Even though the holidays get super busy for us, there is one thing I ALWAYS make time for… Homemade Sugar Cookies! I remember making them with my Mom every year when I was little, and it’s something I really look forward to each year with my kiddos too. There is one recipe that I’ve found makes the PERFECT Sugar Cookie Cut-outs every time, and I couldn’t let this Christmas go by without sharing it with you! If you’re planning on making cookies for the holidays, you definitely need to give this recipe a try!
There’s something I think you guys need to know about me… I’m fairly confident I can cook just about anything you throw my way, but baking… that a whole other story! Once I moved out of my Mom’s house, I learned real quick that I’m not the world’s best baker. I tried baking my son’s first birthday cake with fancy fondant decorations and needed my little sister to help me finish it minutes before the party started. I’ve managed to ruin more batches of cookies than I can count and hate messing with melted chocolate desserts. I can bake… but I just can’t deal with “fussy” baking. Do you know what I mean?
I’ve learned over the years the type of desserts that I can tackle and the ones that are better left to the pros, so I want you to know that when I share a dessert recipe with you… It’s one you can DEFINITELY do! These sugar cookies are the PERFECT example of that! My past attempts at sugar cookies were pretty miserable, and I nearly gave up and bought a package of store-bought cookie dough to save me the angst. But then I discovered the secret to making perfect, easy sugar cookie cut-outs, and it’s something I look forward to baking every year!
I know the basic recipe for sugar cookies is pretty universal across the board, but there’s a few things that set mine apart. First, almond extract. Vanilla is a must when you’re making sugar cookie dough, but the addition of a little almond extract gives the cookies a unique flavor that I just love. So good!
The second thing that sets this recipe apart is the method for cutting out the cookies. Normally, you make the dough, put it in the refrigerator to chill, roll it out, and cut it with cookie cutters. But for whatever reason, I can NEVER get this process to go right! The dough sticks to the rolling pin, I can’t get the dough out of the cookie cutters, and I end up an angry, frustrated mess of flour and dough. Not fun!
So do you want to know the secret to making the perfect cookie cut-outs? It’s so easy! Once you make the dough, roll it out BEFORE chilling it in the refrigerator between two sheets of parchment or wax paper. The parchment protects it from sticking to anything, so there’s no need to add extra flour. AND you don’t have to wrestle with the dough after it’s already been chilled! Just pull it out of the fridge, and you can cut perfect shapes with your cookie cutters! Another bonus of this method, the dough only needs to chill for about 20-30 minutes since it’s rolled out instead of in a big ball of dough. I cannot tell you how much I LOVE this method of making sugar cookies! Oh, one more thing: make sure to only let your cookies cool about 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack to finish cooling. That way they won’t overcook and will stay nice and tender. It really does make a difference!
I like to decorate my cookies very simply with colored sugars (remember, I don’t do fussy baking!), but you can decorate with icing or whatever your heart desires! One bite of these incredible cookies and you will never make them any other way again! They are perfectly tender with just the right amount of sugar. I just love the texture of the cookies! I cannot say enough about how perfect these cookies are, so you’ll just have to try them yourself! Promise me you will try them this Christmas! P.S. Santa will LOVE them too! 🙂
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1¼ cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 3 cups of flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- colored sugars for decorating
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add in egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract and mix until combined.
- In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Make sure to spoon the flour into your measuring cup and level it off with a knife to ensure accurate measurements. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until completely combined.
- Roll the dough between 2 sheets of parchment or wax paper and place on a baking sheet in the refrigerator. Chill for about 20-30 minutes.
- Cut dough into shapes with cookie cutters and transfer to a baking sheet. Sprinkle with colored sugars and bake at 350 degrees for 8-12 minutes. Cool on baking sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to a baking rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container. Makes about 40-50 cookies.
Using the parchment paper is a great tip for rolling the dough, because it eliminates the need to add extra flour to keep it from sticking.
My cookies were done baking in 9 minutes, but check yours closely. You want them to be just barely set and not yet browned. They'll seem slightly undercooked right out of the oven, but will firm up nicely once cooled. 9 minutes seemed to be the sweet spot for me!
Once the cookies come out of the oven, only let them stay on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes, or just until you're able to carefully slide a spatula underneath the cookies without breaking them to transfer to a cooling rack. Letting the cookies stay on the baking sheet any longer will dry them out, making them less soft and tender.
More holiday treats from Liz’s kitchen:
Want to skip the rolling pin and cookie cutters? Try these SUPER easy Frosted Sugar Cookie Bars!
White Chocolate Holiday Popcorn Mix
Sugar cookies are not my favorite but certainly a must at Christmas. Santa loves them!
I agree, Emily. It’s not Christmas without them! Santa’s favorite 🙂 Thanks so much for stopping by! Happy Holidays!
How thick do I roll out the dough before chilling it in the fridge?
I like to roll mine about 1/4″ thick… maybe even a little thicker. This dough allows you to cut big, thick cookies, and I love them that way! Hope you enjoy them too! 🙂
Loved these! Thank You!
Hi! This seems like a really great no fuss recipe. I was wondering how & how long I can store these?
Hi Eileen! Thanks for stopping by! As long as you store these cookies in an airtight container, they should last about 2 weeks. I’ve kept them for longer than that, but if you’re giving them away to someone who might not eat them right away, I would say 2 weeks is about all you’ll want to make them ahead. I hope this helps! Enjoy these delicious cookies 🙂
You can keep batter in the freezer for up to 3months. I roll batches in parchment paper and then place them in freezer bags with air removed. I do this for chocolate chip and oatmeal cookies too. There is nothing better than homemade cookies and milk. Sugar cookies make a great “rainy day activity” for kids.
I definitely agree, Jenna! Having cookie dough ready-to-go in the freezer is a great tip!
I have the same problem with the sticking and messiness. I am definitely going to try these sugar cookies this week. I am so excited to perhaps make some sugar cookies and decorate them!
I’m glad I’m not the only one, Carolyn! For some reason, I could never get them to work right. I love this recipe though! I hope you love them too! Happy holidays!
They look amaze- balls my only prob is that mine spread out even after chilling them again after I’ve cut them out. Am I baking them for too long, heeeeeelp please? Xoxo
Thank you! I’ve never had a problem with mine spreading, but here’s some tips to make them spread less: Use UNgreased baking sheets. If you’d like to have something underneath the cookies, use parchment paper or a silicone baking mat instead. Make sure your butter is room temperature, not melted. Also, allow your baking sheets to cool in between batches. You don’t want to add chilled cookie dough to hot baking sheets. Temperature is usually the major factor in spreading, so I hope these tips help! I bake my cookies for about 9 minutes. Hope you enjoy your cookies! 🙂
one thing i would add is to be sure you are putting the cookies in the oven while they are still cool… this helps them to not spread. so if need be cut them pop them in the freezer for a min or two and then go straight to the oven this should help with spreading. and yes i also agree let your pans cool.
