My Favorite Sugar Cookie Recipe

This recipe comes just in time for your holiday baking!

Oh Christmas Tree!

In the past I have written about this favorite sugar cookie recipe, one I adapted from the Food Network's own Alton Brown. Since he is a food scientist, Mr. Brown understands a recipe on an almost molecular level. I first made these cookies about 10 years ago, if not before. The recipe stands out for many reasons. It comes together quickly with just a few ingredients. It rolls beautifully, I've found, even without chilling. In fact, though the recipe calls for chilling the dough for an hour, I let it rest at room temperature and roll it out without refrigerating. Cookie cutters work like a dream, and re-rolled scraps are as tender as first-cut cookies. This recipe takes to a sprinkling of sugar or a full-on flood of royal icing. It can be as simple or as elaborate as your energy levels dictate. I use it for almost every holiday, and I even roll it into balls and make jam thumbprints. It's a cross between a sugar cookie and shortbread, with a prominent butter and vanilla flavor. It's almost as easy as buying prepared sugar cookie dough, but so much better. If I can't convince you to try this recipe, let me just say that you are missing out!

Cut-out Sugar Cookie Recipe, adapted from the Food Network and Alton Brown

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
Line cookie sheets with parchment paper (Always!!!)

Stir together:
3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Set aside.

In mixing bowl, cream:
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar

Add:
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (my addition)

Optional: add 2 tbsp. freshly grated orange or lemon zest and you won't regret it!

The original recipe calls for chilling this dough for an hour. If you don't want to do that, let it rest for a while (maybe 20 minutes) and roll out at room temperature. Also, if you don't want to roll out all the cookies in one fell swoop, you can freeze half of it to roll out another time. I freeze cookie doughs all the time. 

On a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out about 1/4 inch thick and cut with cookie cutters. Re-roll scraps. 

(IF you are not planning to frost these cookies after baking, before they go in the oven you can sprinkle with decorating sugars.)

Bake for about 9 minutes but check for a very slight browning on the bottom edge of the cookies. That's the true sign that they are ready to come out of the oven. Without that indication, they are likely underdone. 

Cool on pans for about 10 minutes and then cool completely on wire rack. When completely cooled, you can frost. 

Royal Frosting: I use this recipe from Sally's Baking Addiction blog. It's a wonderful recipe and is linked here. 

I do hope you try this recipe this holiday season. I have a feeling it will be your go-to sugar cookie recipe if you do!

Gingerbread Snowflake Cookies

Here's my first cookie recipe for the season - gingerbread snowflakes!  It's a very pretty cookie, piped with royal icing.  You can use a number of cookie cutters to achieve the snowflake look -- star, flower, scalloped, circle -- just pipe the icing as I did in the photo, and you have your own unique snowflakes.  No two are alike, you know!  Of course, you can make this dough into any shape you like, especially gingerbread men and women.  I like to make ornaments out of them by poking a hole near the top with a drinking straw before baking, and when cooled, tie with a ribbon and adorn your tree (a kitchen tree of just gingerbread cookies and metal cookie cutters is really cute).


GINGERBREAD SNOWFLAKE COOKIES
Oven:  350 degrees F

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup molasses (not black strap)
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted with:
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

In large mixing bowl, beat butter with sugar until light and fluffy.  Add  molasses, egg yolk, and vanilla; beat well.

In separate bowl, combine all the dry ingredients.  Stir into butter/molasses mixture until very well combined.  You might have to use your hands.  Be careful, I once burnt out a stand mixer's motor trying to mix this together.  Your hands are a great mixing tool.

Divide into 2 portions and wrap each in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for at least one hour.

On lightly floured surface, with floured rolling pin, roll 1/4 inch thick.  Add more flour as necessary.  Cut with floured cookie cutters.  Re-roll scraps and keep going until you have used all the dough.

Bake 8-10 minutes on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Cool on sheet for a few minutes then move to wire rack until completely cooled.

Pipe snowflake design with royal icing (recipe follows):

ROYAL ICING

3 tablespoons meringue powder (found in the baking aisle or in cake decorating section of craft store)
   (and safer than using raw egg whites)
4 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
6 tablespoons water

Beat the above ingredients together for up to 10 minutes, until soft peaks form.  Keep it covered with a damp paper towel to prevent a crust from forming on the icing in the bowl.

Pipe onto cookies using a pastry bag and a medium writing tip (or fill a heavy-weight zipper food storage bag with icing and clip a tiny piece off one corner.  This is your writing tip.  When done, close open end with a twist-tie.)

Let dry completely (overnight is good).

Photo:  my gingerbread snowflake cookies from Christmas '10