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Basic Sugar Cookie 101

October 9, 2012 By Francois 12 Comments

Here is a perfect Sugar Cookie recipe when you need your cookies to stay put when baking instead of expanding. It is the perfect recipe for cookies with cut-outs like linzers or pressed designs like when using shortbread molds. I also like it because it takes less than 5 minutes to make. Yep, 5 minutes. Can’t beat that.

Basic Sugar Cookie
 
Print
Ingredients
  • 12 tbsp butter (1½ sticks)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2½ cups flour
Instructions
  1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together on high speed until light and fluffy.
  2. Add the egg and any flavorings and mix on medium speed to incorporate.
  3. Add the flour and mix on low speed until the dough comes together.
  4. Bake at 350 degrees F until the edges start to turn golden.
3.1.08

Here is how to make it:

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.

Add one egg and mix until combined.

Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.

 Add the flour.

Mix on low speed until the dough comes together.

 

Done, yay! Easy, right? Now on to rolling out your dough. I like rolling out the dough between 2 pieces of plastic film BEFORE refrigerating it. With most recipes, you have to refrigerate the dough as a disk first and then roll it out. The problem with that method is that when rolling out the dough, you have to flour your surface, adding flour to the cookies. Then when you put dough scrapes together to roll those out, you add more flour, and so on. The problem is that more flour = tougher cookies. The other benefit of the plastic wrap method is that you don’t have to clean your counter when you’re done. Anywho…

Place one piece of plastic wrap on the counter. Form your dough into a ball and place it in the center of your plastic wrap. Cover with another piece of plastic wrap.

Roll out your dough to 1/4 or 1/8″ depending on the size of your cutters and how thick you like your cookies. The thinner the cookie, the crispier it will be.

Place the dough on a baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Cut out your shapes and place them on parchment-lined baking sheets.

Now here is how to re-use scraps. First place all scraps together in plastic wrap:

Press it together like Play-Dough to form a disk:

Place the disk between 2 new pieces of plastic wrap:

And roll it out:

 Now place the dough in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and repeat with the next scraps, and so on and so on…

It’s worth the effort. Less wasted dough = More cookies!

Bake your cookies at 350ºF until the edges turn golden.

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Filed Under: Cookies, Tips & Tutorials Tagged With: 101, basic, cookie, fall, sugar, tutorial

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. April

    January 26, 2013 at 5:52 pm

    IDK if I missed it or not, but what temp should these be cooked at & for how long? Thanks.

    Reply
    • Francois

      January 26, 2013 at 9:46 pm

      Thanks for the callout. 350 degrees. Only bake them until the edges start to turn golden. Otherwise they will get too dry. =)

      Reply
      • April

        January 26, 2013 at 10:07 pm

        Thanks! They are really good and super easy. My kids loved them. & Your tip to roll them out before refrigerating made it even easier. I will be making these again. 🙂

        Reply
  2. Shelly Bierly

    September 4, 2013 at 6:30 am

    thanks for sharing this recipe, I am loving it. Do you have a chocolate version of this?

    Reply
    • Francois

      September 4, 2013 at 7:12 am

      Hi Shelly,
      I am working on a few versions for the holidays. Chocolate, maple, etc.. Stay tuned =)

      Reply
  3. natasha

    November 19, 2013 at 4:08 am

    Hi there, plain flour or self raising? Thk you

    Reply
    • Francois

      November 19, 2013 at 8:33 am

      Plain flour. =)

      Reply
  4. Carolina

    November 20, 2013 at 4:57 pm

    hi! can i use dried cranberries on this dough?

    Reply
    • Francois

      November 20, 2013 at 9:23 pm

      Hi Carolina,
      Yes, you can add all sorts of dried fruits. Just add them right after the flour =)

      Reply
      • Carolina

        November 22, 2013 at 10:01 am

        and can I freeze the dough? this is gonna be the first cutout cookies made by me 🙂 Here in Brazil we don’t have the habit to make them…

        Reply
        • Francois

          November 22, 2013 at 11:01 am

          Yes, you can freeze the dough =) Good luck with your first cookies!!!

          Reply
  5. natasha

    November 21, 2013 at 3:30 am

    I made these tonight as a trial for a friends baby’s birthday. They are easy and delicious! Loved them, will make them over and over again 😉

    Reply

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