Thanks for the great tip, Rayann! You’re totally right! I like to roll my dough nice and thick, so they stay chilled longer. But if you roll them out thinner, they won’t stay chilled as long. Thanks for stopping by!
What thickness do you roll the dough out to?
I like to make my sugar cookies real thick and meaty, and this dough works perfectly for that. I roll my dough between 1/4″ and 1/2″ thick to get the cookies as they are shown in the pictures here. I hope this helps and that you love these yummy cookies too!
I also had problems with mine spreading, and followed all of the tips in the comments. Very chilled dough, went into the oven pretty quickly after taking out of the fridge, etc. Additionally, at 1/4-1/2″ thickness, there is no way this makes 40-50 cookies. I just made mine about 1/4″ thick and got 23 cookies. I probably wouldn’t use the recipe itself again, but the tips to roll out before chilling and almond extract are both great for any sugar cookie recipe.
Perfect was the right work to use! They really are!
Thank you! They are so yummy and tender, I just love them!
Hi have just seen this recipe and will be making it with the Grand-children this weekend, will let you know what the outcome will be!!
Hopefully there will be some left to eat over Christmas!!!!
Hi Virginia! Thank you so much for stopping by! I hope you make some wonderful memories with your grandchildren this weekend and enjoy the cookies! Wishing you a very Merry Christmas!
thank you :0) un vrai délice tout ca
You are very welcome! 🙂
Thanks for this recipe! Will try this techique about the dough…I always have “issues” with my dough also! I love to bake, but cutout cookies are my downfall! And I don’t like fussy decorating, give me the sprinkles also! I’m all for the taste!
Well you will love this recipe then, Alaine! It’s so easy! Hope you enjoy! 🙂
I used to get hugely frustrated with sugar cookies too, until I figured out the rolling them out between two sheets of parchment paper trick. No more torn cookies because the dough was too sticky, or tough as nails cookies because of all the flour I had to add to roll and reroll the dough. I’m way more compulsive than you are, though; my cookies invariably end up a lot thinner than these because I can’t resist making sure they’re adequately rolled!
Doesn’t it make a huge difference? I love making sugar cookies this way! Nice, thick sugar cookies are my favorite. 🙂 Thanks so much for stopping by!
And I’ve never heard of adding almond extract; next time I bake sugar cookies, for sure!
Yes, try it! It adds a wonderful bit of flavor to the cookies!
Wondering do you have to use the almond extract?
Hi Kassie! You can certainly use all vanilla extract instead of the almond, I just like the addition of almond flavor to these cookies. I hope you enjoy them!
Thank u
You’re so welcome!
Hello Liz! I was wondering about the almond extract thing. Do you just replace the amount of almond extract with vanilla extract, or just omit the almond extract completely and keep the amount of vanilla extract the same as listed in the recipe?
Thanks!
Hey Krystle! Great question. Since it’s just a small amount of almond extract in the recipe, it won’t matter too much either way. You can never have too much vanilla flavor in my opinion, so I’d personally add a little extra in place of the almond. Enjoy the recipe!
Deifnitely going to try this! Wondering if you line the cookie sheet with anything or any non-stick spray?
Hi Alicia! I use ungreased cookie sheets, usually lined with parchment paper. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Wondering, can you use regular butter instead of unsalted?
Hi Alisha! You can certainly use salted butter, I just might omit adding any additional salt to the recipe. I hope you enjoy the recipe!
I agree. We mistakenly used salted butter and the amount of salt that the recipe calls for. Too much saltiness so choose one or the other.
Hi, these cookies look amazing! I have a question though, it says this recipe makes 40-50 cookies, do you roll all of the dough out and place on 1 cookie sheet? Or do you cutout the cookies then roll the remaining dough out and repeat? Thank you!
Hi Jaimie! I roll the dough out and cut as many cookies as I can fit, then roll out again and repeat until I’ve used up all the dough. It usually takes at least 2 baking sheets to fit them all. Thanks for the great question! Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Do you have to re-chill the dough on the second roll-out or can you go directly to the oven? Thanks!
Hey Leigh! Since I get most of the cookies cut on the first roll-out, I don’t worry about re-chilling the second time. As long as you’re working semi-quickly, you should be just fine! Hope you enjoy!
it may depend on where you live. I use this same method but I need to rechill my dough after ther first cut. I keep a cookie sheet in the fridge and place the rolled dough on the sheet. I live in Hawaii, so perhaps that has something to do with it. And I totally agree about the need for both vanilla and almond extracts.
Great tips! Thank you for sharing them with us! 🙂
I am excited to try these! We have a party every Christmas Eve and decorate cookies for Santa! I haven’t had much luck with sugar cookies… Thanks for the recipe!!!
You are so welcome, Lauren! I hope you enjoy!!
Your recipe is hands down the best one I have ever tried! Everyone loved the taste!! Thankyou soooo much!! Now I love making sugar cookies! 🙂
YAY!! You’ve totally made my day, Lauren! I know how much I enjoy making these yummy cookies, and it makes my heart sing to know that others are enjoying them as well! Thanks so much for stopping by to let me know!
Ah, so that’s the secret! I never get sugar cookies right, so I’ll pin this and try it ! Merry Christmas, Liz!
It makes such a difference, Amy! These are so easy and turn out perfect every time I make them! I hope you enjoy the recipe! Merry Christmas to you too!
Can you put M & M’s in dough to make M& M Cookies?
Sure! That sounds yummy! If you’re doing rolled cookie cut-outs, they might make the dough a little difficult to roll out, so I would either use the mini M&M’s or press the M&M’s into the tops of the cut-outs before baking. You’ll have to let me know how they turn out!
Hi i have a question. When you bake them will they grow, or stay the same size?
Hi Taylor! Great question! These sugar cookies stay almost exactly the same size if you follow the recipe as written. That’s another reason I love this cookie recipe so much!
I am waiting to make your cookie recipe. Sounds easy and successful. Do you use your mixer to mix the flour mixture into the sugar mixture? How long do you mix it? I have terrible results when I use the mixer while adding flour mixture.
Hi Cathy! I have great results with this recipe every time! I do use my mixer to add the flour, but I’ll usually switch to stirring with a spoon or spatula at the very end if there is some flour that won’t mix easily. I hope this helps! Enjoy your cookies! 🙂
I just made these and oh my gosh, are they delicious! Thanks for a solid sugar cookie recipe!!! They were easy to make, easy to cut out, and a pleasure to eat!
