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Tested Cut Out Sugar Cookies Recipe |Video|

ByHani Updated on
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This sugar cookie recipe is a cross between shortbread and classic sugar cookies. Cookies are lightly crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. I’ve made this recipe hundreds of times, and since the first time, it’s been a true staple because it never disappoints.

Cut out Sugar Cookies.

Featured Comment – “I agree with another commenter – my cut-out cookie phobia has finally gone 🙊 amazing recipe, thank you! I love the level of detail you explain everything in, it’s so helpful! ” Ayla

WHY THIS COOKIE DOUGH HAS BECOME A FAVORITE

I first shared my detailed cut-out sugar cookies recipe on YouTube back in 2013, and since then, it has helped thousands of home bakers create perfect cut-out cookies with ease. It means so much to me that this recipe has become a go-to for so many people!

  • Texture – Soft inside and crunchy on the outside.
  • Versatile – This recipe has become a crown jewel of cut-out cookie recipes I share for a reason. With a few simple tweaks, you can transform it into chocolate chip cookies, seasonal spice cookies, or even fun themed icebox cookies like my Colored Pencil Cookies.
  • Freezing – Cookies and cookie dough freeze well for months.
  • Decorated Cookies -I use it to make decorated cookies. You can decorate them with chocolate, M&Ms candies, or icing. I love using lemon royal icing, but fondant and glaze work, too.
  • Yes, This Dough Works for 3D Cookie Projects Too – After many requests, I also tried it with small- to medium-sized 3D projects (5 to 6 inches), and I’m happy to report that it works. Just be sure to omit the baking powder and bake the cookies until golden brown around the edges. I’ve made a standard-sized 3D house with it.
  • Molded Cookies – I had fun making molded shapes like these 3D rainbow cookies skulls. Just be sure to skip the baking powder in the recipe.
  • Create Beautiful Textured Cookies – And if you have texture mats, you can use them to create unique cookies. I used my SugarVeil mat to make delicate lace cookies.
  • Sandwich Cookies – Roll the dough out thinner; you can use the cookies to make ice cream sandwiches or fill them with jam, ganache, or a combination of both.
  • Cookie Pops – Sturdy enough to make cookies on a stick.

INGREDIENTS

  • Butter – I use unsalted butter. It’s crucial that the butter is not too soft when creamed with sugar. Here is why: Room-temperature butter is ideal for creaming, in which sugar is mixed into the butter. The sugar crystals create tiny air pockets in the butter, making the mixture light and fluffy. In the oven, these pockets expand with heat, giving cookies a tender, airy texture. If butter is too soft, it melts in the oven too quickly, causing cookies to spread, become greasy, or flat.
  • White granulated sugar – Sugar adds sweetness and tenderness while giving cookies a light crunch and a hint of caramelization.
  • Egg – Its role is to bind the ingredients, and it contributes to the texture and structure of the cookie. Use a room-temperature egg.
  • Vanilla Extract – I love using a blend of Vanilla, Almond, and Lemon Extracts. It’s harmonizes into such a magical medley of flavors.
  • All-Purpose Flour – For this recipe, I use All-purpose flour, which provides structure and texture. For a cookie that is a bit more tender, you can swap out 2-3 tablespoons of flour for cornstarch.
  • Baking Powder (optional) – This leavening agent provides lift and contributes to texture. You can use less or omit it completely if you’re experiencing excessive spreading.
  • Salt – It contributes to the overall flavor and helps balance the sweetness.

Tip: Use room-temperature ingredients to build a cohesive cookie dough.

THINGS YOU NEED

This post contains Amazon affiliate links that earn me a small commission, at no cost to you. I only recommend products that I use and love. Learn more about my affiliate policy here.

SUGAR COOKIE DOUGH STEP-BY-STEP

The most important thing at the butter-sugar creaming stage is that your butter is not too soft. Butter that is too soft can cause or exacerbate the spreading of your cookies in the oven. Cream it with sugar until fluffy, 3-5 minutes.

Cream butter with sugar.

