Straightforward 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 straightforward and the dough is ideal for cut-out cookie adorning with no chill time wanted! In the event you’re on the lookout for a foolproof, buttery sugar cookie recipe that is it.

One of the widespread questions I get from readers is: “Do you’ve 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 now! I displaying you the way to make sugar cookies from scratch!

Why You’ll Love This Sugar Cookies Recipe

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

Ingredient Notes

You’ll solely want a couple of substances to make these traditional sugar cookies. Right here’s a fast record with my notes to ensure you have every thing. (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 desire. In the event you want unsalted, or that’s all you’ve completely use that.
• Vanilla. I at all times suggest utilizing pure vanilla extract.
• Granulated Sugar
• Eggs
• Dry Substances: Baking Powder, All Goal Flour, and Kosher Salt. In the event you don’t have kosher you need to use desk salt, however I might suggest reducing 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 unique 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 improve the quantity to style. Almond extract is a stronger taste than vanilla and I discover you need to use rather less. 
• Add some mini chocolate chips. Minis will nonetheless work with cookie cutters and can bake up fantastically on this recipe. 
• Combine in some nuts. Add chopped nuts like pecans, walnuts, and even pistachios. Ensure that they’re finely chopped in order that they don’t intrude together with your cookie cutters.
• Use brown sugar rather than granulated. This may trigger the cookies to unfold barely greater than granulated because of the moisture content material, however not in an enormous method. You may solely discover that is you might be utilizing an intricate cutter.

Ideas for the Greatest Sugar Cookies

• Don’t substitute margarine or butter flavored shortening. I typically even splurge on a elaborate European butter when making these sugar cookies, as a result of there’s a increased fats content material, and whereas it’s not nice in your thighs, it does assist produce a extra scrumptious, wealthy cookie!
• Use high quality substances. If you’re making sugar cookies, you need them to style good, proper? So ensure you’re prime quality butter and vanilla particularly. These are the 2 flavors that actually shine by means of, so use recent butter and good vanilla!
• Use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. You need to use a hand mixer when you want, however making these cookies and not using a mixer is tough since you need to cream your butter and sugar collectively for two minutes. AND there’s plenty of flour in these, and the dough can get onerous 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’ll be able to refrigerate the opposite sections of dough whilst 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 greatest 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 selection, but additionally will guarantee even baking!
• Don’t fear about spreading. In fact you don’t need to overcrowd the cookie sheet since you want air circulation, however you don’t have to go away plenty of house in between the cookies, as they don’t unfold a lot!

Do You Have to Chill Sugar Cookie Dough?

Okay, let’s speak. 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 which means…

• Use chilly butter: To make the cookie dough barely chilled proper when it’s made. Simply dice the chilly butter while you combine it together with your sugar and it is going to be advantageous! You combine the butter and sugar collectively for two minutes, so every thing will likely be combined. Simply make certain to scrape the edges of the blending bowl as needed so every thing is mixed evenly.
• Can I chill the dough if I need to? In case you are prepping your vacation baking upfront and would favor to relax the dough so you’ve issues made forward you ABSOLUTELY can. It isn’t going to harm the dough.
• What about advanced cookie shapes? Does chilling assist? What if you’re utilizing a VERY intricate cookie cutter and need to ensure you 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 relax for 30 or so minutes. This isn’t needed, however when you’re involved, it’s a step that may’t damage.

Why Are My Lower Out Sugar Cookies Too Darkish?

This can be a quite common concern I get from readers, whether or not it’s this sugar cookie recipe recipe or every other cookie recipe. Cookie will both get too darkish, or not darkish sufficient. In fact bake time issues – overbaking and underbaking may end up in too darkish or not darkish sufficient cookies.

However the commonest wrongdoer? Utilizing the flawed cookie sheet! Listed below are some issues to remember when selecting one of the best cookie sheet in 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 practically as a lot, supplying 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 possibly can place the cup out dough onto your prepped baking sheets and pop these within the fridge till you’re able to bake. This can be a nice choice when you’ve a busy cookie baking day across the holidays. In fact having additional cookie sheets helps!

How you can Retailer Sugar Cookies

Retailer your cookies in an hermetic container on the counter at room temperature. They’ll maintain for as much as 5 days, although I believe you’ll eat all of them properly earlier than then. Be aware that if in case you have iced them ensure you 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’ll be able to completely freeze sugar cookies (or the dough)! Right here’s how…

• Baked sugar cookies. Permit the sugar cookies to chill fully, 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 possibly can 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