Best Sugar Cookies Recipe (2024)

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Cooking Notes

Jane Curran

Are these cookies crisp or soft. I prefer the traditional crisp ones.

Susanne

How many days ahead can you make the dough to store in the fridge?

Cookie

The amount of salt in sugar cookies affects their taste. I have read that the measure of kosher salt depends on the brand used because of the difference in density. For example, Diamond Chrystal Kosher is 3/4 as dense as Morton Kosher. So, if this recipe is referring to Morton’s density, but you have Diamond, you’d up the measure to 2/3 tsp., or a rounded 1/2 tsp. Does anyone think this matters?

Bea

@Jane The cookies are crisp!

Susan Spungen

@janecurran- it depends how thin you roll them and how long you bake them. Roll thinner and bake until golden for a crisp cookie, and roll thicker for a softer cookie

Meg

I would assume so. Freezing cookies after cutting out shapes make them more likely to keep the shape once they are baked. Without a square cookie cutter, I plan to form the dough into a square log, chill, then slice and chilling again once the individual square cookies are on the baking sheet; in the past I’ve found they lose their crisp angles if baked without chilling.

Linda

Fantastic dough. Great for small hands rolling and eye-rolling did not seem to make the cookie tough. Found it a tad salty therefore would 1/2 the amount of salt.

Rachel Horoschak

Made these with King Arthur Gluten Free Measure for Measure flour. Measured by weight - not volume. Taste delicious and do not crumble!

catherine

I substitute Crisco for the butter to make them for my dairy-allergic daughter

ColomboCook

you will probably get the same shortbread-like result - that's a pretty high proportion of butter for sugar cookies.

allison

You can adjust crispness by rolling the dough thinner or thicker. One-quarter inch (as instructed in the recipe) will result in a *slightly* soft texture in the middle. If rolled to 1/8-inch, they will be crisper and edges will brown a bit more. At 3/16, the texture will fall right in between those two textures.

Susan Spungen

D

I've not tried it in this recipe, but Earth Balance is probably your best bet for taste and texture.

LK

Not a huge fan of sugar cookies, but made these with my preschooler to decorate for Halloween and they are pretty good! As we are relatively novice cookie makers, would have appreciated more details (like, how thick should this disc be?), but we used the NYT Alison Roman Basic Sugar Cookies recipe with its overview, and that was pretty helpful. Agree with other commenters that these lean a little salty (in a good way, though-- we used Morton's Kosher) and a little shortbread-y.

judofthebrood

use confectioners sugar for more crispy outcome

grandma carol

Best cookie this Grandma has ever made!!!

Jen

Fantastic recipe. Made this with my preschooler. Easy to assemble and super tasty.

chrishpl

Good, but not sure we liked them as much as my usual recipe (wanted to try a new one out). My husband likes his sugar cookies crisp, and these didn't seem to crisp up as much as we are used to--I may try one more time just to make sure it wasn't something I did.

DJ Lo Mack

Simple cookie recipe. Tastes more like shortbread than sugar cookies, though, not that I minded. We decorated them for Xmas with royal icing, and they had a nice, balanced sweetness to them. If you don’t ice them though, expect shortbread, not sugar cookies. This was my first time rolling and cutting dough for cookies, and I was a little surprised at how easy it was. I used parchment paper - didn’t even flour it for 2 of 3 rounds - and it all went really well bc I kept the dough chilled.

Calx

This does not work with any other flour, so if you have no substitutes I do NOT recommend for an easy experience. Side note, it takes two hours, so if short on time not a good recipe. Very yummy and enjoyable, and fun to decorate! Merry Christmas!

JulieW

Too floury. I weighed everything, and dough was crumbly and cookie tasted very floury. Not for me.

Nicole

Can I freeze the dough to roll out later?

patsy

EAsy as -made as directed- First time making Christmas cookies in 40 years! Worked out very well!

kate

Perfect!

Sugar girl

The best chewy sugar cookies I’ve made are from an old James Beard recipe: 1/2 c butter, 1.5 c sugar, 2 eggs, 1 t vanilla, 2.5 c sifted all purpose flour, 1.5 t salt, 2 t baking powder. Cream butter and sugar, add eggs and vanilla. Mix in sifted flour, baking powder and salt. Chill. Roll 1/2 portion at a time— not too thin if you want chewy — and bake at 325 degrees for 10 minutes until slightly browned at the edges. Then decorate. Simple and delicious!

Julia

A lovely rolled sugar cookie. Very easy and not too much time chilling.

Butter

Any changes if Euro style butter used?

Cass

Add 1 tsp of almond extract and 1 tsp of lemon extract to the vanilla extract. They add an extra very pleasant note to the taste of the cookies.

Susan Kaiser

I chilled the dough for one hour and then rolled it out and made my cut out. They went right into the oven and kept their shape. I lost an old recipe I have been using since 1988 and had to substitute this one instead. It is nearly as good as the one I lost. The dough came together perfectly with some hand mixing.

Sallycj

I found these to be very bland. I baked them an extra 4 minutes trying to brown the edges without success; they stayed unappetizingly pale. Frosting would improve the flavor and appearance. But I'm moving on to a different recipe.

