Simple Sugar Cookies (No Chill + Step-by-Step Video)

This sugar cookies recipe is the one one I take advantage of – particularly for holidays like Christmas! The recipe is easy and the dough is ideal for cut-out cookie adorning with no chill time wanted! Should you’re searching for a foolproof, buttery sugar cookie recipe that is it.

One of the vital frequent questions I get from readers is: “Do you’ve gotten an ideal sugar cookie recipe?”

And the reply is YES! This cut-out sugar cookie recipe is the one I’ve been utilizing for 14 years. I haven’t deviated from this recipe since I began making it so a few years in the past as a result of its perfection. I’m CRAZY enthusiastic about right this moment! I displaying you methods to make sugar cookies from scratch!

Why You’ll Love This Sugar Cookies Recipe

• Simple. You don’t should be an knowledgeable cookie maker to bake up these cookies.
• Tasty. The flavour is buttery and scrumptious! The perimeters are crisp and candy, and the facilities are smooth with a young texture.
• No Chill. The dough doesn’t should be chilled earlier than rolling and slicing out shapes.
• Excellent for Adorning. These cookies maintain crisp edges when baked. They’re excellent for all shapes of cookie cutters and adorning.

Ingredient Notes

You’ll solely want a number of components to make these basic sugar cookies. Right here’s a fast checklist with my notes to be sure to have the whole lot. (See the recipe card on the backside of this publish for particular quantities.)

• Butter. I take advantage of salted butter, however that’s a private choice. Should you desire unsalted, or that’s all you’ve gotten completely use that.
• Vanilla. I all the time advocate utilizing pure vanilla extract.
• Granulated Sugar
• Eggs
• Dry Substances: Baking Powder, All Goal Flour, and Kosher Salt. Should you don’t have kosher you should use desk salt, however I’d advocate slicing again on the quantity by half so that you don’t over-salt your cookies. Desk salt is a finer grain than kosher, so you’ll find yourself with extra.
• Powdered Sugar. The bottom of the icing.
• Water
• Mild Corn Syrup. Sweetens the icing and provides the shiny texture.

Variation Concepts

• Attempt a special taste profile. You need to use almond extract…or coconut, or rum, or perhaps a citrus like lemon or orange extract. All these would style nice! Begin by utilizing 1/2 teaspoon and enhance the quantity to style. Almond extract is a stronger taste than vanilla and I discover you should use rather less. 
• Add some mini chocolate chips. Minis will nonetheless work with cookie cutters and can bake up superbly on this recipe. 
• Combine in some nuts. Add chopped nuts like pecans, walnuts, and even pistachios. Be sure that they’re finely chopped in order that they don’t intervene along with your cookie cutters.
• Use brown sugar rather than granulated. This would possibly trigger the cookies to unfold barely greater than granulated because of the moisture content material, however not in an enormous method. You would possibly solely discover that is you’re utilizing an intricate cutter.

Ideas for the Greatest Sugar Cookies

• Don’t substitute margarine or butter flavored shortening. I typically even splurge on a flowery European butter when making these sugar cookies, as a result of there’s a increased fats content material, and whereas it’s not nice to your thighs, it does assist produce a extra scrumptious, wealthy cookie!
• Use high quality components. If you’re making sugar cookies, you need them to style good, proper? So be sure to’re prime quality butter and vanilla particularly. These are the 2 flavors that actually shine by means of, so use contemporary butter and good vanilla!
• Use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. You need to use a hand mixer for those who desire, however making these cookies with no mixer is troublesome since you wish to cream your butter and sugar collectively for two minutes. AND there’s loads of flour in these, and the dough can get exhausting to combine by hand.
• Work with sections of dough at a time. Divide the dough into sections when rolling it out to deal with the dough much less. The extra you deal with it, the hotter it will get, and the much less the cookies will maintain their form. You possibly can refrigerate the opposite sections of dough when you work with one.
• Bake roughly the identical sized cookies. Whereas it’s enjoyable to get out all of your totally different vacation cookie cutters, strive your finest to make use of uniformly sized shapes that method every batch will bake evenly. Because you’re diving the dough into 3 sections this can be a wonderful means to make use of 3 cutters for every batch. That method you’ve gotten selection, but in addition will guarantee even baking!
• Don’t fear about spreading. After all you don’t wish to overcrowd the cookie sheet since you want air circulation, however you don’t have to depart loads of area in between the cookies, as they don’t unfold a lot!