That makes me so happy!! We love making these cookies during the holidays, but I really need to remember them more throughout the year. They’re just too yummy not to enjoy all year long. 🙂 Thanks for letting me know that you liked them!
Can you use Margarine with this recipe?
Hi Arica!! I would definitely recommend butter for these sugar cookies, as you’ll want that buttery flavor. I’ve never tried using margarine for them before, so if you do decide to try it, you’ll have to let me know how they turn out!
Im trying this recipe right now! Can’t wait to have them baked and decorated!
Yay!! You are going to love that sweet vanilla smell coming out of your oven! Just thinking about baking these cookies makes me want to go make a batch! Hope you enjoy. 🙂
Made your cookies yesterday and they came out wonderful! I added blue food coloring because we made them for America’s birthday (4th of July). The trick with the parchment paper is amazing! I made the dough, flattened it and stored it in the fridge. When the girls woke up they each had their own piece of flat dough to work with. And best of all? It all stayed on the paper so I didn’t have to clean my kitchen or flour! Thank you so much. Happy 4th of July!
That is wonderful, Lee! This makes me SO happy! What a great idea to add a little touch of blue for the holiday weekend, and I bet your girls were super excited to bake some cookies with you! And YAY for no messy kitchen!! 🙂
Thanks so much for sharing this with me, Lee! Have a wonderful 4th!
To avoid having to chill them, I mix the flour with the baking powder and add cubed cold butter to that like you do with pie crust. I mix my eggs, sugar and vanilla in a separate bowl and add that to the flour/butter mixture. Works every time and I am able to roll and cut right away.
That’s a great tip, Krista! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much for this recipe! I used it to make “mustache” cookies for a large BBQ. I thought the kids would like them, but to my surprise the adults went wild over them! I followed your recipe exactly and they were so easy to roll out. I’ve added it to my “5-Star” Board!
You have no idea how happy this makes me!! I’m so glad the recipe worked well for your BBQ, and I love the idea of mustache cookies! I bet they were super cute! Thanks so much for sharing. 🙂
Hello Liz! I have a question so once you roll out your dough on a baking sheet and chill it in the freezer and cut out the cookies. Do you roll out the extra again onto another sheet and repeat? Then chill again in freezer for 20-30 min before you bake? Im so excited to make these cookies I just want to make sure I make them perfect ! Thanks
Hi Jayme! Great question! Once I’ve chilled the dough and cut out the cookies, I will roll the extra dough together again to use. I don’t worry about repeating the chill process again, just go ahead and roll and cut with the extra dough. Then move your cookie cut-outs to a baking sheet and stick them in the oven! If you have any more questions, just let me know, and I hope you enjoy the recipe! I cannot wait to make them again soon!
Your cookie recipe is so delicious and it’s really easy. Thank you 🙂
Thank you SO very much!! I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed it!
I am excited to make some delicious Halloween sugar cookies – I love a great thick cookie, and just saw a recipe for a candy corn frosting! Is it just me – I’m not a fan of almond extract. I always omit….
Ohhh candy corn frosting sounds amazing! You’ll have to let me know how it turns out! Almond extract is definitely a personal preference, but I love a good thick cookie too. Enjoy! 🙂
I haven’t had good luck with sugar cookies in the past. Do you use self rising flour or all purpose?
I had the worst time trying to make sugar cookies until I used this recipe. I think you’ll really like it! I use all-purpose flour. You’ll have to let me know what you think!
Looks amazing! I read where you said these are tender, but are they soft? Or crunchy? I love love love almond in my sugar cookies too! I cant wait to try these out for my cutouts this year! I have a soft recipe (that I love), but they also spread a little bit.I’m hoping these will be the best of both worlds! 🙂
Hey Tracey! These cookies are definitely soft, which I personally love. With this method of rolling then chilling, the cookies stay nice and firm in the oven (a.k.a. don’t spread all over the place), but still turn out deliciously soft and tender. I hope you enjoy the recipe, and you’ll have to let me know what you think!
I found your recipe on Pinterest, and I LOVE it! The cookies keep their shape, and the tops stay so flat. My flood icing didn’t run off the edges! My husband says they taste way better than my old recipe, too! (I go through spells of making a lot of decorated sugar cookies, so he has eaten a few.) Thank you, thank you, thank you!!
Yay!! I’m so happy to hear this, Jenn! I usually take the easy way out and just sprinkle some sugar on top, but I can’t wait to do some iced cookies this Christmas too! You’re right, the flat tops of these cookies are perfect for that! Thanks so much for stopping by, and eat a cookie for me, okay? 🙂
When do you add the colored sugar to the cookies? Before or after baking?
Hey Corey! I put the sugar on just before baking. You’ll have to let me know how your cookies turn out! I can’t wait to make a big batch soon!
I have recently moved to Colorado and find baking here quite challenging. Do you have any suggestions to modify these for high altitude baking?
Hey Sharon! That’s a tough one. We obviously don’t have to deal with high altitude here in Indiana, but I pulled up this resource from Betty Crocker that might help: http://www.bettycrocker.com/how-to/tipslibrary/baking-tips/baking-cooking-high-altitudes
According to it, cookies generally aren’t affected too much by high altitude since they bake for such a short amount of time, but there’s some good tips there that might help you! I’m sorry I can’t be of more help, but maybe some readers have a better answer for you! You’ll have to let me know how they turn out once you try them.
Liz,
Thanks for your rapid response. I have now pinned the Betty Crocker suggestions. I will let you know what I did and how they turned out once I try this recipe.
I’m glad those tips helped! Looking forward to hearing about your baking experiments! I’m sure they’ll be delicious. 🙂
I made this recipe here in CO with no alterations, and they were perfect!
I found your recipe on Pinterest and I’m happy about it, because I have the same problem with rolling out the dough and cutting them out without getting angry with the cut outs and myself. I have a question: I want to send a batch to my friends in Canada (I live in Germany), how long will the cookies stay fresh?
I think you’re going to love this recipe then, Sybil! It’s so much easier for me! I’ve made these cookies a week, week and a half in advance before the holidays, so as long they’re sealed up tight, they should be okay to ship. You’ll have to let me know how they turn out!
