Best 10 Classic Sugar Cookies Recipes

CLASSIC OLD-FASHIONED SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Combine baking soda, cream of tartar and flour mixing well. With your hands, knead in softened butter.
• In a small bowl, beat eggs and mix well with sugar and vanilla.
• Pour egg mixture into flour mixture and again using your hands, mix this really well.
• Chill dough. It will be quite hard when it is completely chilled. Using a table knife, cut off chunks to roll out on a well-flour surface to desired thickness - thin cookies will get crispy when baked, thicker cookies will puff and stay soft. Cut into desired shapes.
• Bake in a 350 degree oven until the edges begin to brown; be careful not to overcook if you want them to stay soft after cooling!
• After completely cooled, decorate the cookies. These will freeze really well!

CLASSIC SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Using 2-1/2-in. cookie cutters, cut out desired shapes. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Leave plain or sprinkle with colored sugar. Bake at 375° for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are golden brown. Remove to wire racks to cool. Frost plain cookies; sprinkle with colored sugar if desired.

CLASSIC SUGAR COOKIES (WITH VARIATIONS)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350F.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Cream butter and sugar in a medium bowl, using medium speed (electric mixer) until light and fluffy.
• Add egg and vanilla.
• Continue beating until well-combined.
• Combine flour, salt and baking soda.
• Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients.
• Mix on low speed until just combined.
• Wrap dough tightly with cling wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.
• Turn dough out on lightly floured surface.
• Roll to about 1/8" thickness.
• Using cookie cutters/inverted wine glass, cut out cookies and transfer to prepared baking sheets.
• Sprinkle the tops with sugar, if desired.
• Bake until cookies are set but not brown, 8-10 minutes.
• Transfer to cooling racks.
• You may roll the dough into a log shape and freeze until firm, then slice and bake.
• LEMON SUGAR COOKIES- Add 1 tablespoon finely chopped lemon zest and 1 tablespoon lemon juice to butter and sugar.
• RAISIN SUGAR COOKIES- Stir 3/4 cup raisins into dough after dry ingredients have been combined.
• NUT SUGAR COOKIES- Stir 3/4 cup finely chopped (toasted) walnuts/pecans/other nuts into dough after dry ingredients have been combined.
• SUGAR AND SPICE COOKIES- Add 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg and a pinch of ground cloves to the dough along with the flour.
• FROSTED SUGAR COOKIES- Omit the sprinkling of sugar on top of cookies.
• Beat 1 cup icing sugar, 1 tablespoon water/milk, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract and a few drops of food coloring (if desired) with electric mixer, on HIGH speed.
• Frost cookies after baking, while still slightly warm.
• CHOCOLATE COOKIES- Melt 2 oz. bittersweet chocolate (I use 72%) in the microwave, stir until smooth, let cool slightly and add to the dough after the addition of vanilla.
• MARBLED/TWO-TONED COOKIES- Melt 1 oz. bittersweet chocolate (I use 72%) in the microwave, stir until smooth, let cool slightly. After the dough has been formed, divide it into two. Add melted chocolate into one part of dough, knead it gently to incorporate chocolate uniformly. Combine 2 doughs and roll out as usual.

CLASSIC SUGAR COOKIES (COOKIE EXCHANGE QUANTITY)

Steps:

• In large bowl, beat 3 cups powdered sugar, the butter, vanilla, 1 teaspoon almond extract and eggs with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Stir in flour, baking soda and cream of tartar. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
• Heat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease cookie sheet. Divide dough in half. On lightly floured surface, roll each half 1/8 inch thick. Cut into desired shapes with 3-inch cookie cutters. Place about 2 inches apart on cookie sheet.
• Bake 5 to 7 minutes or until edges are light brown. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• In small bowl, beat all glaze ingredients except food colors on low speed until smooth. Divide among several small bowls. Stir desired food color, one drop at a time, into each until desired color. Decorate cookies with glaze and other decorations as desired.

CLASSIC VANILLA-ORANGE SUGAR COOKIES RECIPE - (4.5/5)

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and salt. In bowl of stand mixer, beat sugar and butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg, egg yolk, orange zest and vanilla until well combined. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture to bowl, mixing until combined. Turn dough out onto a work surface and divide into three equal pieces. Shape each piece into a flat disk. Wrap each disk tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, until cold, or for up to 3 days. Preheat oven to 350°F, placing racks in the upper and lower thirds. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out one disk of dough to a thickness of ¼ inch. Using cookie cutter, cut out shapes and carefully transfer them to 2 prepared cookie sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Reroll scraps as necessary. Repeat process with more dough until both cookie sheets are full. Bake for 11 to 15 minutes, switching positions of cookie sheets halfway through, until cookies are set and very lightly browned. Let cookies cool on cookie sheet for 10 minutes, then carefully transfer them to wire racks to cool completely before decorating. Repeat steps 6 and 7 with the remaining dough. Melt chocolate and milk in a double broiler. When cookies are cool, drizzle over the cookies and allow to set.

