Buttery Sugar Cookies
A reliable sugar cookie needs to hold a clean shape while maintaining a short, crumbly bite. The secret lies in the order of mixing—cream the butter and sugar until just combined, not airy, to prevent unwanted rising.
Temperature control is your primary ingredient.
Keep your butter cool to the touch but pliable, and ensure your eggs are at room temperature to prevent the butter from seizing during mixing.
- stand mixer or hand mixer
- rolling pin
- baking sheets
- parchment paper
- cookie cutters
What goes in.
- 1 cupunsalted butter, softened
- 1 cupgranulated sugar
- 1large egg
- 1 tspvanilla extract
- 2.5 cupsall-purpose flour
- 0.5 tspfine sea salt
Don't skip the rest
Chilling the dough for at least two hours allows the flour to fully hydrate and the fat to firm up. If you roll it immediately, the cookies will lose their definition in the heat of the oven.
The method.
Cream the base
Beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until the mixture is smooth and pale. Avoid beating in too much air, which can cause the cookies to puff and lose their shape.
Incorporate liquids
Add the egg and vanilla. Mix only until the yellow of the yolk disappears into the butter.
Add dry ingredients
Fold in the flour and salt by hand or on the lowest mixer setting. Stop the moment the last streak of white flour vanishes.
Chill and roll
Divide the dough in two, flatten into discs, and wrap in plastic. Chill for two hours. Roll out on a lightly floured surface to a consistent 1/4 inch thickness.
Bake
Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 10-12 minutes. The cookies are ready when the edges are barely set and the centers remain pale.
Other turns to take.
Lemon Zest
Rub the zest of one lemon into the sugar before creaming with the butter to infuse the citrus oils.
Almond Flour swap
Replace half a cup of flour with almond flour for a denser, sandier texture.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Use a ruler to ensure your dough is rolled to an even thickness; uneven dough leads to uneven baking.
Rotate your baking sheets halfway through the bake time for even coloring.
Let the cookies cool on the sheet for five minutes before moving to a wire rack so they don't break.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why did my cookies spread?
The butter was likely too warm when the dough was mixed, or the dough wasn't chilled long enough before hitting the oven.
Can I re-roll the scraps?
Yes, but handle the scraps minimally. Overworking the dough creates gluten, which results in a tough rather than tender cookie.