Are these cookies as delicious if I take out the 1/2 tablespoon of almond extract and just add more vanilla? I have people I’m baking for who are mighty allergic to almonds
I mean teaspoon*
Absolutely! Extra vanilla is a great substitution for the almond extract. I hope you all enjoy them! 🙂
I have 2 family members allergic to peanuts and tree nuts. A couple of years ago, when reading the ingredient list on a box of butter pecan cake mix, I didn’t see any notation of pecans, nor was there any allergy warning for nuts or peanuts. Called the company. NO pecans, other nuts, nor peanuts in their “Butter-Pecan” cake mix. Same exercise with Loran flavoring oils (use them in candy, especially). Again, no nuts in their flavorings. Guess it’s the miracle of modern chemistry. Other extreme, I called the manufacturer of a brand of halvah (a sesame seed candy), which had no nut allergen warning on the label. Found they process their sesame seeds on equipment shared in processing nuts. Any, always err on the side of caution, but when you absolutely positively must modify a favorite, call product manufacturers. Often there are satisfactory work-arounds for a lot of food allergens.
Great tips, Dianne! I don’t have anyone in my family who is highly allergic to anything, so I’ve never had to research these things. Thanks for passing this along!
HI, I just finished making the dough but when I went to roll it out, it cracked and separated! I put it in the fridge as just balls of dough to get the shape back, but is there something else I can do for easier rolling out??
Hey Chelsea! It sounds like the dough might be a little dry. Could be a little too much flour in the dough, but if you’re not able to roll the dough out at all, I might try spritzing it with just a small amount of cold water and kneading it a few times. You don’t want the dough to be gooey and sticky, but a small amount of moisture (just like with a pie crust) might help. Let me know if that helps at all! 🙂
Made these last night and they were DELICIOUS! Love, love, love the little bit of almond flavoring and they turned out nice and soft (the way I prefer my sugar cookies to be). Will be saving and using this recipe for holiday cutouts next month. Thanks for the great recipe! 🙂
I’m so happy to hear that, Lindsay!! I agree, I just love the softness of these cookies! Thank you for stopping by to share this with me! 🙂
Thanks for the recipe. My daughter and I just finished making our first ever batch of Christmas cookies using this recipe. We had to try it out before we made it to Christmas… LOL. They are delish!
I’m so happy to hear that!! I bet your daughter loved helping in the kitchen. Now you get to make another yummy batch in just a few more weeks! 🙂
im in the UK do you have ingredients in grams or ounces please?
Hello over in the U.K.! I don’t typically do recipe conversions, but I think you can Google some simple recipe converters. You’ll have to let me know if you find a good one! Thanks, Rachel! 🙂
I didn’t care for these. The almond extract yuck! The dough was extremely hard to work with and crumbly, and the cookies stuck to my pan and what I could get off fell apart. Still searching for the perfect sugar cookie cut outs!
I’m so sorry to hear that, Serena. Thank you for the feedback!
If i roll out/cookie cut my cookies the night before and then bake them in the morning?
Yes! That should work just fine! Hope you enjoy the cookies, Lauren!
Love the recipe from Germany. I about to start my cookie adventure! Looking forward to your great baking ideas..
Thanks
Stephennie
Hope you enjoy them, Stephennie! 🙂
Thought I’d share my 2 cents! I always use a little zest of lemon, llime, and orange on sugar cookies. I put a pinch of all 3 on each cookie before baking! Then the cookies have a delicious sugar cookie taste, but also a slight lemon/lime/orange taste! It’s just delicious!! 😀 😀
Oh my, Susan… that sounds delicious! What a fantastic suggestion! Will be trying this very soon. 🙂
My 2yr old daughter and I made these yesterday. Delish!!! We used vanilla instead of Akins extract. Great taste and texture!
So happy you both enjoyed them!! I bet she loved being in the kitchen with Mom. 🙂 Thanks for the feedback, Juanita!
Made these tonight and they were YUMMY and EASY! I will definately make them again. Thanks for the great recipe!
Yay! So happy to hear that, Kelli! Enjoy a few cookies for me over the holiday, okay? 🙂
Liz, Do you put your sugar decor on before you bake? Seemed like it, just wondering.
Hey Megan! Yes, I sprinkle on the decorative sugar just before baking. Hope you enjoy the cookies! 🙂
I tried doing the roll out between wax paper and I guess o didn’t have enough flour because it stuck to the paper something aweful! 🙁 lesson learned! 🙂
Hey Jenelle, so sorry to hear that! I’ve never had the dough stick to the wax paper, so I’m not sure what went wrong. Thanks for the feedback though! 🙂
Do these cookies hold their shape well while baking?
Yes, VERY well! That’s one of the big reasons I love this recipe so much. I hope you enjoy your cookies!
Hi! I love this recipe, I made it last year and I’m making it again this weekend! However, I’m wondering if I roll the dough out and put it in the fridge as instructed, THEN leave it in there for 3 hours, will it be okay, or will it dry out?
I’m so happy to hear that, Erin! Tis the season for baking! 🙂
As long as you keep the dough cover with the wax paper or plastic wrap, it should be just fine for a few hours. Let me know how they turn out for you this time!
Hi Liz! I am so exited to try this recipe! I bet they’ll be a hit at christmas dinner!! Thank you so much for sharing! Happy holidays!!
Hey Sabrina! I can’t wait for you to try them! I hope you enjoy these little treats as much as we do. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by and see you back soon!
My first time making sugar cookies and these turned out perfect!!. I did exactly what the recipe said to do and voila! Thank u 🙂
I love hearing this, Gloria!! It makes me so happy to know someone is baking these cookies somewhere out there in the world. Eat a few for me, okay? 😉
I used to dread making Christmas/sugar cookies because of the chill process and mess of flour. I am definitely excited about making them with this new step! Thank you so much for sharing your tips with us!
Merry Christmas!
Mary
Girl… me too! Many Christmas tears have been shed in my kitchen over messed up sugar cookies before this recipe came along. I really hope you enjoy these cookies as much as I do! 🙂 Merry Christmas, my friend!
Hi Liz
Just wondered after dough has been refrigerated between parchment paper on cookie sheet could I cut out cookies on parchment paper-remove surrounding dough & bake on same parchment paper lined cookie sheet?
Hey Judy! Yes, I believe that would work just fine. Great question! Hope you enjoy the recipe. 🙂
I just came upon this entry from pinterest! Love the rolling out idea, but question: after you cut the first round, what do you do with the scraps? Do you roll those bits out with flour, or re-refrigerate, or just use the cutters so well (as in close together) that there are few scraps? I just moved to a house with horrible counter space so I’m loving your method, just need to make sure it’ll work for me! Thanks!!
My counter space is pretty limited too, Laura. I feel your pain! After cutting out the first round, I usually just roll the scraps back together and cut again as long as the dough stays nice and chilled. You don’t want that butter melting before the cookies go in the oven! If your oven is full and you still have dough left to cut, I’d go ahead and chill the dough while you’re waiting for the first batch of cookies to finish up. I hope this helps and you enjoy the recipe! 🙂
This sounds like a great idea but I could never figure out how to get the cookie sheets into the fridge or freezer?? Any suggestions?
