Description
These cut-out sugar cookies are soft and buttery, and taste amazing. They are just as fun and easy to make as they are to eat!
Ingredients
Cookies
- 2 & 3/4 cups (345g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp almond extract (or vanilla extract if you don’t have almond)
Icing
makes about 1 cup (see notes**)
- 2 cups (250g) powdered sugar, sifted (very important to sift so there are no clumps)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2–3 tbsp milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, toss together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the egg and extracts until combined.
- Add in the flour mixture, one cup at a time, mixing after each addition. The dough will be crumbly after the final addition.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Knead a few times to gather all the dough together. Divide into two equal parts. Cover one part in plastic wrap.
- Roll the dough on a floured surface until it’s 1/4″ in thickness. Cut out desired shapes. Use a metal spatula to transfer onto prepared baking sheets. Re-roll the scraps if desired for more cookies. Repeat with remaining dough or store for later use (see notes*).
- Bake for about 8 minutes or just until the edges start to brown. As soon as you see color along the edges, remove cookies from oven. Let cool completely on baking sheet before decorating.
- To make the frosting; add the vanilla to the powdered sugar. Whisk in the milk, one tablespoon at a time until you reach a thick but pourable consistency. You want to be able to squeeze the icing out of a small tip but you don’t want it to spread on the surface of the cookies. You want it to make nice clean lines.
- Pour the icing into a squeeze bottle with a small tip or in a piping bag and cut a tiny opening. Decorate as desired by adding color or topping it with sprinkles.
Notes
*To store the remaining dough for later use: Tightly wrap in saran wrap and place in ziplock bag. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to a month. When ready to use thaw and bring to room temperature before rolling. Bake as instructed.
**Feel free to reduce the amount of icing in half if you are only planning to baking half the cookies. You can also store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days and bring to room temperature before using.
Baking times will vary depending on the size and thickness of your cookies as well as your oven. It can vary from 6-10 minutes. My cookies took exactly 8 minutes.