Description
These Soft Cutout Sugar Cookies are tender, puffy, and irresistibly sweet, perfect for any occasion. Rolled to a ¼-inch thickness and chilled before baking, they hold their shape beautifully and offer a soft texture that is ideal for decorating with optional creamy icing. Easy to prepare and versatile, these cookies yield about 36 small shapes, great for sharing and festive decorating.
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 subtler 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 to ensure even distribution. Set this mixture aside for later incorporation.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a separate large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together the softened salted butter and granulated sugar until the mixture becomes light, fluffy, and pale in color, creating a perfect base for the cookies.
- Add Eggs and Flavorings: Beat in the eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Then mix in the vanilla and almond extracts until evenly combined, enhancing the cookie’s flavor.
- Combine Dry and Wet Ingredients: Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, mixing on low speed just until a soft dough forms. Avoid overmixing to keep the cookies tender.
- Divide and Roll Dough: Split the dough into two equal portions. Place each on a piece of lightly floured parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Roll out each portion with a lightly floured rolling pin to about ¼-inch thickness, using extra flour if needed to prevent sticking.
- Chill the 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 to firm up the dough, making it easier to cut and preventing spreading during baking.
- Prepare to Bake: Preheat your oven to 375°F and line 2-3 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats for non-stick baking.
- Cut Out Cookies: Remove one portion of chilled dough from the refrigerator. Use cookie cutters to cut dough into desired shapes, spacing the shapes about 2-3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Gather and re-roll scraps as needed, chilling again for at least 10 minutes before baking to maintain shape.
- Bake Cookies: Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes or until they are just lightly browned around the edges but still soft in the centers. This ensures a tender texture that will firm as they cool.
- Cool Cookies: Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to set, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.
- Prepare Icing (Optional): In a bowl, combine the sifted powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk, corn syrup, and vanilla extract, stirring until smooth. Adjust consistency with additional milk or powdered sugar to achieve a thick but spreadable texture. Add gel food coloring if desired for vibrant colors.
- Decorate Cookies: Pipe or spread the prepared icing onto cooled cookies. Allow the icing to firm up and set for a couple of hours before packaging them for storage or gifting.
Notes
- This recipe yields about 36 small cookies depending on shapes and sizes, including re-rolled scraps. For a larger batch, doubling the ingredients is recommended.
- Rolling dough to ¼-inch thickness results in soft, puffy cookies. Thinner dough will create crispier cookies.
- Chilling rolled dough for 1-2 hours before cutting helps prevent spreading. If re-rolling scraps, chill dough again before baking.
- Do not overbake—cookies are done when edges just start to turn golden and centers still appear slightly soft. They will firm up while cooling.
- Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
- Dough can be prepared up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated or frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw refrigerated dough overnight before using.
- Baked cookies can be frozen up to 2 months; thaw at room temperature before decorating.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie (approximate)
- Calories: 110
- Sugar: 7g
- Sodium: 70mg
- Fat: 5g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 15g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 20mg