Hey Anita! Do you mean the cookie sheets won’t fit into your fridge? Hmm… I’m not sure! Mine fit in okay with a little food re-arranging, but depending on where you live, maybe you could set the cookies outside if it’s nice and cold out? Sorry I can’t be more help! Any readers suggestions?
I just yesterday discovered that it’s easier to get the dough into and out of the fridge on my big cooling rack than on the backs of cookie sheets, which is what I’d been doing before. It’s always a matter of juggling things, but whatever you do, don’t balance your cookie sheets upside down on top of your liter of eggnog, where the edges can snag the eggnog and other things on their way by. She says, having learned this the hard way…
Oh no, Margaret! If you shouldn’t cry over spilled milk, can you still cry over spilled cookies? I think so! Lol 🙂 Thanks for sharing your tips with us!
How much flour does the recipe call for?
Hi Yvette! The recipe calls for 3 cups of flour. I hope this helps!
I too am going to try this recipe before the others…I like the clean cut outs –THICK, Love the look of these. I pinned this because the pinners said, “The BEST recipe I’ve ever found for Sugar Cookie Cut-outs! This easy method makes the most moist, tender, delicious cookies that you can decorate however you like! ” ……(Pinned from lovegrowswild.com)
I like a super thick cut-out too, Stacy. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do! 🙂
I made these with my family yesterday and they are amazing! They are supersoft just the way I like them! And I never thought to roll out the dough before refrigerating… Genius!!
Yay!! I’m so happy to hear that, Emilie! I just love how tender and soft these cookies are too. Thank you for stopping by and sharing your feedback on the recipe! 🙂 Enjoy a cookie for me!
Lovin’ all the great tips. Wishing I’d thought to make the dough up and roll it out ahead of time when my kiddos were young! Then all you have left is the fun stuff with the kids…the baking and decorating. Looks like my 16 year old will benefit from these tips, though. And at 6’2, 150 pounds soaking wet, he could definitely stand to benefit from some holiday cookie-goodness!
Haha! Your boy sounds just like my oldest… Alec is only 8, but he’s such a string bean! Extra sugar cookies for them. 🙂 Thanks so much for stopping by!
Hi, just found this recipe. I have been making another recipe for years, it rolls and cuts like a dream, but can be a little dry. I am not a fan of almond extract, can i use all vanilla extract instead? Thanks!
Absolutely! Using all vanilla is a perfect substitution. I hope you enjoy the recipe, Beth!
You sounded just like me when talking about past sugar cookie dilemmas. Well, I gave your recipe a try and when I took out the first batch and waited with much anticipation. After transferring to the cooling rack, I took one and bit into it and honestly the Angels began singing! I almost had tears in my eyes from pure joy! Thank you so much for this recipe! God bless you and family. Merry Christmas!
Denise Kuhn
Colorado Springs
You are almost bringing tears to MY eyes, Denise! You have no idea how happy this makes me! It’s good to know I’m not the only one who hears angels sing every time I bite into these sugar cookies. 🙂 Thank you so very much for sharing your feedback with me, and Merry Christmas! 🙂
Would there be any issues if I used GF flour instead??
Hey Jessica! I haven’t tried using GF flour yet, so you’ll have to let me know how it turns out!
Will do! Hoping to make these this weekend. Thank you
HI, I am planning to make cookies this weekend. Do you think I can make and roll out the dough the night before and leave it in the refrigerator covered so it’s all ready to go the next day? I am planning to make many different kinds and am trying to do some doughs ahead if I can. Thanks! Katie
That’s a fantastic idea, Katie. Especially when you have a big baking to-do list! As long as the dough stays covered, it should be perfectly fine to make the day before. Let me know how they turn out! 🙂
I love the idea of rolling them out before chilling! I will be trying that. My favorite Sugar Cookies recipe from my Mom and Grandma uses Powdered sugar instead of granulated. And we always added the almond flavoring! 🙂
I love to hear about the recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation. I might have to try using powdered sugar one of these times! I agree with you… love the little bit of extra flavor from the almond extract!:)
It worked!!! This was my last attempt at making cut-out cookies! I’m so excited I found a recipe that I could successfully use! In the past, I’ve had issues with rolling out the dough and it ended up a sticky, floury mess! My 4yr old and I followed your recipe this afternoon and they turned out so well! Thank you for sharing! Your cookie cutters must be much smaller than mine. I have no idea how else you would be able to make 40-50 cookies… I made around 22. Do you know of a good icing recipe for them?
Thanks again!
Dana, I have been there before! I swore I’d NEVER do cut-out cookies again before trying this recipe! I’m so glad it worked for you, and I bet you and your little one had so much fun in the kitchen together. I recently shared this icing recipe that I love: https://lovegrowswild.com/2014/11/2-step-iced-sugar-cookies/
I hope you enjoy the cookies! Happy Holidays!
What happens I use salted butter? That’s all I have:(
Hey Samantha! I like using unsalted butter just so I can control exactly how much salt goes into the recipe, but you can still use the salted butter if that’s what you have. I hope you enjoy!
I followed your recipe and i have to tell you that you are a genius! Rolling the dough before its refrigerated and using parchment paper- it worked perfectly! And the cookies are delicious! Thank you so much!
I am SO happy to hear my trick worked for you! I wouldn’t say I’m anywhere close to a genius… more like an impatient baker who doesn’t have time for fussy cookie doughs. Lol! Thanks for sharing your feedback with me!
Hi, I tried your recipe tonight and I must say they are the best tasting cut out cookies I’ve had. However I had a tough time with the cookies spreading while baking. I followed the recipe exactly and chilled the dough after rolling out. Once in the oven they became blobs instead of the cute cut outs. Used un- greased pans. Any idea where I went wrong?
Hmm… I’m not sure what went wrong, especially if the dough was chilled. Usually melted butter is the culprit for cookies that spread too much. I’m glad they tasted yummy though!
I laughed when I came across this; I figured out how to roll out cookies exactly like this a few years ago, but I really thought I was the only one who’d invented this method! It’s so much easier and successful than any other method I’d ever tried, I’m even willing to use up quite a lot of parchment paper. (Which I re-use numerous times, of course…)
Haha! I’ve thought the same thing before! I agree… totally worth using all that parchment paper!
