The Perfect Sugar Cookie

 

These are those perfect sugar cookies you see in the bakeries that look so darn professional (seemingly impossible to do at home).  But truth be told, they are quite EASY.   It is the decorating part that ranges from easy to advance.  On the easy side, you can eat’em plain, drizzle with chocolate, or sprinkle with jimmies; Or be more daring and cover in fondant or go for the classic icing cookie.  For today’s cookie, let’s go easy and just get this staple baked perfectly.

Once you assemble the dough, roll-out these cookies to a thickness of 1/4″ between parchment paper or a flour-dusted surface.  Load in flavor by adding citrus zest or a pinch of cardamom.  Once you “cut-out” the dough into cookie shapes, then pop them in the freezer until they are hard.  Then, when you are ready to bake, go frozen to oven.  Yep, that is right, straight from the freezer right into that toasty 350F oven.  This keeps your cookie’s shape and it will bake near perfect.

Photos by: Maria Hedrick Photography

Rolled Sugar Cookies

By TheSweetNerd  

March 15, 2016

  • Prep: 1 hr 20 mins
  • Cook: 30 mins

Ingredients

Cookies

3 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

2 teaspoons vanilla

Optional -

Pinch of citrus zest for flavoring

1/4 teaspoon cardamom

Directions

Cookies

1Dries: Whisk flour and salt in a bowl. Set aside.

2Base: In a mixer, cream together butter and sugar. Next, add eggs, vanilla and optional flavorings of citrus zest or spices (ie: cardamom).

3Gradually, add dries to base just until incorporated. Chill in refrigerator up to one hour. Roll on lightly floured surface. Cut shapes.

4Bake at 350F for 8-10 minutes or until edges are slightly browned.

5Note: When you cut into a shape, chill in freezer to set. Then, transfer directly to hot oven.

Tip: Once you cut your cookies into your desired shapes, wrap and place in freezer. Then, bake off the next day. Move from freezer to oven and the shapes will retain their integrity during the baking process. This is how you get those perfectly shaped cut-out cookies!

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