Sugar Cookies

Cut out cookies in the shape of stars sprinkled with red and green sugar on cookie sheet.

5 from 1 vote

You’ll love these crisp sugar cookies cut into festive holiday shapes. This sugar cookie recipe makes a big batch and the cut-out cookies are sturdy enough for little fingers to decorate.

Prep Time15

Cook Time7

Additional Time30

Total Time52

Course: Cookies & Bars

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Author: Rachel Gurk

Equipment

Ingredients

4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg (or freshly grated)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon lemon extract
¼ cup milk

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. Set aside.
4 cups flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
In a separate large bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla extract and lemon extract, and beat until combined.
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, 2 cups granulated sugar, 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon lemon extract
Add a third of the flour to the butter mixture and half of the milk. Stir until combined, then repeat: another third of the flour, and half of the milk, stir until combined, then stir in the remaining flour. If you are using a hand mixer, you may have to do this by hand if the dough gets too stiff for your mixer.
¼ cup milk
Divide dough into 2 disks, wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least 30 minutes, preferably overnight.
To bake, preheat oven to 350°F.
Roll one half of one disk of dough out on a well-floured board or counter, using a floured rolling pin. (Keep the remaining dough refrigerated.) For crisp cookies, roll to about ⅛ inch and for softer cookies, roll to about ¼ inch.
Cut desired shapes with floured cookie cutter, re-rolling the scraps as you go. Transfer to cookie sheet, leaving at least one inch between cookies. The colder the dough is, the less the cookies will spread, keeping their crisp cut-out shape (see tip below).
Bake for 6 to 7 minutes, or until lightly browned on the bottom. Remove from cookie sheet and cool completely on wire rack before decorating or storing.
Decorate as desired (see note).

Notes

Yield: This makes a big batch of cookies and the yield will vary depending on the size of the cookie cutters you use. On average, I get about 5 dozen cookies.
Easy decorating option: If you prefer not to frost cookies, make them sparkle with sugar. Before baking, lightly brush the cookies with milk and sprinkle with your choice of colored sugar. White sugar is pretty, too.
Helpful tip: The colder the dough, the easier it is to roll out. I usually divide the dough disk in half, rolling one half and refrigerating the other half. Another benefit is that when the dough is cold, the cookies don't spread as much, keeping a crisp cut-out shape. Avoid putting the cut-out cookies on a warm baking sheet because that will cause them to spread more.

Nutrition

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