To prevent the butter-sugar mixture from curdling when adding the egg, I like to whisk the egg with the extracts first. This helps create a smooth, cohesive emulsion that blends easily into the butter-sugar mixture. I use the same method when making the chocolate variation of this recipe.

Sift flour, salt, and baking powder (if using). The notes and recipe card provide more details about baking powder.

Gradually beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture. At this stage, the cookie dough will be soft and in chunks. It shouldn’t be overly sticky.

Cookie dough.

Gather the dough and knead it gently for 10-20 seconds until it comes together into a ball. Flatten it and shape it into a disk.

HOW TO ROLL OUT COOKIE DOUGH

  • Place the cookie dough onto parchment or a silicone mat between 2 rolling guides. I use 1/4-inch (0.64 cm) rolling guides, a little over 6mm.
  • Lay another parchment sheet or a silicone baking mat on the cookie dough.
  • Roll a rolling pin over the rolling guides.
  • The rolling pin pushes the dough down only as far as the rolling guides let it, ensuring an even thickness of the rolled-out cookie dough.
Cookie dough rolled out between parchment paper

CHILL OR NOT CHILL

Chilling improves flavor, hydrates flour, and solidifies butter. This, in turn, makes rolling, cutting, and baking much easier with consistent results. I prefer to chill for at least 4 hours and up to overnight. Nevertheless, there are times when I’m short on time and need to deviate from the standard plan. But how?

  • Disk and Chill
    • Chill a well-wrapped cookie dough disk in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze it for up to 3 months.
    • Pros: The process of rolling out a rock-hard cookie disk, as described here, helps mitigate overworked dough and excess gluten development by adding a fresh, unhandled piece of dough to the scraps instead of working with the whole batch at once.
    • Cons: The cookie dough disk tends to become rock-hard when chilled for an extended period.
  • Roll and Chill
    • Slide the rolled dough onto a cutting board or baking sheet, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge for 2 to 4 hours, or up to 24 hours before cutting shapes. For speed-chill, you can stick it in the freezer for 30-45 minutes. Or you can leave it in the freezer for up to 2 months.
    • Pros: Soft dough is easy to roll out between parchment or food wrap.
    • Cons: After 24 hours, the edges may start to dry slightly. Cover it well! It is easier to overwork the dough when working with scraps. Don’t knead the scraps; gather them and press them together. Limit re-rolling to 3-4 times.
Sugar cookie dough rolled out between two sheets of parchment.

CUT OUT COOKIES

To cut out cookies, use a cutter or cookie cutter templates.

Rolled out cookie dough with star cutouts.

Carefully lift the cutout and transfer it onto a baking sheet.

BAKE COOKIES

  • In case the cutouts become soft, chill the cookies for 10 minutes.
  • I bake my cookies at 350F-375F (180C-190C) for 9-11 minutes.
  • These cut-out sugar cookies are soft when they come out of the oven.
  • Don’t open the oven more than once to rotate the sheet midway. If your oven bakes evenly, you can skip the rotating step.
  • Let the cookies cool on a baking sheet for 2-3 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

HOW TO ROLL OUT CHILLED COOKIE DOUGH DISK

After the cookie dough is shaped into a disk and chilled for up to 3 days, it becomes as hard as a rock. I use my roll smart method. Cut the cookie dough disk into quarters. Microwave ¼ of the dough on high for 5-7 seconds. This should be sufficient to soften the dough so you can roll it out, but you don’t want it to be super soft. Cut the remaining quarters into smaller bits.

Place a softened/microwaved piece of the cookie dough on the work surface between 2 rolling guides and silicone mats. Roll out the dough. Cut out shapes, gather scraps, add small pieces of chilled dough, and roll out all the remaining dough.

Rolling out cookie dough using rolling guides and large silicone mat.

BAKING SUCCESS TIPS & FAQ

Why are my cookies spreading?

