Baking Classic Sugar Cookies
A good sugar cookie holds its shape when it hits the oven and yields to the tooth without shattering. Keep the butter cool and the workspace flour-dusted to maintain the integrity of the dough.
Temperature is your primary ingredient.
If the butter is too warm, the cookies will spread into shapeless puddles. If the dough isn't chilled long enough before cutting, the edges will lose their definition.
- stand mixer or hand mixer
- rolling pin
- parchment paper
- baking sheets
- cookie cutters
- wire cooling rack
What goes in.
- 2 1/2 cupsall-purpose flour
- 1/2 tspsalt
- 1 cupunsalted butter, softened but cool
- 3/4 cupgranulated sugar
- 1 largeegg
- 1 tspvanilla extract
Maintaining constant thickness
Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment paper. This prevents sticking without adding excess flour, which would toughen the crumb.
The method.
Mix dry ingredients
Whisk the flour and salt in a bowl until fully combined. Set aside.
Cream butter and sugar
Beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until the texture looks pale and fluffy, about three minutes.
Add liquids
Add the egg and vanilla. Mix on low until just incorporated; do not overwork the mixture.
Combine
Add the flour mixture in two batches. Mix until the dough just comes together into a shaggy mass.
Chill
Divide the dough into two disks, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 90 minutes. This hydrates the flour and firms the fat.
Roll and cut
Roll out to 1/4-inch thickness. Use your cutters and place the shapes onto parchment-lined sheets.
Bake
Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 10-12 minutes. Pull them out when the edges look set but the centers still appear pale; they finish cooking on the hot sheet.
Other turns to take.
Citrus Infused
Rub the zest of one lemon or orange into the sugar before creaming with the butter.
Almond scented
Replace half the vanilla extract with pure almond extract.
When it doesn't go to plan.
If the dough becomes too sticky while rolling, return it to the refrigerator for 10 minutes.
Bake only one sheet at a time on the center rack for even browning.
Use a bench scraper to lift delicate shapes from the parchment to the baking sheet.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why did my cookies spread?
The butter was likely too warm or the oven wasn't fully preheated. Always use cold dough when going into a hot oven.
How do I know they are finished?
Look for a matte appearance on the surface and a very faint golden hue on the very bottom edge. Never let the tops turn brown.
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