Classic Rolled Sugar Cookies
These cookies rely on cold butter and minimal handling to maintain their shape in the oven. By creaming the butter and sugar until just pale—rather than airy—and chilling the dough thoroughly before rolling, you get a clean edge that holds up to icing or simple sugar dusting.
Temperature is your primary ingredient.
If your butter is too soft, the cookies will spread into puddles. Ensure your kitchen is cool and the dough stays firm throughout the rolling process.
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Rolling pin
- Baking sheets
- Parchment paper
- Cookie cutters
What goes in.
- 2 1/2 cupsall-purpose flour
- 1/2 tspfine sea salt
- 1 cupunsalted butter, cool but pliable
- 3/4 cupgranulated sugar
- 1 largeegg
- 1 tspvanilla extract
Resting the Dough
Refrigerating the dough for at least 90 minutes relaxes the gluten and re-solidifies the butter. Skipping this step will result in cookies that lose their definition during the bake.
The method.
Mix dry
Whisk the flour and salt in a bowl and set aside.
Cream fat
Beat the butter and sugar on medium speed. Stop when the mixture looks uniform and slightly pale, about 3 minutes. Do not whip in too much air.
Add aromatics
Add the egg and vanilla. Mix on low until just combined, scraping the bowl once.
Combine
Add the flour mixture in two batches. Mix only until the last streak of flour disappears. Overworking here makes the cookies tough.
Chill
Divide the dough into two discs, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 90 minutes.
Roll and cut
Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut your shapes and place them on parchment-lined sheets.
Bake
Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 10-12 minutes. Pull them when the centers are set and the edges are barely turning a light gold.
Other turns to take.
Citrus Infused
Rub the zest of one lemon or orange into the sugar before creaming with the butter.
Almond Base
Replace 1/4 cup of the flour with almond flour and use almond extract instead of vanilla.
When it doesn't go to plan.
If the dough becomes too sticky while rolling, pop it back in the fridge for 10 minutes.
Bake cookies of the same size on the same sheet to ensure even browning.
Do not grease your baking sheets; the butter in the cookie is sufficient to prevent sticking.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why did my cookies spread?
The butter was likely too warm, or the oven was not preheated long enough to lock the structure of the cookie quickly.
Can I skip the chilling step?
No. The chill is what keeps the cut-out shape sharp during the transition to the hot oven.
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