Sugar Cookies
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The following recipe is adapted from Alton Brown’s recipe.
The holidays are nearly upon us, and that means it’s going to be cookie season! And what better to start with than the most basic but one of the most delicious of desserts: the sugar cookie! This recipe yields cookies that are soft and chewy but not crumbly. They always hold their shape and come out perfect every time.
Cooking Level
Foundational | BEGINNER | Intermediate | Advanced
Special Tools
A stand mixer is reccommended for this recipe, but a hand beater should work too.
Sugar Cookies
Ingredients
- 3 C all-purpose flour
- 3/4 t baking powder
- 1/4 t salt
- 1 C unsalted butter (2 sticks)
- 1 C sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 T milk
- Powdered sugar (for rolling out dough)
Instructions
- Let the 2 sticks of unsalted butter come to room temperature to soften, or alternatively soften using the microwave.
- Using a sifter or a fine mesh strainer, sift together the 3 C all-purpose flour, 3/4 t baking powder, and 1/4 t salt.
- Place the 2 sticks butter and 1 C sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until light in color, about 1-2 minutes. Beat the 1 egg and add to the bowl with the 1 T milk. Beat to combine.
- Mixing on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture and beat until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the bowl, scraping down the sides as necessary. This will take about 3-5 minutes.
- Divide the dough in half, wrap in waxed paper, and refrigerate for about 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Clean and dry the surface upon which you will roll out your cookies, and sprinkle with powdered sugar (I find putting about a cup of powdered sugar in a fine mesh strainer and then gently shaking over the area works well).
- Remove 1 pack of dough from the refrigerator at a time and roll out to about 1/4-inch thick.* Be sure to turn upside-down and rotate occasionally to ensure the dough is not sticking.
- If you live in a warm climate or if the dough has warmed significantly while being rolled out, chill a cookie sheet in the fridge and then place on top of the dough to cool it.
- Cut the dough into desired shapes, and place 1-inch apart on a parchment- or silpat-lined baking sheet.
- If decorating with sugar, sprinkles, etc. only, this would be the time to do so. If using icing, bake first and ice once the cookies have cooled completely.
- Bake for 7-9 minutes or until just brown around the bottom edge.
- Allow to sit on the baking sheet for 2 minutes after removing from the oven, and then move to a wire wrack to cool completely.
- Decorate as desired or serve once cooled. Store cookies in an air-tight container for 1 week (if they last that long!).
- Enjoy!
* If you have trouble getting your dough to be the same consistent thickness like I always have, try using these spacer rings! They lift your rolling pin a little to allow for a set thickness of dough.