Do You Have to Chill Sugar Cookie Dough?

Okay, let’s discuss. Chilling cookie dough is annoying. I get it. SO, this lower out sugar cookie recipe requires ZERO chilling. Are you excited? Let’s discuss what meaning…

• Use chilly butter: To make the cookie dough barely chilled proper when it’s made. Simply dice the chilly butter while you combine it along with your sugar and it is going to be wonderful! You combine the butter and sugar collectively for two minutes, so the whole lot will likely be combined. Simply make sure that to scrape the edges of the blending bowl as mandatory so the whole lot is mixed evenly.
• Can I chill the dough if I wish to? If you’re prepping your vacation baking upfront and would favor to sit back the dough so you’ve gotten issues made forward you ABSOLUTELY can. It isn’t going to harm the dough.
• What about complicated cookie shapes? Does chilling assist? What in case you are utilizing a VERY intricate cookie cutter and wish to be sure to have exact edges? If I’m utilizing a really detailed cutter what I’ll do is make the dough, roll it out, lower out my cookie and pop it within the fridge to sit back for 30 or so minutes. This isn’t mandatory, however for those who’re involved, it’s a step that may’t damage.

Why Are My Reduce Out Sugar Cookies Too Darkish?

It is a quite common concern I get from readers, whether or not it’s this sugar cookie recipe recipe or some other cookie recipe. Cookie will both get too darkish, or not darkish sufficient. After all bake time issues – overbaking and underbaking can lead to too darkish or not darkish sufficient cookies.

However the most typical wrongdoer? Utilizing the mistaken cookie sheet! Listed here are some issues to remember when selecting the perfect cookie sheet to your lower out sugar cookies:

• My favourite cookie sheet: THIS COOKIE SHEET has been my tried and true for years and years. I personal 2 and they’re my favourite. They’re thought-about a “nonstick cookie sheet” however I take advantage of parchment paper to line the pan. My cookies bake evenly with the proper quantity of golden brown. 
• Lighter-colored baking sheets: These are inclined to make your cookies unfold a bit extra they usually don’t give a golden edge as simply, particularly with cut-out cookies.
• Darker-colored baking sheets: Darker, skinny baking sheet will provide you with a golden edge, and your cookies gained’t unfold almost as a lot, providing you with exact edges. 
• Parchment paper or silicone mats: These assist with even baking and stop the cookies from browning too quick.

Can I Make These Cookies Forward?

If you wish to make all of the dough and lower out all of the shapes earlier than baking you may place the cup out dough onto your prepped baking sheets and pop these within the fridge till you’re able to bake. It is a nice choice when you’ve gotten a busy cookie baking day across the holidays. After all having additional cookie sheets helps!

The way to Retailer Sugar Cookies

Retailer your cookies in an hermetic container on the counter at room temperature. They may preserve for as much as 5 days, although I believe you’ll eat all of them effectively earlier than then. Be aware that when you have iced them be sure to give the icing time to totally set and harden earlier than you stack the cookies in a container.

Can I Freeze Sugar Cookies?

YES!! You possibly can completely freeze sugar cookies (or the dough)! Right here’s how…

• Baked sugar cookies. Permit the sugar cookies to chill utterly, then switch to a freezer-safe container or ziploc bag, with parchment paper separating the layers. Be aware that you must freeze your Christmas sugar cookies earlier than adorning.
• Sugar cookie dough. Alternatively, you may freeze the dough for later. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap then place in a ziploc bag.
• How lengthy do frozen sugar cookies final? Both the frozen dough or frozen baked cookies will likely be good for 30 days in your freezer.

Extra Christmas Cookie Recipes

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