I think every baker should have a recipe book filled with the tried-and-true basics. Sure, you could find a zillion sugar cookies if you googled it, but you need to find the recipe that works for you, in your kitchen, with your ingredients, baked in your oven. This is mine.
This recipe was adapted from a sugar cookie recipe I posted in 2010. Two thousand ten! I kid you not. That is how old this blog is. If you want something simpler, slice and bake is the way to go. Try these crystallized ginger sugar cookies, vanilla sablés. Or for other kinds of cutout cookies, there are these matcha gingerbread cookies or more traditional gingerbread cookies.
I like to keep these sugar cookie cut-outs plain because I like to dip them in hot cups of tea, but if you would prefer to garnish or embellish them, you can either decorate with royal icing or a simple American buttercream frosting.
Sugar cookies
Ingredients
- 200 g unsalted butter 14 tbsp, room temperature
- 200 g granulated sugar 1 cup
- 1 large egg room temperature, lightly beaten
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 400 g all-purpose flour 3 ¼ cups
- ½ tsp Diamond Crystal fine kosher salt
Instructions
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar.
- Add the egg and vanilla. Beat well until creamy and well mixed.
- Add the flour and the salt. Beat until just combined.
- Divide dough in half and form two disks.
- Working with 1 disk at a time, roll out to ~¼-inch thickness (or however thin you want).
- Cut out shapes, and transfer them to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Be sure to place similar sized cookies on same baking sheet for even baking time. Chill for at least 30 minutes to prevent cookies from spreading as they bake.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Bake chilled cookies for 10 to 15 minutes depending on size.
torviewtoronto says
the cookies look fabulous