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Best Sugar Cookies Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to making good cookies? ›

The key is to always use top-quality ingredients as they'll result in a better cookie; it really is that simple.
  1. Always use butter.
  2. Choose the right sugar.
  3. Choose the right flour.
  4. Check your flour is in date.
  5. Choose the right kind of chocolate.
  6. Cream the butter and sugar.
  7. Beat in the eggs.
  8. Fold in the flour.

How do you make sugar cookies taste better? ›

I almost always add a touch of almond extract for additional flavor and highly recommend that you try it too! Flour is an obvious addition, baking powder adds lift, and salt balances the sweet. So many *little ingredients* doing *big jobs* to create a perfect cookie. By the way, I also make chocolate sugar cookies too!

Why put cream of tartar in sugar cookies? ›

Cream of tartar makes cookies chewy, as it precludes the sugar in the dough from crystalizing, which would lead to crispiness (ie: the opposite of chewiness).

Should sugar cookies be soft or crispy? ›

The very best sugar cookies are soft and tender. → Follow this tip: One of the keys to great sugar cookies is mixing the dry ingredients only until they're just incorporated, and not a second longer. Once the dry ingredients are added, less mixing equals more tender cookies.

Do you flatten cookie dough before baking? ›

If the dough is chilled before baking then the cookies will be slightly more rounded, so if you want slightly flatter cookies then bake them as soon as you have mixed up the dough. But we would not recommend flattening the cookies completely as this will affect the texture.

What is the best flour for cookies? ›

All-Purpose Flour: The Versatile Choice

All-purpose flour is the most commonly used flour in cookie recipes due to its moderate protein content (usually around 10-12%).

Why do my sugar cookies taste so bland? ›

The ingredients you used could be the culprit – using different sugars, melted butter, baking powder or baking soda can alter a cookie's texture and taste.

How to make box cookie mix better? ›

No one will even suspect they're store-bought (and we won't tell anyone!).
  1. Add brown sugar. ...
  2. Experiment with extracts. ...
  3. Mix in different candies and snacks. ...
  4. Add espresso or coffee grounds. ...
  5. Deepen the flavors by refrigerating the dough. ...
  6. Salt before baking the cookies. ...
  7. Reduce baking time for extra soft cookies.

Why use powdered sugar instead of granulated in cookies? ›

When creaming butter and sugar, granulated sugar's larger crystals incorporate more air into doughs than confectioners' sugar. A cookie made with granulated sugar will be crispy while one made with powdered sugar will be tender and melt-in-your-mouth.

How important is baking soda in sugar cookies? ›

Baking soda also serves another important purpose when it comes to cookies: It encourages spreading by raising the mixture's pH, which slows protein coagulation. This gives the dough more time to set before the eggs set, which results in a more evenly baked cookie.

Can I omit cream of tartar in sugar cookies? ›

The Best Substitute for Cream of Tartar

For every 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar in the recipe, use 1 teaspoon lemon juice or white vinegar. As an example, if your cookie recipe calls for 1 teaspoon baking soda, add 2 teaspoons lemon juice instead of the cream of tartar.

What is the trick to sugar cookies? ›

From the dough to the baking to the icing, our guide will leave you with the perfect sugar cookie this holiday season.
  1. Opt for Room Temperature Eggs. ...
  2. Splurge on "Pure" Vanilla Extract. ...
  3. Whisk the Flour. ...
  4. Chill the Dough. ...
  5. Refrain from Overmixing. ...
  6. Go Easy on the Flour. ...
  7. Bake on Parchment Paper.
Dec 16, 2014

Should you refrigerate sugar cookie dough? ›

"When your dough is refrigerated, the butter hardens. So when you bake them, they spread less and hold their shape better," adds Epperson. "Which means a better likelihood of a soft, chewy cookie in the center." Chilling the dough creates fluffier cookies with better consistency.

Can you over mix sugar cookie dough? ›

Overmixed doughs and batters may have an unappealing look or feel, which remain just as unappealing when they're baked. Generally speaking, the critical moment is when you combine dry ingredients with wet ones, especially if you're bringing together components of differing temperatures and textures.

What makes a high quality cookie? ›

The best cookies have layers of texture. A slightly crisp outer shell that holds up to some heat with an inner core that's soft and chewy.

What makes cookies chewy and not hard? ›

The science is simple: According to the flour authorities over at Bob's Red Mill, cornstarch can help “soften the rigid proteins of the flour, resulting in a light and chewy dessert.” “The cornstarch complements the flour in absorbing the liquids, but won't develop gluten structure like the flour will,” stresses ...

What is cookie secret? ›

Cookie Secret is the secret used to encrypt and sign session cookies. If you don't provide a cookie secret, Pomerium will generate one for you.

How to bake cookies like a pro? ›

How to Bake Holiday Cookies Like A Pro
  1. Use room temperature butter. ...
  2. Mix the wet ingredients first, then add to the dry ingredients.
  3. Don't over mix—it makes the dough tough. ...
  4. Make your dough a day ahead and store it in the refrigerator so it the flavors mingle, and it has time to chill.

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