Classic Cut-Out Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Stand mixer with paddle attachment
• •Rolling pin
• •Cookie cutters in desired shapes
• •Offset spatula
• •Rimmed baking sheets
• •Parchment paper
• •Wire cooling racks

Instructions

1. 1

   Whisk dry ingredients

   In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined. Set aside. This takes thirty seconds, but it matters. Proper distribution of leavening prevents some cookies from puffing while others stay flat.

   Measure flour by spooning it into your measuring cup and leveling with a knife, or better yet, use a kitchen scale. Packed flour produces tough, dry cookies.
2. 2

   Cream butter and sugar

   In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cold butter cubes on medium speed until slightly softened and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat on medium-high until the mixture is light, fluffy, and pale in color, 3 to 4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl halfway through. You'll know it's ready when the mixture looks almost white and holds soft peaks.

   Cold butter is the key to cookies that hold their shape. Room temperature butter incorporates too much air and causes spreading. The cubes should still feel firm when you start.
3. 3

   Add eggs and extracts

   Add the whole egg, egg yolk, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Beat on medium speed until fully incorporated, about 1 minute. The mixture may look slightly curdled. Don't worry. It will smooth out when the flour goes in. Scrape down the bowl again.

4. 4

   Incorporate flour mixture

   With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture in three additions. Mix just until no dry streaks remain after each addition. Stop the mixer the moment the dough comes together. Overmixing develops gluten, which makes cookies tough rather than tender. The dough should look smooth but not shiny.

5. 5

   Divide and chill dough

   Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and divide it in half. Shape each portion into a flat disk about 1 inch thick. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. The dough must be cold and firm throughout, not just on the surface. This is not optional. Skip this step and your stars will become circles, your trees will become blobs.

   Flattening the dough into disks rather than balls dramatically reduces chilling time and makes rolling easier. Plan ahead: dough made the night before bakes the next morning without waiting.
6. 6

   Prepare for rolling

   When ready to bake, position racks in the upper and lower thirds of your oven and preheat to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove one disk of dough from the refrigerator. If it's too hard to roll (cracking at the edges), let it sit at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes. It should be firm but pliable.

7. 7

   Roll the dough

   Lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin. Roll the dough from the center outward in all directions, applying even pressure, until it reaches 1/4-inch thickness. Rotate the dough a quarter turn every few rolls and add more flour underneath if it sticks. Work quickly. Warm dough spreads in the oven. If the dough becomes too soft at any point, slide it onto a baking sheet and refrigerate for 10 minutes.

   Rolling between two sheets of parchment paper eliminates sticking without adding excess flour, which can toughen cookies. Peel back the top sheet, cut your shapes, and return the scraps to the fridge.
8. 8

   Cut and transfer shapes

   Dip your cookie cutters in flour and press straight down into the dough without twisting. Twisting seals the edges and prevents proper rising. Cut shapes close together to minimize scraps. Use a thin offset spatula to transfer cookies to the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 1 inch apart. These cookies hold their shape, so tight spacing works fine. If decorating with sparkling sugar, sprinkle it now before baking.

9. 9

   Gather and re-chill scraps

   Gather the dough scraps, press them together gently, form another disk, and return it to the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes before re-rolling. You can re-roll scraps twice before the gluten development makes cookies noticeably tougher. The third-generation scraps are cook's treats, best eaten warm from the oven rather than decorated.

10. 10

    Bake the cookies

    Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, rotating the pans front to back and switching racks halfway through. The cookies are done when the edges are barely golden and the centers look matte rather than shiny. They will seem underdone. They're not. The centers firm as they cool. Removing them at the first hint of golden edges produces tender cookies. Waiting until they're golden all over produces crunchy ones.

    Use an oven thermometer to verify your temperature. Many ovens run 25 degrees hot or cold. This matters enormously in cookie baking.
11. 11

    Cool completely

    Let cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. They're too fragile to move immediately. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely, at least 30 minutes, before icing. Warm cookies and royal icing are enemies. The icing melts into the surface rather than setting on top. Patience now means beautiful cookies later.

12. 12

    Repeat with remaining dough

    Continue rolling, cutting, and baking with the second disk of dough and the chilled scraps until all dough is used. Cool baking sheets between batches by running them under cold water and drying thoroughly. Hot pans cause dough to spread before the oven can set the edges.

Chef Tips

• •Weigh your flour. This single change improves cookie consistency more than any technique adjustment. 360 grams of flour measures the same every time, while cups vary wildly depending on how you scoop.
• •The almond extract is optional but traditional. It adds a subtle depth that makes people say 'these taste like bakery cookies' without identifying why. Use pure almond extract, not imitation.
• •For royal icing, whisk together 2 cups powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons meringue powder, and 5 tablespoons water until thick and glossy. Thin with additional water as needed for flooding. This makes enough to decorate the full batch.
• •Freeze unbaked cut cookies in a single layer until solid, then transfer to freezer bags. Bake directly from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes to the baking time. Holiday baking becomes manageable when you prep over several weekends.
• •Store undecorated cookies in airtight containers at room temperature for up to two weeks. Layer parchment between rows. Decorated cookies keep one week if the icing has fully hardened.

Advance Preparation

• •Dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen dough overnight in the refrigerator before rolling.
• •Unbaked cut cookies freeze beautifully for up to 2 months. Bake directly from frozen, adding 1 to 2 minutes to the time.
• •Baked, undecorated cookies keep at room temperature in airtight containers for 2 weeks, making them ideal for decorating parties.
• •Fully decorated and dried cookies can be stacked with parchment between layers and stored at room temperature for 1 week.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 cookie (about 32g)