These were actually perfect! Not only easy, but super delicious. My husband calls me a cookie snob..so I would say you nailed it with this recipe 🙂 My boys had fun making them with me..and we used your frosting recipe and tip about using a squirt bottle…also worked out perfectly! Thanks!!! I shared your recipe/link on my blog today!
Compliments on my recipe from a cookie snob… I’ll gladly take it!! Lol! Thank you so much for sharing your feedback with me! It sounds like you and your boys had a wonderful day of baking, and I’m so glad the recipe worked well for you. Enjoy a cookie for me, okay? 🙂
no eggs. Why?
These cookies do call for 1 egg, as shown in the recipe. Sorry for any confusion!
What a fantastic recipe! we’ve included it in our Thrifty Handmade Christmas Gift Ideas, check it out here…
http://www.consollo.com/blog/thrifty-handmade-christmas-gift-ideas/
Thank you!!
Hi! These look absolutely wonderful! Just wondering though- do you think it would work with King Arthur All-Purpose Gluten Free Flour? My mom has Celiac and I was really hoping to bake her some cookies for Christmas. I know some recipes you can substitute gluten free flour in and some you can’t. Hope you can help! Thanks!
Hey Amy! That’s a great question. How sweet of you to bake for your Mom!! I haven’t tested this recipe with any gluten free flour, so I’m not sure what the results would be.
READERS: Have you tried using gluten free flour with these cookies?
I came across this on pinterest. I made them today and wow they were absolute perfection. Such a wonderful taste and so soft. I will definitely be making these again.
Yay!! That’s great to hear, Ashley! So glad you enjoyed the recipe. Eat one for me, okay? 🙂
Hi, I tried making these and the batter just would not hold together — it was way too crumbly. I read a few other recipes that called for adding milk, confirmed with my sister who bakes sugar cookies every Christmas, and tried it. Per her recipe, I added 3T milk and that made ALL the difference. The dough was fine after that. Was some form of liquid mistakenly left out of the original recipe???
Hey Anne! I don’t usually add any other liquids to the dough, but if yours was a little dry, milk would do the trick! Thanks for sharing this tip with us. 🙂
Hi! You write about using parchment paper, but from the picture, it looks more like wax paper. Do you use them interchangeably? Or am I just looking too hard at the pictures? (and drooling over those picture perfect cookies!)
Thanks!
I prefer parchment, but I’ve used wax paper too before when in a pinch!
I will try the recipe tonight with my daughter. I hope it would turn out ok like yours’..thanks for the tip and sounds easy to follow but we’ll see..Merry xmas.
Best of luck, Amelia! You can do it! 🙂
I just found these in Pinterest. I was looking for a new cutout cookie recipe for Christmas because I lost my old one but I’m not even mad because they are amazing and I will be making them again. Thank you!
I hate when I lose old favorite recipes, but I’m so glad you found a new one! Thanks for sharing with us, Heather!
Do you use self rising or plain flour
Hey Teresa! I use regular all-purpose flour. Happy baking! 🙂
Can this recipe be used with a cookie press as well?
Hey Melissa! I’ve never tried this recipe in a cookie press, so I’m not sure. If you give it a shot, let me know how they turn out!
I don’t know what I did wrong, but these cookies turned out terrible! One big crumbly mess! The dough was hard to work with and the cookies are falling apart after being cooked. Very disappointed with this recipe.
My dough turned out a crumbly mess. Very disappointing 🙁 how does yours not turn out like this without not adding any sort of liquid??
Hey Tanya, I’m so sorry to hear that. The dough should be on the dry side, so it keeps those perfect cookie cutter shapes in the oven, but if you were having a lot of trouble getting the dough to come together, a couple tablespoons of milk might do the trick. Thank you for the feedback!
Best cutout cookie recipe I have ever tried! Cookies keep their shape and don’t puff up too much. The waxed paper makes this super easy for cleanup too!
I’m SO happy to hear that, Danielle!! I agree, way less clean-up this way! Enjoy a cookie for me, okay? 😉
Decorate then bake huh? Never thought of that. I’ll be trying this recipe.! Thank you.!! 🙂
Yes! I love using the simple decorating sugars first because it’s just SO easy! Great for kiddos who want to help too. 🙂 Hope you enjoy!
I liked the idea of rolling the dough out prior to chilling, so I was all set to love this recipe. Unfortunately, pretty much everything went wrong. I cook with all organic ingredients, and I use a half-and-half mixture of whole wheat flour and unbleached all-purpose flour whenever I bake. That may have been the first problem…my dough was very dry — so much so that I had to add a couple of teaspoons of water just to get it to come together. Then, the parchment paper was sliding all over my counter while I was trying to roll the dough between the two sheets, so I gave up after wrestling with it for a few minutes and ended up having to roll it out the traditional way. The added flour to keep things from sticking dried the dough out again, so I had to keep sprinkling it with water just to keep the edges from cracking and tearing horribly. I reduced the baking time by a minute and got them off the hot cookie sheets after a minute or two of cooling time, but I still think they are going to end up pretty dry and crumbly. Hopefully they will still taste great, though! It’s more about the decorating for my kids, anyway.
Hey Jenn, sorry to hear about your troubles! I’ve never tried using different flours with this recipe, so I’m not sure what went wrong. The dough should be on the dry side to keep the cookies from spreading in the oven, but they shouldn’t turn out crumbly. Thank you for your feedback, and I wish you happy holidays!
Can I leave the dough in the fridge overnight to make the next morning?
Hey Bri! Yes, I believe that would work just fine. Happy baking! 🙂
these are going to taste great.. but mine spread and puffed up signifigantly despite everything being chilled and following directions to a T. Oh well, they’re for the kids anyways and they dont care!
Hope you have fun decorating with the kids, Meg! Happy holidays!
thank you for sharing this yumminess . Pinned to the Christmas cookie board xo
Thanks for the pin!! Hope you had a Merry Christmas. 🙂
Best batch of Christmas cookies we have ever made!
Yay!! Thanks for sharing this, Tricia! 🙂
I made these today with my son as our ” cookies for Santa”. They turned out great! I didn’t pre roll the dough as you suggested, instead I chilled it as two separate balls and rolled them out after but they still turned out wonderful. Great taste and super simple. This will now be my go to recipe for sugar cookies! Thanks 🙂
So happy to hear that, Gail! I bet Santa loved them. 🙂
All I can say is a BIG THANK YOU for this recipe. I was finally able to make great tasting sugar cookies that are pretty too. I am not an artistic baker, but decorating these was so easy. I also used 2 big paint sticks for measuring the thickness of the dough. Love that you roll the dough first then in the fridge. And you re right the almond extract makes lol the difference in the flavor.
Merry Christmas and thanks again.
