Description
These Soft Cut-Out Sugar Cookies are perfectly tender and flavorful, made with a simple dough enriched with vanilla and optional almond extract. They are easy to roll out, chill, cut into shapes, and decorate with your choice of royal icing, glaze, or buttercream—ideal for holidays, celebrations, or gifting.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 2 and 1/4 cups (281g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), plus more as needed for rolling and work surface
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional, but makes the flavor outstanding)
For Decorating
- Royal Icing, Easy Glaze Icing, or Cookie Buttercream (royal icing is pictured)
- Assorted sprinkles
Instructions
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, use a handheld or stand mixer with a paddle attachment to beat the butter and sugar on high speed until light and creamy, about 3 minutes.
- Add Wet Ingredients: Add the egg, vanilla, and almond extract (if using) to the butter mixture and beat on high speed until well combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat again as needed to fully combine.
- Combine Dough: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined. The dough should be soft. If too sticky, mix in 1 more tablespoon of flour.
- Divide and Roll Dough: Divide the dough in half. Place each half on a piece of lightly floured parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Roll each portion to about 1/4-inch thickness using a floured rolling pin, adding flour as needed to prevent sticking.
- Chill Dough: Dust one rolled dough portion lightly with flour, place the second portion on top, cover tightly, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.
- Prepare for Baking: Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
- Cut Cookies: Remove top dough layer from refrigerator carefully. Use cookie cutters to cut shapes, reroll scraps as needed. Arrange cookies 3 inches apart on prepared sheets. Repeat with second dough portion.
- Bake Cookies: Bake for 12 minutes or until edges are very lightly browned and set. Rotate baking sheets halfway through if oven has hot spots.
- Cool Cookies: Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack until completely cool before decorating.
- Decorate: Decorate cooled cookies with royal icing, glaze, or buttercream. Tint icings with gel colors if desired. You can refrigerate decorated cookies on baking sheets to help set icing faster.
- Store: Store plain or iced cookies covered tightly at room temperature for up to 5 days or refrigerated up to 10 days. Cookies with buttercream can be stored at room temperature for 1 day or refrigerated for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Freezing: Plain or decorated cookies freeze up to 3 months. Freeze after icing sets. Cookie dough can be frozen before rolling for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in fridge and bring to room temp before rolling.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Use room-temperature butter that is cool to the touch and room-temperature egg for best mixing.
- Flavor Variations: Substitute almond extract with maple, coconut, lemon, or peppermint extract. Add 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon for warm flavors.
- Icing Options: Use royal icing, easy glaze icing, or buttercream depending on preference and decorating style.
- Doubling Recipe: All ingredients can be doubled; divide dough into 3 or 4 portions for chilling and rolling.
- Use appropriate cookie decorating tools like piping bags, couplers, and numbered tips for professional results.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 120 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 60 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg
