Basic Sugar Cookie Recipe

June 6, 2011 | 925 Comments »

Great decorated sugar cookies begin with with a great cookie base. My go-to recipe is quick, tasty, and easy. I have made thousands of cookies using this recipe with great results every time.

Keep in mind, this is the recipe I prefer. You don’t have to use this particular recipe to make beautiful cookies. There are hundreds of cut-out cookie recipes online.

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Basic Sugar Cookie

Basic Sugar Cookie

Ingredients

  • 1 c. (two sticks) of unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 c. confectioner’s sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp. almond emulsion
  • 2 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. salt

Instructions

  1. Cream together softened butter and confectioner’s sugar. Crack the egg into a separate bowl, and add the flavoring. I use emulsions, but extract also works well. Add that to the butter sugar mixture and mix until the egg is thoroughly incorporated. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt, then add little by little to the mixture. I can tell the dough is ready when it no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl. When I touch it, it has a little give, but does not stick to my fingers.
  2. Roll out on parchment to about 1/4 an inch thick, use flour for dusting as necessary. Then, cut and bake at 400 degrees for 7-8 minutes. This version makes 2-2 1/2 dozen, doubled, it makes 4-5 dozen.

Notes

The dough DOES not need to be refrigerated. That’s why I like it.

The dough needs to rest a little after mixing, it will firm up a little bit after a minute or two

The recipe doubles well

Baking times are approximate. You must KNOW your oven. Watch them the first few times you bake them. Get a thermometer, and do not over bake. If the cookies are browning you have gone too far.

This dough can be flavored any way you like.

The cookies freeze well

There is a lot of leavener in these cookies. This is not a typo. The general rule is less leavener so they don’t spead, but I’ve never been one to follow the rules.

This recipe does spread a little. If you don’t like that add a little flour. Speaking of flour, start with 2 1/2 cups. Add another 1/4 of a cup if the dough seems to sticky.

If you don’t like salt, leave it out altogether. If you only have salted butter, use that and reduce the salt.

I prefer decorating cookies the day after baking after they have had time to cool and rest. The surface always seems to be prettier the next day, and they seem less likely to leach oil back into the icing.

https://www.sweetsugarbelle.com/2011/06/basic-sugar-cookie-recipe-2/

I use this recipe for almost every cookie I make. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. If it doesn’t work the first time, keep practicing.  That is the key. Good luck and happy baking!
Cookies, Recipes
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