The Best Cut Out Sugar Cookie Recipe! They are soft, chewy and don't spread! Plus an easy sugar cookie frosting that tastes great and hardens with a beautiful shine! Making these easy decorated sugar cookies has been our family's holiday baking tradition for 30 years!
Prep time: PT25M
Cook time: PT10M
Total time: PT105M
5 stars (1133 reviews)
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- Cream together butter and sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer.
- Add vanilla and eggs and beat until combined.
- Add flour, baking powder and salt and beat until combined.
- Divide dough into two equal portions.
- Shape each piece of dough into a round, flat disc and wrap tightly with plastic wrap.
- Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Line two to four large baking sheets with parchment paper, set aside.
- Remove one sugar cookie dough disc from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 5 minutes to soften slightly.
- Place sugar cookie dough on a floured surface and roll to ½” or ¼” thickness (thicker = softer cookies).
- Use your favorite cookie cutter shapes and cut out the dough and place them 1” apart on the prepared cookie sheets.
- Repeat until all the dough is used. You can gather and re-roll the dough scraps two additional times (3 times total).
- Use a pastry brush and brush the cookies with a little bit of milk or cream. Then decorate with sprinkles, which will stick to the milk/cream.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 9-10 minutes or until cookies are puffed and just set around the edges.
- Remove and let sit on cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Repeat with second disc of dough.
- Combine all frosting ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk to combine.
- Start with 2 TBS milk and increase until your desired consistency is achieved.
- If using food coloring, separate frosting into smaller bowls and add food coloring to your liking.
- Place each color in a disposable piping bag fitted with your tip of choice.
- Once cookies are completely cooled, decorate cookies.
- Let decorated cookies sit at room temperature for at least 3 hours, or until the frosting is completely hardened. Chilling them in the refrigerator helps speed up the setting process.
- Store in an airtight container or on a plate wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature or in the refrigerator.