The Best Sugar Cookie Recipe
UPDATED APRIL 21, 2020.
As someone who bakes sugar cookies for a living, it’s important to me that cookies first and foremost taste good. They are meant to be eaten after all! But I think that it’s also important that the cookies keep their shape when they are baked. Cookies that completely spread out when baked are much harder to decorate and are often less sturdy (thus could crumble or break easily).
That is why I have developed a recipe that is delicious and keeps a nice crisp edge when the dough it baked!
You can download a printable version of my recipe here.
Recipe
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Yield: approx. 24 cookies
Ingredients
1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
1/3 cup (40 g) powdered sugar
1 egg (55 g)
2 tsp (6 g) vanilla extract
1/2 tsp (2 g) almond extract
2 3/4 cups (350 g) all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp (3 g) salt
pinch of baking powder
Instructions
Place the butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer. With the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until soft and fluffy, about 1 minute.
Mix in the egg, vanilla, and almond extracts until just combined.
In a separate bow, mix together flour, baking powder, and salt.
Mix in the dry ingredients with the butter-egg mixture at a time until all flour is combined.
Place a piece of parchment paper down on the counter. Roll the dough out on the parchment paper, using minimal flour to keep the rolling pin from sticking.
Transfer the sheet of dough to a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and chill for at least an hour.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
Cut dough out to the desired shapes. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until just barely brown around the edge. Let cool completely before decorating.
Notes
If you don't have powdered sugar, replace with 1/2 cup of granulated sugar.
Tips
If you find that your cookie dough is spreading too much after being baked, you may need to add a bit more flour to your dough (the next time you make cookies). My rule of thumb is that the dough should be pulling away from the bowl and doesn’t stick to your finger when you press into it (see second photo below).
I also highly recommend using rolling pin bands, which are specifically designed bands that fit on the end of a rolling pin to ensure that the dough is rolled to an even thickness. I prefer using a big rolling pin with no handles (like this one) and the 1/4” band.
To keep the mess at bay roll your dough between a sheet of parchment and plastic wrap.
