It's that time of year again - the leaves have turned, the air is crisp, and the holidays are fast approaching. It's the perfect time for warm, hearty meals and freshly baked desserts. Sugar cookies are one of my favorites around the holidays because they remind me of rolling out dough and cutting fun shapes with my mom and sisters, while my brother ate dough scraps. This recipe takes me back home, and it's also pretty simple and fun!
First, mix 1 cup of butter and 1.5 cups of powdered sugar. This will be a little easier if you let the butter sit out before starting.
Once your sugar-butter is smooth and consistent, add 1 egg and beat. Next, mix in 1/2 tsp vanilla and 1 tsp almond extract.
In a separate bowl, combine 2.5 cups of flour, 1 tsp baking soda, and 1 tsp cream of tartar. Add the dry ingredients to your wet mixture and stir until they are incorporated.
Before moving on to the next step, cover the dough and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. I often let it sit overnight. Once the dough has chilled, it's ready to be rolled out. Clean your surface and sprinkle it with flour.
I recommend cutting the dough in half to keep it cool and make rolling it a bit easier. The dough will be quite firm, and you may need work it with your hands to loosen it up. Form a small flat disc with your hands and begin rolling. Be sure to rotate your dough as you go along to keep a consistent thickness and ensure it isn't sticking to the surface below.
Don't worry too much about the shape of your dough (it's not a pie). The most important thing is making sure the thickness is even. My personal preference is approximately a 1/4" thick. If you like crispy cookies go for an 1/8", and if you like soft cookies, you could do a 3/8" thickness. Just remember, the thicker the cookie, the more it will expand in the oven. Feel free to experiment with different thicknesses, but make sure each pan is consistent so the cookies bake evenly.
Once the dough is rolled out, it's time to break out the cookie cutters! I used a plain circle cutter because I haven't invested in other shapes, but obviously variety is more interesting, so go crazy. Form a ball with your scraps and roll out again, repeating the process until you've used up all the dough. Do the same thing with the other half of the dough, as well.
If you're crammed for time, you can begin baking as you cut. However, I prefer to freeze the cookies before baking. It breaks up the tasks and helps the cookies keep their shape in the oven. I stack mine on a cookie sheet, with parchment or wax paper separating the layers. Then cover with saran wrap and let chill for a few hours.
Once chilled, transfer the cookies to a room temperature baking sheet right before they go into the oven at 375 degrees. Baking time may vary depending on your oven, cookie sheets, etc. So, keep an eye on them to start. I found that the thinner cookies were done in about 5 minutes, while the thicker ones took roughly 6-7 minutes. When the edges are just turning golden-brown, pull them out and let them rest on the pan a couple minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
If you like your sugar cookies plain, then these babies are done. But, if you want to jazz them up with some royal icing, continue on.
While the cookies cool, beat together 1.5 cups of powdered sugar and 1 egg white on med-low speed until smooth and shiny. Next, add a few drops of fresh lemon juice and your choice of extract (vanilla, almond, maple, etc.) My preference is almond. Continue beating on high for approximately 5-7 minutes. The mixture will become fluffy and should form stiff peaks. If it is too thick, you can thin with a little water, and if it's too thin, add more powdered sugar. Getting the right consistency can be finicky, so be patient and remember, practice makes perfect.
If you're up for some more fun, divide your icing and mix in some food coloring. You can frost the cookies with an icing spatula, or get more elaborate and do some piping. If you have piping bags and tips, great, but if not, just snip the corner off a ziploc bag.
This should be fun, so play around with different patterns and designs. Drag a toothpick through wet icing to create cool effects, or add some edible glitter. Don't worry about making mistakes - enjoy the process! This is definitely a project kids can enjoy, as well. Leave cookies out until the icing hardens. And of course, the best part is eating them!
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Sugar Cookies:
- 1.5 cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup butter
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 2.5 cups flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cream of tartar
Bake 5-8 minutes at 375 degrees.
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Royal Icing:
- 1.5 cups powdered sugar
- 1 egg white
- lemon juice and choice of extract to taste
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