  • Make sure to use room-temperature butter. If the butter is too soft, your dough will be very sticky, which can cause it to spread during baking.
  • Properly chill the dough before cutting out shapes.
  • If the cutouts become too soft, chill them for 10 minutes before baking.
  • Don’t place unbaked cookies on a warm baking sheet.
  • Omit the baking powder or use less.
  • Don’t open the oven more than once to rotate the sheet (you can skip this if your oven bakes evenly).
  • Don’t crowd the cookies on a baking sheet.
  • Use perforated mats. They help significantly reduce the spreading of cut-out cookies, and baked cookies have sharp edges.
Star and round cookie on a perforated mat.
Square cookies.

What kind of baking sheet should I use?

Use a light-colored baking sheet to avoid excessive browning.

How do I tell if my cookies are baked?

I bake cookies at 350F-375F (180C-190C) for 9-11 minutes.
Bake cookies until the centers have risen and are no longer shiny, or until golden brown around the edges, if you prefer your cookies this way. If the center looks wet, bake cookies for an additional 2 minutes.
Bake larger cookies on one baking sheet and smaller ones on another.
Cookies are soft when they come out of the oven; they firm up as they cool.
Let the cookies cool on a baking sheet for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer cookies onto a cooling rack.

Why are there bubbles on the surface of my cookies?

Bubbles on the surface indicate too much air in the cookie dough.
Here is how to fix it: While the cookies are hot, gently press the tops with a large flat cookie spatula to flatten the bubbles.
Or you can try to use a fork and the prick method. Prick the dough in the middle of the cookie before baking. This can help excessive air escape during the baking.

Flattening sugar cookies with a spatula.
Cookies with fork marks on the top.

How long do cut-out sugar cookies keep?

They keep for 2-3 weeks, stored in an airtight container.

Can I extend the shelf life of the cookies?

I often use inverted sugar syrup. Invert sugar syrup is hygroscopic and able to draw moisture from the air, keeping baked goods fresher for longer. Use one tablespoon for each batch of this recipe.

Can I freeze cookies?

Yes, you can freeze baked or unbaked cookies for 3 months.

What kind of icing can I use to decorate cookies?

There are several cookie icing recipes you can use to decorate cookies, from royal icing and glaze to fondant and crusting buttercream.

CUT-OUT COOKIES DEMYSTIFIED – ULTIMATE GUIDE

My ultimate cut-out cookies guide has a new location on my blog. This comprehensive manual includes cut-out cookie baking basics, tips and tricks, troubleshooting common problems, how to store and package cut-out cookies, and more. If you’d like to delve deeper into cut-out cookies, my The Ultimate Cut-Out Cookie Guide eBook brings together all of my tested recipes, detailed tips, and clearly illustrated techniques in one place. It includes everything you need, with plenty of reference photos to guide you step by step and make the process easy to follow.

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4.98 from 48 votes

Cut Out Sugar Cookie Recipe

Use this recipe to make cut-out cookies. This great-tasting cookie recipe is excellent, plain, or decorated with royal icing/glaze chocolate or fondant. It's a cross between sugar and shortbread cookies.
Makes 15 3-inch cookies, 1/4 inch thick.
Course Cookies, Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword cookies, cut out cookies,, sugar cookies
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Chilling time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings 15
Calories 270kcal
Author Hani Bacova

Ingredients

Sugar Cookie Dough

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour 430 grams
  • 1 tsp baking powder (optional – check the notes)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup room temperature unsalted butter 2 sticks, 226 grams
  • 1 cup granulated sugar 200 grams
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tbsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1/2 tsp Almond Extract (optional)
  • 1/2 tsp Lemon Extract (optional)

Instructions

Dry Ingredients

  • Sift together flour (3 cups/430 grams), baking powder (1 teaspoon), add salt (1/2 teaspoon), set aside.
    TIP: If you are experiencing excessive spreading, use 1/4tsp baking powder or omit it.

Cream Butter and Sugar

  • In a mixing bowl, cream room-temperature butter (1 cup/ 226 grams) and sugar (1 cup/200 grams) for about 3-5 minutes, scraping the bowl twice. Butter creamed with sugar should be light and pale in color.
  • In a small dish, whisk together room-temperature egg (1 large egg), vanilla extract(1 tablespoon), almond (1/2 teaspoon), and lemon extract(1/2 teaspoon), then set aside.
    TIP: Almond and Lemon Extracts are optional.
  • Gradually add the egg mixture to the butter mixture. Beat well till well combined, about a minute.

