make use of uniformly sized shapes that approach every batch will bake evenly. Because you’re diving the dough into 3 sections this can be a wonderful means to make use of 3 cutters for every batch. That approach you may have selection, but in addition will guarantee even baking!
• Don’t fear about spreading. In fact you don’t need to overcrowd the cookie sheet since you want air circulation, however you don’t have to depart a variety of area in between the cookies, as they don’t unfold a lot!

Do You Have to Chill Sugar Cookie Dough?

Okay, let’s discuss. Chilling cookie dough is annoying. I get it. SO, this minimize out sugar cookie recipe requires ZERO chilling. Are you excited? Let’s discuss what which means…

• Use chilly butter: To make the cookie dough barely chilled proper when it’s made. Simply dice the chilly butter whenever you combine it together with your sugar and will probably be fantastic! You combine the butter and sugar collectively for two minutes, so every little thing might be blended. Simply make sure that to scrape the perimeters of the blending bowl as vital so every little thing is mixed evenly.
• Can I chill the dough if I need to? In case you are prepping your vacation baking prematurely and would like to sit back the dough so you may have issues made forward you ABSOLUTELY can. It isn’t going to harm the dough.
• What about complicated cookie shapes? Does chilling assist? What if you’re utilizing a VERY intricate cookie cutter and need to be sure to have exact edges? If I’m utilizing a really detailed cutter what I’ll do is make the dough, roll it out, minimize out my cookie and pop it within the fridge to sit back for 30 or so minutes. This isn’t vital, however if you happen to’re involved, it’s a step that may’t harm.

Why Are My Minimize Out Sugar Cookies Too Darkish?

It is a quite common concern I get from readers, whether or not it’s this sugar cookie recipe recipe or some other cookie recipe. Cookie will both get too darkish, or not darkish sufficient. In fact bake time issues – overbaking and underbaking may end up in too darkish or not darkish sufficient cookies.

However the commonest wrongdoer? Utilizing the flawed cookie sheet! Listed below are some issues to bear in mind when selecting one of the best cookie sheet in your minimize out sugar cookies:

• My favourite cookie sheet: THIS COOKIE SHEET has been my tried and true for years and years. I personal 2 and they’re my favourite. They’re thought of a “nonstick cookie sheet” however I exploit parchment paper to line the pan. My cookies bake evenly with the right quantity of golden brown. 
• Lighter-colored baking sheets: These are inclined to make your cookies unfold a bit extra and so they don’t give a golden edge as simply, particularly with cut-out cookies.
• Darker-colored baking sheets: Darker, skinny baking sheet will provide you with a golden edge, and your cookies received’t unfold practically as a lot, supplying you with exact edges. 
• Parchment paper or silicone mats: These assist with even baking and stop the cookies from browning too quick.

Can I Make These Cookies Forward?

If you wish to make all of the dough and minimize out all of the shapes earlier than baking you possibly can place the cup out dough onto your prepped baking sheets and pop these within the fridge till you’re able to bake. It is a nice possibility when you may have a busy cookie baking day across the holidays. In fact having further cookie sheets helps!

Tips on how to Retailer Sugar Cookies

Retailer your cookies in an hermetic container on the counter at room temperature. They are going to hold for as much as 5 days, although I feel you’ll eat all of them properly earlier than then. Be aware that you probably have iced them be sure to give the icing time to totally set and harden earlier than you stack the cookies in a container.

Can I Freeze Sugar Cookies?

YES!! You’ll be able to completely freeze sugar cookies (or the dough)! Right here’s how…

• Baked sugar cookies. Enable the sugar cookies to chill fully, then switch to a freezer-safe container or ziploc bag, with parchment paper separating the layers. Be aware that you need to freeze your Christmas sugar cookies earlier than adorning.
• Sugar cookie dough. Alternatively, you possibly can freeze the dough for later. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap then place in a ziploc bag.
• How lengthy do frozen sugar cookies final? Both the frozen dough or frozen baked cookies might be good for 30 days in your freezer.

Extra Christmas Cookie Recipes

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