Best 3 Perfect Sugar Cookies Recipes

PERFECT VEGAN SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Sift flour, baking soda, and salt into a bowl.
• Cream sugar and vegan margarine with an electric mixer in a bowl, about 2 minutes; add vanilla extract. Stir in flour mixture. Add coconut milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until dough comes together. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
• Roll out dough on a floured surface to 1/4 to 1/2-inch thickness. Dip cookie cutter in flour; cut out cookies and place them on the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until lightly golden, about 10 minutes.

PERFECT SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Sugar Cookies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. In a large bowl, beat butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla; beat well to combine.
• Reduce speed to low and add half of flour mixture, followed by sour cream, then remaining flour mixture; beat just until smooth. (Dough will be stiff; you may need to finish mixing it with a wooden spoon.)
• Using a cookie scoop or a tablespoon, scoop dough (about 3 tablespoons at a time) and drop on parchment-lined baking sheets, spaced 3 to 4 inches apart.
• Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges of cookies are just firm and tops are barely beginning to brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks; let cool completely, then top with sanding sugar or lemon glaze and candied zest (below).
• Lemon Glaze: In a large bowl, whisk together egg white, sugar, and 1 teaspoon lemon juice until smooth. (If necessary, at up to 1 teaspoon more lemon juice to reach desired consistency. Glaze should be opaque but not so thin as to run down the edges of a cookie when dipped. If glaze runs, add more sugar; if too thick, add water, 1 teaspoon at a time. Use immediately. Makes: About 1/2 cup
• Candied Citrus: With a sharp paring knife, slice the ends off citrus. Following curve of fruit, cut away outermost peel, leaving most of white pith on. Slice peel lengthwise into 1/4-inch-wide strips.
• In a pot of boiling water, cook peel until tender, about 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet; spread in a single layer and let dry slightly, about 15 minutes.
• In a saucepan, bring sugar and 1 cup water to a boil over high heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Add peel and boil until translucent and syrup thickens, 8 to 10 minutes. With slotted spoon, transfer peel to rack, separating as needed. Let cool 1 hour. Toss with remaining 1/2 cup sugar to coat. Use immediately.

SUGARBELLE'S PERFECT SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• 1. Cream together softened butter and confectioner's sugar. Crack the egg into a separate bowl, and add the flavoring. Add that to the butter sugar mixture and mix until the egg is thoroughly incorporated.
• 2. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt, then add little by little to the mixture. **You can tell the dough is ready when most of it sticks to the paddle. When you touch it, it has a little give, but does not stick to your fingers. The dough will stiffen up as it rests, so wait 5-10 minutes before working with it.**
• 3. Roll out on parchment to about 1/4 an inch thick, use flour for dusting as necessary. Then, cut your shapes. Remove the extra around your cookies and transfer your cookies on the parchment paper to a baking sheet.
• 4. Bake at 400 degrees for 7-8 minutes until tops appear dry rather than shiny. Do not brown. Freshy baked cookies will be slightly fragile. If you can, let them cool for 4+ hours before moving them into an airtight container.
• 5. About this recipe: -Day-old cookies make easier decorating . They are less likely to leach oil back into your icing if they have had a day or two to "dry out". They are still soft, however. -The dough DOES NOT need to be refrigerated. -Do NOT soften your butter in the microwave. Take it out of the fridge, and it will be ready in about 2-3 hours. Or cut it into smaller pieces, and it will be ready in about 30-45 minutes. -Baking times are approximate. Watch them the first few times you bake them. Do not over bake. If the cookies are browning you have gone too far. -Start with with 2 1/2 cups of flour. Add another 1/4 of a cup if the dough seems too sticky.
• 6. -The recipe doubles well. -This dough can be flavored any way you like. -The cookies freeze well. -This recipe does spread a little. If you don't like that add a little flour. -If you don't like salt, leave it out altogether. -If you only have salted butter, use that and reduce the salt.