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Soft Cut-Out Sugar Cookies Recipe

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★★★★★

4.9 from 95 reviews

These Soft Cut-Out Sugar Cookies are tender, buttery, and perfect for decorating with royal icing, easy glaze icing, or cookie buttercream. This classic sugar cookie recipe yields soft, flavorful cookies that hold their shape well, making them ideal for festive occasions and gifting.

Ingredients

Scale

Dry Ingredients

  • 2 and 1/4 cups (281g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), plus more as needed for rolling and work surface
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional, but makes the flavor outstanding)

Decoration

  • Royal Icing, Easy Glaze Icing, or Cookie Buttercream
  • Assorted sprinkles

Instructions

  1. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set this mixture aside to combine flavors evenly.
  2. Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, use a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment to beat the butter and sugar on high speed until light and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla, and almond extract (if using) and beat again on high speed for about 1 minute until fully combined. Scrape the bowl as needed.
  3. Combine Wet and Dry: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until just incorporated. The dough should be soft; if too sticky for rolling, beat in an additional tablespoon of flour.
  4. Roll and Chill Dough: Divide dough in half. Place each half on lightly floured parchment or silicone baking mats and roll each to about 1/4-inch thickness, using more flour as needed to prevent sticking. Stack the two rolled dough pieces, cover tightly, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days.
  5. Prepare for Baking: Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats.
  6. Cut Cookies: Carefully remove top dough piece from fridge and peel it off the bottom. Use cookie cutters to cut shapes from the dough. Gather scraps, reroll, and continue cutting. Repeat with second dough piece. Arrange cookies 3 inches apart on prepared sheets.
  7. Bake Cookies: Bake for 11–12 minutes, until edges are very lightly browned and cookies are set. Rotate sheets halfway through baking if needed. Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
  8. Decorate: Once cooled, decorate the cookies with your chosen icing and sprinkles. Use gel food colorings to tint icings if desired. Decorate on a baking sheet for easier handling and faster icing setting; refrigerate if needed to speed drying.
  9. Serve and Store: Enjoy immediately or allow icing to set before serving. Store plain or iced cookies in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days, refrigerate up to 10 days. Cookies decorated with buttercream should be kept at room temperature for 1 day or refrigerated up to 5 days.

Notes

  • Soft dough is normal; add extra flour cautiously to achieve rollable consistency.
  • Chilling dough is essential for easy cutting and maintaining shapes during baking.
  • Use parchment or silicone mats for easy removal and cleanup.
  • Royal icing sets hard and is ideal for stacking and shipping cookies.
  • Buttercream icing requires refrigeration and has shorter shelf life once applied.
  • Sprinkles add festive appearance, but are optional.

Keywords: soft sugar cookies, cut-out sugar cookies, decorated sugar cookies, royal icing cookies, holiday cookies, classic sugar cookie recipe

Find it online: https://todayfoodrecipe.com/soft-cut-out-sugar-cookies-recipe/