Description
These Soft Cutout Sugar Cookies are tender, perfectly sweet, and ideal for decorating with icing. Rolled to just the right thickness and chilled before baking, they hold their shape beautifully and stay soft with a slight puffiness. The addition of almond extract adds a subtle, delightful flavor twist. This recipe is perfect for holiday baking, special occasions, or just a sweet treat to enjoy any time.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup salted butter, softened at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract (reduce to ¼ teaspoon for a more subtle flavor)
Icing (Optional)
- 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 3-4 tablespoons milk
- 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Gel food coloring, optional
Instructions
- Prepare Dry Ingredients: Whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl until evenly combined. Set this mixture aside; it will be gradually incorporated into the wet ingredients.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a separate large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy. This creates the base for a tender cookie.
- Add Eggs and Extracts: Add the eggs one at a time to the butter and sugar mixture, mixing well after each addition to fully incorporate. Then, add the vanilla extract and almond extract (adjusting almond flavor to taste) and continue mixing until evenly blended.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed just until a soft dough begins to form and all ingredients are combined. Avoid overmixing.
- Divide and Roll Dough: Split the dough into two equal portions. Place each portion on lightly-floured parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll each dough portion to about ¼-inch thickness, adding flour as needed to prevent sticking.
- Chill Dough: Lightly dust the rolled dough with flour and cover it with plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for at least 1-2 hours or overnight to firm it up, which helps prevent spreading during baking and enhances texture.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line 2-3 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats to ensure easy cookie removal and even baking.
- Cut Out Cookies: Remove one portion of chilled dough from the refrigerator. Using cookie cutters, cut the dough into desired shapes. Arrange the cutouts 2-3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
- Chill Cut Dough (If Needed): If you re-roll the scraps, roll them out again, cut additional cookies, and place the cut shapes on baking sheets. Chill these cut dough shapes in the fridge or freezer for at least 10 minutes before baking to prevent spreading.
- Bake Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges just start to turn lightly golden while the centers still appear slightly soft. This ensures a soft, tender cookie.
- Cool Cookies: Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes post-baking, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.
- Prepare Icing (Optional): To make the icing, combine powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk, corn syrup, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl. Stir until smooth and combined. Adjust consistency by adding more milk (about 1 teaspoon at a time) to thin or more powdered sugar to thicken until spreadable. Add gel food coloring if desired.
- Decorate Cookies: Spread or pipe the icing onto cooled cookies, then allow the icing to set and firm up for a couple of hours before packaging or serving.
Notes
- This recipe yields approximately 36 small cookies depending on cutter size; doubling ingredients is recommended for larger batches.
- Rolling dough to ¼-inch thickness keeps cookies soft and puffy; thinner dough will yield crispier cookies.
- Always chill dough before cutting to reduce spreading during baking; re-chill re-rolled scraps.
- Remove cookies from oven as soon as edges turn golden but centers remain slightly soft; they firm up as they cool.
- Store baked cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
- You can prepare dough up to 1 day in advance by rolling and chilling the discs overnight, or freeze discs up to 1 month; thaw refrigerated before cutting and baking.
- Freeze baked cookies after cooling for up to 2 months; thaw at room temperature before decorating.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie (approximate)
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 80mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 16g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 30mg