CLASSIC CRISP SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream sugar, butter and shortening until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time. Beat in sour cream and vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or until the dough is easy to handle., On a powdered sugar-covered surface, roll out dough to 1/8 in. thickness. Cut with floured 2-1/2-in. cookie cutters. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake at 350° for 7-8 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.

CLASSIC SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream sugar and butter with a mixer until fluffy; add egg and flavorings.
• Mix well.
• Combine dry ingredients together and stir into creamed mixture.
• Cover and chill for 2 to 3 hours.
• Divide dough in half.
• Roll out on surface lightly dusted with confectioner's sugar.
• Cut with cookie cutters and place on ungreased cookie sheets.
• Decorate with sprinkles if desired.
• Bake at 375 degrees for 7 to 8 minutes, until cookies begin turning a light brown at the edges.
• Cool, then decorate with egg yolk paint or as you wish.

CLASSIC SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Preparation Directions: COMBINE shortening, granulated sugar and brown sugar in large bowl; beat at medium speed until well blended. Add milk. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla.
• COMBINE flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt in separate large bowl. Mix into shortening mixture until well blended. Chill 1 hour.
• HEAT oven to 350°F.
• ROLL out 1/3 of dough at a time to about 1⁄4-inch thickness on floured surface. Cut out with cookie cutters. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Sprinkle with colored sugars and decors or leave plain and frost when cooled.
• BAKE 6 to 8 minutes or until edges of cookies are slightly golden. Remove immediately to cooling rack.
• BUTTERY CREAM FROSTING: COMBINE powdered sugar, shortening and vanilla in bowl of electric mixer; slowly blend in milk to reach desired consistency.
• BEAT on high speed for 5 minutes or until smooth and creamy. Tint frosting with food coloring, if desired.
• TIP: Spread a thin layer of frosting on cookies and decorate with sparkling sugars or sprinkles while frosting is still wet to ensure the decorations stay in place. If you're planning to pipe on frosting decorations, make sure to allow the base coat of frosting, and then each addition layer, to dry completely before adding another.

CLASSIC VANILLA-ORANGE SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• 1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and salt. In bowl of stand mixer, beat sugar and butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg, egg yolk, orange zest and vanilla until well combined. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture to bowl, mixing until combined. Turn dough out onto a work surface and divide into three equal pieces. Shape each piece into a flat disk. Wrap each disk tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, until cold, or for up to 3 days. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, placing racks in the upper and lower thirds. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out one disk of dough to a thickness of ¼ inch. Using cookie cutter, cut out shapes and carefully transfer them to 2 prepared cookie sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Reroll scraps as necessary. Repeat process with more dough until both cookie sheets are full. Bake for 11 - 15 minutes, switching positions of cookie sheets halfway through, until cookies are set and very lightly browned. Let cookies cool on cookie sheet for 10 minutes, then carefully transfer them to wire racks to cool completely before decorating. Repeat steps 6 and 7 with the remaining dough. Melt chocolate and milk in a double broiler. When cookies are cool, drizzle over the cookies and allow to set.

CLASSIC SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Add the softened butter to the bowl of a standing mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment. Sift together the flour and salt and set aside.
• Cream the butter on medium speed. Add the egg and egg yolk to the bowl, and continue on medium speed.Add the sugars to the mixer, and mix on medium-high speed, until creamy and fluffy.Add the vanilla bean paste (or extract) to the mixing bowl, and continue to mix on medium-high, scraping down the bowl as necessary.With the mixer on low, add the flour in several batches, until it's all added.
• Cut 8 individual pieces of parchment paper and set aside.Divide the dough into 4 equal sized pieces, and roll each piece between two sheets of parchment paper, to less than 1/4-inch thick. Refrigerate the sheets of dough for at least 4 hours.
• Remove one sheet of dough from the refrigerator. Peel the top sheet of parchment paper from the dough, and cut shapes with cookie cutters. Move the cookies to a baking sheet (lined with parchment paper) with a very thin, metal spatula. Decorate with sprinkles, and return the sheets to the refrigerator to chill again, for 30 minutes. Repeat with the remaining sheets of dough.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the sheets from the refrigerator and bake for 7 to 9 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and the center is set.
• Remove the cookies from the oven, and transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. The cookies will keep for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container. Optional variations: Coconut Cookies: Follow directions for making Sugar Cookie dough, substituting 1 tsp coconut extract for the vanilla. Lemon Cookies: Follow directions for making Sugar Cookie dough, substituting 1 Tbsp freshly grated lemon zest and 2 tsps fresh lemon juice for the vanilla. Nut Cookies: Follow directions for making Sugar Cookie dough. Sprinkle the tops of the cut-out dough with ½ cup chopped nuts before baking. (Don't use toasted nuts; the raw nuts will toast while baking.) Orange-Rosemary Cookies: Follow directions for making Sugar Cookie dough, substituting freshly grated zest of 2 oranges (1½-2 Tbsp) and 1 Tbsp finely minced rosemary leaves for the vanilla.