Description
Soft Cutout Sugar Cookies are tender, buttery, and perfectly sweet cookies ideal for decorating. These cookies are rolled to a ¼-inch thickness to achieve a soft, puffy texture rather than a crisp snap. The dough is chilled before cutting to help prevent spreading during baking, giving you perfectly shaped cookies. Optional homemade royal icing enhances their appearance and adds a delicious finish, perfect for holidays or any special occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup salted butter, softened at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract (or reduce to ¼ teaspoon for a more subtle flavor)
Icing (Optional)
- 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 3-4 tablespoons milk
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Gel food coloring, optional
Instructions
- Prepare Dry Ingredients: Whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Set this mixture aside for later incorporation.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a separate large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream the softened salted butter and granulated sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy. This process typically takes several minutes and helps with the texture of the cookies.
- Add Eggs and Extracts: Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition to combine thoroughly. Then, mix in the vanilla extract and almond extract to flavor the dough.
- Combine Ingredients to Form Dough: Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture while mixing on low speed. Continue mixing until a soft dough forms, being careful not to overmix.
- Divide and Roll Dough: Divide the dough into two equal portions. Place each portion on lightly floured parchment paper or a silicone mat. Roll out the dough evenly to about ¼-inch thickness using a lightly floured rolling pin. If the dough is sticky, add a little more flour as needed.
- Chill Dough: Lightly dust the top of the rolled dough with flour, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours or overnight. This step helps the dough firm up, making it easier to cut shapes without the cookies spreading during baking.
- Preheat the Oven and Prepare Sheets: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line 2-3 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats to prevent sticking.
- Cut Out Cookies: Remove one portion of chilled dough from the refrigerator at a time. Use cookie cutters to cut the dough into your desired shapes. Place the cut cookies about 2-3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Chill Cut Dough if Needed: If re-rolling dough scraps, make sure to chill the cut-out dough shapes on the baking sheet in the fridge or freezer for at least 10 minutes before baking. This step is crucial to firm up the dough, preventing spreading while baking.
- Bake the Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, or just until the edges are lightly browned but the centers still appear slightly soft. This timing preserves the soft texture.
- Cool the Cookies: Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes after removing them from the oven. Then, transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.
- Prepare Icing (Optional): In a medium bowl, combine sifted powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk, corn syrup, and vanilla extract. Stir until smooth and combined. Adjust consistency by adding milk a teaspoon at a time if too thick, or powdered sugar if too thin. Add gel food coloring as desired. Use to pipe or spread on fully cooled cookies. Allow icing to set for a couple of hours before packaging or serving.
Notes
- This recipe makes a small batch of dough yielding up to 36 small cookies depending on cutter size and scrap re-rolling. Double the recipe if more cookies are needed.
- Rolling dough to ¼-inch thickness results in soft, puffy cookies. Thinner dough will produce crispier cookies.
- Chilling rolled dough for at least 1-2 hours is essential; if you re-roll scraps, refrigerate again before baking to prevent spreading.
- Remove cookies from oven when edges just start to turn golden; centers may look soft but will firm on cooling.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
- To prepare ahead, dough can be refrigerated for up to 1 day or frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw frozen dough overnight in refrigerator before use.
- Baked cookies can be frozen up to 2 months when fully cooled and wrapped tightly, thaw at room temperature before decorating.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie (based on 36 cookies per batch)
- Calories: 110
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 85mg
- Fat: 5g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 15g
- Fiber: 0.3g
- Protein: 1.2g
- Cholesterol: 20mg