Cookie Dough

  • On low speed, gradually add the flour mixture, in 3 additions. Scrape the bowl well after the last addition and beat slowly until the flour is mixed in. At this stage, you'll see chunks of cookie dough.
    Gather the dough into a ball, flatten it, and shape it into a disk.
    TIP: If the dough appears too wet, you can add 1 to 2 tablespoons of flour.

Roll and Chill

  • Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or for at least 2-4 hours. This is great when you don't have time to make the cookies on the same day, and plan to make them within 3 days.
    Or speed up the chilling process by placing it in the freezer for 30 minutes to an hour.
    Or you can roll out freshly made cookie dough between two sheets of parchment or silicone mats and chill for an hour. I don't recommend leaving rolled cookie dough in the fridge for too long as after 12-24 hours, it tends to dry out around the edges.

How to Roll Out Hard Chilled Cookie Disk

  • If your chilled dough feels hard as a rock, don’t panic—it just needs a little warming up. Cut the dough into quarters and microwave one piece on high for 5–8 seconds, just until it softens slightly. You don’t want it super soft, only pliable enough to roll out with a little pressure still needed.
    Cut the remaining dough into smaller pieces and set them aside. Place the softened dough between rolling guides and roll it out either between two sheets of parchment paper or on a large silicone mat. For rolling guides, you can use painter’s sticks glued together on each side or two ¼-inch wooden rods. Both work beautifully for even thickness.
  • Cut out as many cookies as you can from the rolled dough. Gather the scraps and combine them with one of the chilled dough pieces you set aside earlier. Re-roll the dough and repeat the process until all the dough is used. Transfer the cookies onto a light-colored baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a perforated baking mat. Before baking, chill the cutouts in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes or in the freezer for 5 minutes to help them keep their shape.

Bake

  • Preheat oven to 350℉-375℃(180℃-190℃)
    If your oven runs too hot, bake at 350℉(180℃).
  • Bake for 10-11 minutes, depending on the oven, turn the sheet once halfway through the baking.
    Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, and transfer them to a cooling rack.

Storage

  • Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks or freeze undecorated cookies between pieces of wax paper in a large freeze safe container, for up to 3 months.
  • Decorate cookies as desired with royal icing or other medium that you use.

Video

Notes

  • How long can you keep the dough in the fridge? – You can keep the cookie dough in the fridge for up to 3 days. After that, you can either bake the cookies or freeze the cookie dough for later, for up to 3 months.
  • How thick do you roll out cookies for decorating?– I roll the dough 1/4 inch thick.
  • I don’t have granulated sugar; can I use powdered sugar? Sure, you can use powdered sugar; use about 1 1/4 cups. A cookie made with powdered sugar has a tender crumb.
  • How to tell if cookies are baked? – Cookies, when baked, have puffy centers. If you see a spot that appears wet and shiny, usually in the middle of the cookie, continue baking for another minute or 2. If a baked, cooled cookie has a darker spot in the center, it is most likely underbaked.
  • Lemon / Orange Zest Cookies – use one tablespoon fresh lemon zest, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 1 teaspoon lemon extract
  • Chocolate Chip Cut-Out Cookies – Use ¼ cup granulated sugar, ¾ cup brown sugar, micro chocolate chips (add these with flour), 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • Almond Sugar Cookies – Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 teaspoon almond extract. I find the almond flavor very strong, and 1 teaspoon does the trick for me, but if you’d like to add even more extract, you can. Almond cookies pair really nicely with my Fresh lemon royal icing.
  • Spices – For a seasonal twist, you can use dry spices like cinnamon, cardamom, or pumpkin spice. Use 1/2 to 1  1/2 teaspoons 

PIN IT for later

This recipe was originally published in 2013. In 2019, I updated this recipe with step-by-step process pictures, written text, and a comprehensive guide to cut-out cookies and a video.

