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It’s the holiday season and cookie baking has begun for me! Here is a simple recipe for sugar cookies! This dough is perfect for cut-out cookies and really holds their shape well. This sugar cookie dough is also very versatile and can be used to make a variety of cookies- so if you’re looking for a quick way to make a BUNCH of cookies- this is it!
To make sugar cookies hold their shape better be sure to freeze the dough. I like to roll out the dough to my desired thickness (usually 1/4 inch) and then freeze the sheet of dough for 5-10 minutes. I stamp out my cookies and place them onto a parchment-lined baking tray and freeze them again for 10 minutes before baking. I also suggest using parchment paper over silicone mats. Silicone mats are slippery and the dough tends to spread on them compared to parchment paper!
This dough is super versatile you can use it to make regular sugar cookies but also so much more!
- Linzer Cookies– roll the dough out to 1/8 inch thick. Use a round cookie cutter to cut the cookies out and then use a small cookie cutter to add a hole to the center of half the cookies. Freeze and bake for 5-7 minutes and cool completely on the baking sheet. Fill with jelly or jam and dust them with powdered sugar!
- Rose Sugar cookies – mix 1/3 of rose petals into the dough and add 1 tsp rose water to the cookie dough along with the vanilla. Roll out and bake as per the recipe
- Citrus Sugar Cookies
- Sandwich cookies– roll the dough out to 1/8 inch thick. Use a round cookie cutter to cut the cookies out and freeze and bake per recipe. Fill the cookies with dulce de leche, chocolate ganache, buttercream, or whatever your heart desires!
- Lemon Sugar Cookies – Add 2 tbsp of lemon zest to the sugar and rub it in with your fingers before adding butter and creaming. Follow the rest of the directions per usual.
- Berry Cookies – Add in 1/2 cup of freeze-dried berry powder to the dry ingredients. Follow the rest of the directions per usual.
If you make any of these cookies be sure to tag me on social media @milkandcardamom!
Sugar Cookies
- V
Ingredients
- 4 3/4 cups plus 2 tbsp (588 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 cup (297 g) granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cup (340 g) unsalted butter
- 1 egg (or 3 tbsp of heavy cream)
- 2 tsp vanilla
Method
- Add 4 3/4 cups plus 2 tbsp (588 g) all-purpose flour, 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder, and 3/4 tsp salt to mixing bowl and whisk until well combined. Set aside.
- Add 1 1/2 cup (297 g) granulated sugar and 1 1/2 cup (340 g) unsalted butter, to the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix with the paddle attachment for 5 minutes, or until the butter is fluffy and pale. Scrape down the bowl and add the 1 egg (or 3 tbsp of heavy cream) and 2 tsp vanilla and mix for 2 minutes. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low until well combined.
- Split the dough in half. Shape both pieces into a disc and wrap them in plastic wrap. Place all the discs of dough into the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Roll out the the dough in between two sheets of parchment paper until it is 1⁄4 inch thick.Place in the freezer for 5 minutes. Cut the cookies out with your cookie cutter. Roll out the scraps with the rest of the dough and repeat until no dough is left.
- Place the cookies onto the parchment-lined baking sheet 2 inches apart. Freeze the sheet for 10 minutes, this is important so the cookies keep their shape.
- Bake for 9 to 11 minutes. Cool completely on a rack. Decorate with royal icing, fondant, sprinkles or whatever you like!