You are very welcome, Dee! I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe! 🙂
This recipe is fabulous! I have been making sugar cookies for almost 50 years and have tried many different recipes. This one is perfect and genius. I wish I had thought of rolling the dough before chilling! The whole process is so much easier and the cookies turned out perfect. Thank you!
I’m absolutely honored to hear that after 50 years of sugar cookie making, this is a recipe you love. Thank you so much for sharing your feedback with us! 🙂
Can’t wait to work on these today with my 2 daughters and son!
Feedback from everyone sounds so positive.
Will let you know how they turn out!
Hope you enjoyed the cookies, Chandra!! 🙂
was i supposed to put flour on the sheets before i put the dough in the frig cuz its sticking and everything im not sure why Help!!!
Hi Sheena! The dough shouldn’t be sticking to the parchment paper unless the butter has really melted before getting the dough into the fridge. The parchment paper should peel off pretty easily.
My kiddos and I just finished (and tasted) a batch—they were awesome! Thanks for the great, easy recipe! Merry Christmas!
So glad you enjoyed them, Carey! Hope you had a Merry Christmas! 🙂
My dough turned really crumbly…..
We’ll be making these tonight for Santa. Thanks!
Dough is in the fridge right now. I hope I did it right because there’s no way it’s going to make 40-50 cookies. it’s also not what I would call dry so we’ll see if it spreads.
Love the rollout method. That alone will keep me from saying I’ll never make cutout cookies again. many of mine did break though and I didn’t think. they had a lot of flavor. maybe I should have let them cook or sit a bit longer. I did use all vanilla because I didn’t have Almond. I’m happy just to have found the easy way to roll them without the flour mess.
Happy to hear the new roll-out method working for you! 🙂
I don’t like this cookie recipe. I found it unworkable. It was to crumbly and the dough before and after baking kept falling apart. Yes, I followed the exact recipe. No add ins or take outs. It was not most enough!
My cookies are in the fridge chilling. I’m super exited. I cut mine out prior to chilling because my 3yr old and asd 6 year old would take forever and they wouldn’t be chilled anymore. Transferring to a non chilled baking sheet . Thank you. This will be cookies Santa went have to choke down
Haha! Santa has had to choke down some doozies in the past, hasn’t he? I know he’s had more than a few of them at our house. 😉 Hope you and the kiddos enjoyed the sugar cookies!
Made these exactly like the directions and they turned out great! For someone who has never made sugar cookies – reading the notes and comments had me worried, but I had no trouble! Will be saving this. Thanks!
You’ll be a sugar cookie pro in no time! So glad you enjoyed them. 🙂
If u have to refrigerate the dough between each roll this will take hours. Cookies lost shape slight ly during baking. (christen trees had round points etc). I think the photos r all precooked.
There are photos in this post of both the raw cookie dough as well as the baked cookies after coming out of the oven to show how they should look during each step.
I was a little skeptical at first. I mean, could something really be so simple AND delicious? Yes! Thank you for the AMAZING recipe. These cookies are thick, soft, and delicious. They made the house smell amazing and Santa is going to LOVE them. The only sugar I’ve ever eaten that doesn’t even need frosting (and that means a great deal coming from this girl)! And your parchment paper tip? Pure genius. Thank you and Merry Christmas!
Yay!! I’m so happy to hear that the cookies turned out perfectly for you! There’s nothing better than a thick, fresh out of the oven sugar cookie! Thank you for sharing your feedback with us. 🙂
This was featured on the Today Show and I am making them right now on Christmas Day!!!! They are great! I put a little extra almond extract in by mistake oops! But it didn’t affect the taste that much!!! This is my first time making sugar cookies!!!!!!! Great! Thank you so much and Merry Christmas! I will be making these for Valentines Day with heart cutouts!!!
Sherrie, you just made my day! I honestly had no idea that these were featured on the Today Show’s website, so thank you!! Hope you enjoyed the cookies and had a very Merry Christmas. 🙂
Just made snowflake cookies, based off this sugar cookie recipe for a Frozen party we are throwing. They turned out perfect! And a lot easier to make. Great ideas!
How adorable! I bet your party guests will just love them. 🙂
Hi! I just tried to make these cookies and I did something wrong. The dough turned out to be real crumbly and dry. I measured the flour by putting it in the cup by spoon. I just don’t know why but can you help me.
Hi Vicki! When you first dump the dough out of the mixing bowl, it may seem a bit dry, but if you press it together with your hands a bit, it should come together nicely. If you’re still having trouble, other readers have suggested adding a little splash of milk until it’s a workable consistency. I hope this helps! 🙂
Liz, your technique is GENIUS – totally gave me one of those “Why-didn’t-I-think-of-that”?! moments, and made the process so much easier! We made your recipe along with a family recipe just to compare. (Our recipe calls for powdered sugar rather than granulated, and mostly almond extract). We agreed that our dough tasted better (confession: we’re big dough eaters around here), but both cookies turned out equally delicious. As for presentation, your cookies held their shape perfectly and remained perfectly smooth on top while ours puffed just a bit and got a bit wrinkly/bumpy on top – not a big deal since we glaze ours (quite sloppily by the end), but your recipe is perfect for colored sugars or fancy frosting 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing both your recipe and tips!!
I love the side-by-side comparison! Thank you so much for sharing your feedback, Nichole! 🙂
Liz,
You have truly found one of your gifts! Your site is one of the best I have yet to see. It is visually beautiful and well designed. Your writing style is so enjoyable to read. You share things in a well-organized manner with the details I seek. I so appreciate gleaning from people who have learned the “special little things” that make cooking and baking a successful adventure. Finding this site is like discovering a wonderful piece of music or art. Finding great writing with lovely pictures is like finding hidden treasures. I look forward to more!
Wow, that is such a wonderful compliment! I’m thrilled to have you as part of the Love Grows Wild community… welcome! 🙂
They look great! I’m hoping to make #5 shaped cookies for my son’s birthday. I’d like to top them with royal icing, which I’ve never done before. Are these cookies good for royal icing or do I need a harder/crunchy cookie? I can’t wait to try this method.
I think these cookies would be perfect for that! Have fun baking, Adrienne!
Hello Liz! I just wanted to say that my family and I tried this recipe back in December and we loved it so much! It’s going to be our family’s go to recipe now for sugar cookies 🙂 I have a food blog so I ended up blogging about it and of course, gave your blog credit as the recipe source 😉 Here’s the link if you want to check it out: http://www.cookingwithlibby.com/2015/02/easy-sugar-cookie-cut-outs.html
Thank you again for such an awesome recipe!
