Rolled Cut-Out Sugar Cookies Recipe

Name: Rolled Cut-Out Sugar Cookies
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 9 min
Total time: 34 min
Yield: About 30 cookies (3-inch / 8 cm cutter)
Ingredients: 1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, softened; 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar; 1 large egg, room temperature; 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract; 1/2 tsp almond extract (optional); 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour; 1/2 tsp baking powder; 3/4 tsp fine salt; 2 cups (240 g) powdered sugar, for the glaze; 2-3 tbsp (30-45 ml) milk, for the glaze

A firm, buttery dough that rolls cleanly, holds sharp edges and bakes flat - the one you want for cookie cutters and icing. It needs an hour in the fridge, so plan around that. Makes a sturdy cookie that survives decorating, stacking and posting.

Rolled Cut-Out Sugar Cookies

Prep25 min

Cook9 min

Total time34 min

ServingsAbout 30 cookies (3-inch / 8 cm cutter)

DifficultyMedium

Ingredients

1 cup (225 g) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract (optional)
3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp fine salt
2 cups (240 g) powdered sugar, for the glaze
2-3 tbsp (30-45 ml) milk, for the glaze

Instructions

Beat the butter and sugar 2-3 minutes until light but not airy.
Beat in the egg, vanilla and almond extract until smooth.
Sift the flour with the baking powder and salt, add it to the bowl in two goes, and run the mixer on its lowest speed only until the dough gathers into a mass.
Divide the dough in two, flatten into discs, wrap and chill at least 1 hour.
Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Roll one disc to 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick between two sheets of parchment.
Cut out shapes, transfer to lined sheets, and chill the cut shapes 10 minutes while the oven finishes heating.
Bake 8-10 minutes, until the edges are barely golden and the tops still look pale. Thin or small shapes can be done at 7 minutes, so watch the first tray.
Cool completely on a rack, then whisk the powdered sugar with milk to a thick, spoonable glaze and decorate.

Traditional royal icing is made with raw egg white. Raw egg is not advised for pregnant people, young children, older adults or anyone immunocompromised - use pasteurized egg whites or meringue powder, or the simple milk glaze given here, which avoids the issue entirely.

Tips

Rolling between parchment means no extra flour, which is what keeps the cookies tender rather than dry and tough.
Chilling the cut shapes for 10 minutes before they go in the oven is the trick that stops spreading and keeps edges sharp.
Roll to an even thickness - use rolling pin guide rings or two wooden rulers if your rolling is uneven, or the thin shapes burn while the thick ones underbake.
Re-roll scraps only once. The third roll works too much flour in and the cookies turn hard.

FAQ

What usually goes wrong?

Using butter that is too warm. If the dough is greasy going in, the shapes spread and blur no matter how good your cutters are - the dough should feel cool and firm.

How do I store it?

Undecorated cookies keep airtight 1 week at room temperature or 3 months frozen. Glazed cookies need 6-8 hours for the glaze to set hard before stacking.

Why do my times differ?

Ovens differ. Use the times as a guide and judge by how it looks and feels.