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Hi, I’m Hani

Welcome!
Thank you for visiting Haniela’s. On my blog, you’ll find delicious sweet & savory recipes made with simple ingredients. Why not start a new adventure? Discover a world of cookie decorating with my step-by-step tutorials.

Read more about me

Hi, I’m Hani

Welcome!
Thank you for visiting Haniela’s. On my blog, you’ll find delicious sweet & savory recipes made with simple ingredients. Why not start a new adventure? Discover a world of cookie decorating with my step-by-step tutorials.

Read more

Similar Posts

331 Comments

  1. Hi! I seem to be getting a few air bubbles on my cookies that aren’t flattening out. Anything that would cause this?

    Reply

    1. Hi Gabriella,
      bubbles are such a nuisance. Bubbles raise to the surface and so if icing has a lot of them once cookies are iced within several minutes bubbles start emerging on the surface. I personally find that when I add too much water to my icing to quickly it leads to excessive amount of bubbles. When that happens I cover the bowl with icing with a damp towel for 10 minutes. Then I stir the icing with a toothpick to pop as many surface bubbles as possible. I bang the bowl on the counter this also helps to pop some bubbles. I cover the bowl again and let it sit again for 10 minutes and repeat the process until I’m happy with how icing looks. Then I just pop bubbles as I ice the cookies, if I see any.

      Reply

      1. Thanks you so much! What if you see bubbles in the cookies themselves? Mine have been coming out with a few bubbles or lumps even when skipping the baking powder

      2. Hi Gabriella,
        This could be happening for couple of reasons I know of :
        Butter is too cold
        Over beating butter sugar and egg mixture
        Beating at high speed can also incorporate too much air and it can then expand during baking creating bubbles. Hope it helps.

  2. This is the ONLY roll out sugar cookie I use. Yesterday instead of putting vanilla and lemon extract in it I used blueberry emulsion, 2 TBSP. They tasted like Blueberry Pop Tarts without frosting…. yummy!! I have several other emulsions I am going to try today. Love this recipe!!!

    Reply

  3. I love your recipe! When I make the lemon variation do I add the tablespoon of vanilla in the original recipe and then the 1 tsp of additional vanilla in the lemon variation directions or do I only use 1 tsp vanilla for the recipe?

    Reply

    1. Hi Julie,
      Sorry about the confusion in the recipe.
      When I make lemon version I use
      1tsp vanilla, 1tsp lemon extract and 1tbsp lemon zest.
      Thank you.

      Reply

  4. I am not a baker (cupcakes and simple cakes is the extent of what I do). I made these for the first time for my daughter’s birthday party last month and they turned out amazing! So yummy and perfect for decorating! The tip for using two paint sticks glued together as guides is GENIUS! No way I would have gotten them to such even thickness!! They were a huge hit! Even with several other baked goodies at the party, every last cookie was eaten! Planning to make a batch tomorrow for my daughter and her cousins to decorate for fun this weekend!! Thanks for sharing this great recipe and tips!!

    Reply

  5. Just wanted to point out that .25 or 1/4 inch is 6.35 millimeters or .635 centimeters and not 2.54 centimeters. 2.54 centimeters would be nearly an inch thick.

    Reply

  7. I too found my cookie dough very crumbly and hard to roll out even after putting pieces in microwave. I did use the scraps just once because of the dry texture of the dough. I felt it would end up tough if rerolling a second time. I read your suggestions of adding 1 tsp milk to dough but if it’s already been shaped in a disc wouldn’t adding the milk at that stage overwork it and become tough? When making the dough and before shaping in a disc it appeared that it would just fine. In the end I got 12 cookies but more than 1/4″ thick. As a result I through out quite a bit of dough because I felt it may be too tough a cookie if I rolled it out a second time.

    Thanks for any additional advice.

    Reply

    1. Hi Pam
      sorry to hear you had issue with dough being crumbly. As we have emailed I know you are using King Arthur flour so it’s definitely not the flour. I use KA also and it’s great! The only other thing I could thing of is the egg, I generally use large egg. If you experience it again I’d add one more egg yolk.

