Sugar Cookies
This recipe guides you through making classic sugar cookies with a delightful texture. It involves creaming butter and sugar, combining with dry ingredients, chilling the dough for optimal handling, then rolling, cutting, and baking to golden perfection. Ideal for decorating, these cookies yield about three dozen and are perfect for any occasion.
Equipment
- 1 Electric Stand Mixer With a paddle attachment for creaming and mixing.
- 1 Sifter For dry ingredients to ensure even distribution and aeration.
- 1 Rolling Pin For evenly rolling out the cookie dough.
- 2 Baking Sheets Lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mats for non-stick baking.
- 1 Wire Cooling Rack For complete cooling to prevent condensation and maintain crispness.
Ingredients
Main
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg beaten
- 1 tablespoon milk
- Powdered sugar for rolling out dough
Instructions
- 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.
Notes
1. Chilling the dough is crucial for perfect sugar cookies. It helps solidify the butter, preventing the cookies from spreading too much during baking and ensuring crisp edges with a tender interior. Don't skip or shorten this step.
2. When rolling out the dough, use powdered sugar instead of flour to avoid toughening the cookies. Be mindful not to overwork the dough or add too much powdered sugar, which can dry it out.
3. Bake until the edges are just barely golden. Over-baking will result in dry, crumbly cookies rather than the desired soft texture. A slight under-bake is better than over-bake for sugar cookies.
2. When rolling out the dough, use powdered sugar instead of flour to avoid toughening the cookies. Be mindful not to overwork the dough or add too much powdered sugar, which can dry it out.
3. Bake until the edges are just barely golden. Over-baking will result in dry, crumbly cookies rather than the desired soft texture. A slight under-bake is better than over-bake for sugar cookies.