I’m so happy you love the recipe, Libby! Thank you for the shout-out. 🙂
Hi Liz,
Once rolled out do you use the cookie cutters before or after they have chilled?
Thanks so much!
Oops I just re-read it never mind 🙂 chilling as I type!
Hope you enjoy the cookies, Laurie! 🙂
You mentioned that you sprinkle the cookie with the color sugar before baking. Doesn’t the sugar burn or melt?
Good question, Ann! The colored sugar you buy for decorating cookies holds up great in the oven… no burnt sugar on the cookies when they come out of the oven! Hope you enjoy the recipe! 🙂
What type of sugar the cookies need?
I use granulated sugar in the cookie dough and colored baking sugars to decorate the top. I hope this helps! 🙂
What type of sugar does the recipe needs?
Hi Janice! I use granulated sugar in the cookie dough and colored baking sugars to decorate the top. I hope this helps! 🙂
I am new to cut out cookies and I am struggling to get my cut outs off the wax paper. Any tips?
As long as the dough is nice and cold, it should lift pretty easily!
thank you. I’ve shied away from cut out cookies forever because they always looked deformed. Rolling out the dough and chilling first was genius! This was so easy and my hearts looked like hearts. Great taste too!
I have a metal standing mixer. What attachment would I use to combined the dry ingredients to the fluffed butter ingredients. I wouldn’t think the whisk would work. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Hey Roezzanna! I use the paddle attachment on my mixer. I hope this helps!
I made these last year and they were a huge hit! I know that the dough can be stored on the freezer for up to 3 months, but what about baked cookies? Do they hold their tenderness and taste if I bake them early December and freeze them until Christmas? Thanks! 🙂
I’m so happy to hear that, Heather! I’ve never tried freezing the baked cookies before, so if you try it, you’ll have to let me know how it turns out!
Hi,
If I bake these cookies ahead of time, can I freeze them? And how long can I keep them in the freezer?
Thank You,
Katherine
To be honest, I’ve never baked them ahead of time before!
READERS: Have you baked these sugar cookies ahead of time before?
Hi there, I’m hoping to make these soon, they look delicious! I don’t have a rolling pin, can you reccomend one for me that has those bands on them to ensure correct thickness of dough. Thanks so much.
Merry Christmas,
Judy
Hi Judy! I love those rolling pins! This is one that I really like: http://amzn.to/1XydeV3
When do you add the colored sugar and how do it stay on?
Hey Mirna! I add the sugar after I cut the dough with cookie cutters right before they go into the oven. The sugar bakes onto the cookie and stays in place beautifully!
Hi!
I really want to make these as I bought some Christmas cookie cutters last year and want a tasty & sturdy recipe to use them with and this sounds ideal! But to make them more Christmassy I am thinking of adding orange zest, but not sure whether it would be best to add this into the cookie mix or on top once they’re cut out (I’m not a massive baker so not sure if this would ruin it hah). Any help/suggestions would be fab 🙂
Thank you,
Imogen
Hey Imogen! A little bit of finely grated orange zest mixed into the cookie dough before baking would probably be delicious! You’ll have to let me know how it turns out!
Hi! I just wanted to so by and meet you know I just made this recipe to try before I get to the heavy duty Christmas baking next week and I have to tell you this recipe is not only delicious but also super easy. The rolling between parchment paper is the best to ever. Over tried several committee doughs in the past and none were as simple as this. They were either to crumbly or just didn’t have the perfect sugar cookie taste. Again thanks for sharing and I’m glad I pinned it when I did. 😉
Delicious recipe, thanks for sharing! I made them with gluten free flour and the taste is awesome!
Have taught cookie making for 40 years and the suggestions and instructions are excellent, including many of the comments. The idea of rolling out the cookies, and then chilling is excellent idea. Be sure to not over cook, sugar cookies don’t brown and one comment was correct don’t leave on baking sheet longer than five minutes once they are removed from oven they will continue to cook. Also, do not roll too thin. You can actually take two wire hangers and lay on each side of the dough and as you roll when the rolling pin touches the top of the hangers on each side that is about 1/4″. Never use a hot or warm pan and invest in parchment paper it is worth it.
Awesome tips, JoJo! 🙂
Hi! These cookies look delicious. I am curious about decorating these after baking. I would like to bake them in advance, as my granddaughters will be visiting this weekend and I would love to have them decorate some. I am thinking they may be to delicate for their little hands. What is your opinion?
Hi Debbi! These cookies are actually nice and sturdy, which is why they keep their shape so nicely. They should be perfect for little hands to decorate!
I made these for the first time yesterday with my grandson. They turned out beautiful! I used parchment paper for rolling and on the baking sheet. I found this recipe last year after the cookies I made with refrigerated store dough flattened Ito unrecognized shapes during baking! I will be making another batch in the near future as I don’t think there will be any left for Santa lol!
Hello, these looked so pretty and I just had to make them. I used the exact recipe and they turned out great. Thank you for a wonderful recipe.
I apologize if this has already been asked, but if I prefer a slightly crunchy cookie do I just cook them a tad longer?
Yes, ma’am! Just check them closely. 🙂
Two thumbs up to your recipe and instructions! Rolling between wax paper- GENIUS!
Just finished baking a test batch. So yummy! Now I’m trying to figure out how to decorate them so they look as pretty as they taste.
Every time I make these, they turn out perfectly! Thank you so much.
For the record, I make them exactly as instructed and usually make a double batch. I have made them thin and thick and it works either way. I typically top them with homemade royal icing. They are simply amazing.
Hi! I just made these and they didn’t keep their shape except for the last batch to go in the oven. I kept them in the fridge between baking, I did thin and thick too. I don’t know what I did wrong ? help??!!
I used your recipe this weekend to make sugar cookies like I remember making with my mom and sister when we were kids. We didn’t use cookie cutters but made Santa faces, snowmen and angels that we “built” ourselves! It was so much fun and brought back great memories! The dough was SO easy to make and oh so delicious! Glad I found your recipe – will be the only one I use – glad I found it first instead of having to search around for one that works! The only problem I had (if you can even call it that) is that it didn’t yield anywhere close to the 40-50 estimated in the recipe. I probably got about two dozen. Still a great recipe 🙂
NEVER use flour to roll out your cookies, ALWAYS use white powder sugar. These are so easy to make, I love them.
Hello! I have made this in the past and had a lot of leftover cookies for my small family. Would love to make this batch for Christmas and freeze the rest for Valentine’s day. I am a novice at baking. Do you have any suggestions on the best way to freeze this batter to be used in another 2 months?
Thanks!
Made these last night for Santa. They are amazing. I made thick cutouts that held their shape and were soft. Tasted like they were from the bakery! Thank you!