      Reply

  8. I’ve been searching for the best cutout cookie recipe for years. So many end up spreading too much, or are thinner and less sturdy than expected. This recipe is perfect and I’ve used it many times now. They turn out perfect every time; thick and sturdy, a slight crunch with a soft inside. Plus they are super easy to make, and don’t require you to keep dusting the counter top with more and more flour when rolling them out. I’ve had several people ask for the recipe, and request that I make these. Thank you so much for sharing!

    Reply

      1. Hi Carol,
        I used to use it all the time. I often skip it now, especially when making square or round cookies. I find it gives me better results, cookies with sharp edges.

    2. Hey. I’m sorry but I followed the directions exactly (except butter wasn’t a stick and it may have been a little cool). But my dough is no way Shapeable

      Reply

      1. Hi Kim, have you tried it again after we emailed? I know you used the spread from a tub first time so that’s why it wasn’t working. Just wondering if you gave it a go with butter instead of the spread.

  10. Hi Hani!

    I was just hoping you could help me with a problem I had when making the cookies. I made the dough and refrigerated it the whole night. When I went to roll them for some reason they kept cracking when I would roll the dough. Like the dough would have all these cracks and I would keep trying to roll the cracks out but they wouldn’t go away. Would you know why?

    Reply

    1. Hi Leslie, sounds like the dough was dry for some reason. What kind of flour did you use? And how was the dough when you first made it? If something like this happens in the future I’d recommend adding a tsp of milk to the dough.

      Reply

      1. Hi! The dough was sticky when it was done mixing so I added more flour. Maybe that was it. I added too much. Thank you! Now I know to be careful with it. 🙂

  12. Hi, I wish I would have seen this post before I started my Christmas cookies. Your very good at getting things across. Very detailed! Thank you.You have given sooooo many good tips. I especially like the paint stir sticks as guides. I will definitely check out your other posts. Keep up the good work.👍😏

    Reply

  13. I love this recipe. I follow exactly but I still have some spread. What should I do… the cookie shape is great but it does spread bigger than my cutter. Any tips or suggestions?!
    Thank you,
    Stacia

    Reply

    1. Hi Karen,
      I haven’t tried this recipe for a full scale gingerbread house, I’ve only used for small pieces like mini houses (3 inch size) and 3D Cookies. I think different flour to butter ratio is needed for a sturdier dough.

      Reply

  15. I have been making sugar cookie cut outs for years for every holiday and occasion – this is by far the BEST recipe! The dough was super easy to work with and I am sooooo thrilled to finally have a thick delicious cookie that holds it’s shape! Thank you!

    Reply

  16. Hani:
    Thank you for this recipe-it is very forgiving and easy to change up depending on what you need! For example, I wanted sharper edges when I used a gingerbread man cutter, so eliminating the baking powder worked for that; another time I was in a hurry and didn’t chill the tray of cutout cookie dough before baking-still worked (but I like the outcome better when chilled).
    Great flavor, great texture. My new go-to recipe for sugar cookies.

    Reply

  17. Hi hani your cookie looks soft but I want crispy cookies. So sorry to ask but can I add food coloring to the cookie dough and please do you have a recipe for crunchy butter cookies and soft fried doughnuts because I really don’t know how to make fried doughnuts. I really like cooking well I am still a child but I am interested in cooking. Please how do I create a you tube channel . I want m channel to be about food. Thanks and I look forward to seeing your reply. Bye

    Reply

    1. Hello!
      This cookie recipe is a cross between sugar and shortbread cookies, it’s not very soft. I also have a recipe for fried doughnuts.
      If you’d like to start a youtube channel go for it. You need to create an account, similarly like you email account and then create a channel and start uploading your videos. Good Luck.

      Reply

  18. Hi ! Your page is really very helpful! I just saw ur account in IG and im definitely following ☺️
    I have a question re sugar cookies. If microwave is not available. What must i do to soften the hard dough ?
    Thanks in advance .
    Mich

    Reply

    1. I’d use 1 cup coconut, roast it first, then break it up a little bit in the food chopper, not into a powder but just so it’s a bit smaller. And I’d use 10 drops of Lorann coconut flavoring. If it appears too dry, add 1tablespoon of milk or use extra egg yolk.

