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 straightforward and the dough is ideal for cut-out cookie adorning with no chill time wanted! Should you’re on the lookout for a foolproof, buttery sugar cookie recipe that is it.

Probably the most frequent questions I get from readers is: “Do you’ve got 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 in the present day! I exhibiting you the way to make sugar cookies from scratch!

Why You’ll Love This Sugar Cookies Recipe

• Straightforward. You don’t have to be an professional cookie maker to bake up these cookies.
• Tasty. The flavour is buttery and scrumptious! The sides are crisp and candy, and the facilities are delicate with a young texture.
• No Chill. The dough doesn’t have to be chilled earlier than rolling and slicing 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 checklist with my notes to ensure you have every part. (See the recipe card on the backside of this publish for particular quantities.)

• Butter. I exploit salted butter, however that’s a private desire. Should you desire unsalted, or that’s all you’ve got completely use that.
• Vanilla. I all the time advocate utilizing pure vanilla extract.
• Granulated Sugar
• Eggs
• Dry Substances: Baking Powder, All Objective Flour, and Kosher Salt. Should you don’t have kosher you should use desk salt, however I’d advocate slicing 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
• Gentle Corn Syrup. Sweetens the icing and provides the shiny texture.

Variation Concepts

• Strive a distinct taste profile. You need to use almond extract…or coconut, or rum, or perhaps a citrus like lemon or orange extract. All these would style nice! Begin by utilizing 1/2 teaspoon and improve 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 certain that they’re finely chopped in order that they don’t intrude together with your cookie cutters.
• Use brown sugar rather than granulated. This would possibly trigger the cookies to unfold barely greater than granulated as a result of moisture content material, however not in an unlimited manner. You would possibly solely discover that is you might be utilizing an intricate cutter.

Ideas for the Finest 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 larger 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 ensure you’re top quality butter and vanilla particularly. These are the 2 flavors that basically shine by, so use recent butter and good vanilla!
• Use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. You need to use a hand mixer if you happen to desire, however making these cookies and not using a mixer is troublesome since you wish to cream your butter and sugar collectively for two minutes. AND there’s 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 possibly can refrigerate the opposite sections of dough when 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 greatest to make use of uniformly sized shapes that manner every batch will bake evenly. Because you’re diving the dough into 3 sections this can be a smart way to make use of 3 cutters for every batch. That manner you’ve got selection, but additionally will guarantee even baking!
• Don’t fear about spreading. After all you don’t wish to overcrowd the cookie sheet since you want air circulation, however you don’t have to depart a variety of house in between the cookies, as they don’t unfold a lot!

Do You Have to Chill Sugar Cookie Dough?

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

• 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 it is going to be high quality! You combine the butter and sugar collectively for two minutes, so every part shall be blended. Simply ensure to scrape the edges of the blending bowl as mandatory so every part is mixed evenly.
• Can I chill the dough if I wish to? If you’re prepping your vacation baking upfront and would favor to sit back the dough so you’ve got issues made forward you ABSOLUTELY can. It isn’t going to harm the dough.
• What about advanced cookie shapes? Does chilling assist? What in case you are utilizing a VERY intricate cookie cutter and wish to ensure you 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 mandatory, however if you happen to’re involved, it’s a step that may’t damage.

Why Are My Reduce Out Sugar Cookies Too Darkish?

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

However the commonest perpetrator? Utilizing the unsuitable cookie sheet! Listed here are some issues to bear in mind when selecting the very 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-about a “nonstick cookie sheet” however I exploit parchment paper to line the pan. My cookies bake evenly with the proper quantity of golden brown. 
• Lighter-colored baking sheets: These are likely 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 gives you 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’ll be able to 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’ve got a busy cookie baking day across the holidays. After all having additional cookie sheets helps!

The way to Retailer Sugar Cookies

Retailer your cookies in an hermetic container on the counter at room temperature. They may hold for as much as 5 days, although I feel you’ll eat all of them nicely earlier than then. Be aware that when you’ve got iced them ensure you 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 possibly can completely freeze sugar cookies (or the dough)! Right here’s how…

• Baked sugar cookies. Permit the sugar cookies to chill utterly, 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’ll be able to 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 shall be good for 30 days in your freezer.

Extra Christmas Cookie Recipes

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