Best Sugar Cookie Recipe Ever!

Baker "Bob", a vintage French wooden chef I found in Pennsylvania, 
is ready for cookie baking day.

Lots of baking going on in my Austin kitchen for the upcoming Cookie Decorating Party. Just finished tonight and I estimate I have about 800 cookies in the freezer.

It's the fourth year I've given this party as a Christmas gift to my friends. It's a messy day full of icing, colored sugars, candy canes and hundreds of baked cookies ready to be decorated. Kids of all ages--from 2 to whatever, spend as much time as they want and decorate as many cookies as they want for their holiday desserts. I try to hold the party the first Monday that school is out, so everyone can enjoy the day and before my friends leave for holiday vacation. I look forward to this party and enjoy the crunching of sugar and sprinkles all over the kitchen floor. To me that means that the kids are having a great time. Go ahead--mess up my kitchen--Christmas cookie decorating is meant to be enjoyed!

Merry Christmas everyone.
 

I bake and freeze the dough in November.

Shared this recipe in a little spiral bound cookbook 
I did for a school fundraiser years ago.

Below is the recipe I have been making for years (seriously don't even remember where it is from!) and what I consider to be the best sugar cookie recipe ever. It's the perfect amount of sweetness, not too crumbly, holds together well for decorating, and both the dough and baked cookies freeze well.

Love the creativity of our big and little decorators.

We have a few very serious cookie decorators.

My favorite Christmas cookie cutter is an old Scottie dog.
He always looks charming decorated for Christmas.

Christmas Angels are a favorite.

800 cookies baked and ready for Royal Icing, sprinkles and lots of excited kids.

Enjoy!


The Best Sugar Cookie Dough
makes about 6 dozen

3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter, softened
1 2/3 cup sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.

Using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until thoroughly incorporated. Beat in vanilla. On low speed, mix in half of the dry ingredients. Then add remainder of flour and mix on low until well blended.

Cut the dough into thirds. Pat into disks. If you want to freeze for later use, toss a bit of flour in a Zip-lok bag, add the disks and seal. Dough can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in refrigerator before using.

Otherwise, chill your dough a minimum of two hours. I like to chill overnight and remove from refrigerator 15 minutes before rolling. Only take out a portion of the dough at a time. If dough gets too soft it will not cut out well.

Preheat oven to 350° F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or use a Silpat to prevent sticking.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to about 3/16 inch thickness. Cut out with cookie cutters. Flour a cookie spatula and gently lift your cut out cookie to the cookie sheet. Cookies will spread a little if dough isn't cold, so place about 2" apart. If your dough gets too warm, chill it for a few minutes, then continue cutting out cookies. If my cookies start to spread too much in the oven, I sometimes place the cookie sheet in the fridge for 10 minutes to firm up the dough.

Bake 7-10 minutes (depending on your oven and how thick you cut out the cookies--sometimes for tiny cookies I only cook 5-6 minutes). The cookies are done when they are still light and just beginning to brown at the edges. Do not over bake. The cookies will firm up a lot as they cool. Remove from oven and let sit on cookie sheet 1-2 minutes. Remove to wire rack and let cool completely before icing.

Ice with Royal Icing and let dry at least 6 hours--preferably overnight. Store in an airtight container--preferably a cookie tin, layered between sheets of waxed paper.

Royal Icing
makes about 5 cups

A stand mixer works best for this recipe. You can use pasteurized egg whites if you prefer. Recipe can be doubled.

3 egg whites, room temperature
1 pound confectioner's sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Using paddle attachment, beat together the egg whites and cream of tartar on high speed until the whites form soft, foamy peaks, about 2 minutes. Add sugar and mix on low until combined.Scrape down sides of the bowl and then whip on high for 6-7 minutes, or until thick, glossy, and smooth.

Tint icing as desired. Spread icing on cooled cookies with a knife or small spatula, or use a piping bag to draw more detailed designs. The icing must be used immediately or it will dry out quickly; cover with a damp paper towel to prevent drying. Let cookies dry at least 6 hours or overnight before placing in airtight container between sheets of waxed paper.

For red and green cookie dough simply add food coloring to dough when mixing.