      Reply

  20. I want to start off by saying I don’t bake cookies.. period. I tried this recipe and it makes the most DELICIOUS sugar cookies. My one question, after putting the dough in the refrigerator for about 7 hours it came out really crumbly. I rolled it out, and chunks kept breaking off. I managed to get some of the dough rolled out enough to cut out some cookies but the cookies also tasted a little dry. Is the dough supposed to be this way? If not, what can I do to moisten it up a little without causing spreading?
    Thank you!

    Reply

    1. Hi Amy, I think it can sometimes happen if the flour is too dry. I’d add 1tbl of milk. Thank you. Keep me posted how it goes in the future. May I ask what brand of flour are you using? I’m just curious. Thank you.

      Reply

  21. I really love this recipe for your cookies. It is the only one I have ever used. I have read from others about using powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar to make the dough. They say it makes the cookies soft. Have you ever tried that?

    Reply

    1. Hi Teresa,
      Yes, powdered sugar makes softer cookies. I haven’t tried powdered sugar with this exact recipe. I’d use 1 1/4 cup powdered sugar. 🙂

      Reply

  22. Can your recipe for cut out cookies to be flooded be doubled? I have 150- 3 in. thick paw cookies to make for my grandson’s graduation. I have been baking for 70 years, so I have a long history of baking. Thank you. Analea

    Reply

  23. My comment about the edges of the cookies is supposed to say sturdy not dirty LOL I apologize

    Reply

  24. I’ve been baking sugar cookies for a while and I cannot get them to look as dirty as yours with the edges the way yours are. My edges are always rounded and more flat. The cookie isn’t actually flat but the edges rounded off. Is there something I can do to make the edges of the cookies look like yours LOL is there a trick to that because that is what I have been trying to do

    Reply

  25. To do the chocolate chip cutout cookies, do I just add the additional ingredients to the ones already listed for the sugar cookie? Will they take additional time to bake? What flavor icing would you recommend for them?

    Reply

    1. I haven’t posted the recipe for chocolate chip ones. I generally sub white sugar for brown sugar, 3/4 cup micro chips or mini chips. If you’d like you can also add a touch of nutmeg. I think they will go well with plain vanilla icing, but I like like raspberry, or even coffee is nice.

      Reply

      1. I was just going off of what you posted in the flavorings section for chocolate chip cut out cookies at the bottom of the sugar cookie recipe. Thank you for your feedback!

    1. Hi Michelle, depends on how thick you make them and how big of a cutter you are using.
      1/4 inch thick, about 3 inch across about 20 pieces.

      Reply

    2. I don’t know if this will be helpful for anyone else.. but I just made two batches of this dough, anticipating to get close to 20 per batch and it wasn’t even close! 🙁 So I’m going to scramble to make a third one.. I did 3″ rounds and them 1/4″ thick and only got about 14 per batch of dough..

      Reply

      1. Hi Renee, sorry you had to make another batch.I have to double check my guides then. I better make the adjustment in the recipe. Hope they turned out ok.

  27. Hello again Hani 🙂
    I forgot I had one more question..How long do I let the butter sit out for at room temperature to avoid it getting too soft? Want to make sure I do this right the first time!
    Thank you!!

    Reply

  28. Hello Hani,
    I discovered your blog after watching your sugar cookies video on You Tube. I plan on making these in a few days but I have never baked cookies from scratch before (testing them out to make Super Mario cookies for my son’s birthday next month). Here are my questions if you have a moment please:
    1. Can I bake these on a stainless steel baking rack?
    2. I plan to use ready rolled fondant since I will be using the Super Mario cookie cutter for it too (never attempted fondant either!). Once cookies have cooled & I add the ready rolled fondant, do I need to place the cookies in the refrigerator? I plan to wrap them up & tie them the morning of the party.
    Thank you for your time & I cannot wait to make these 🙂

    Reply

    1. Hi Jocelyn,
      thanks for stopping by.
      1. It really depends on the of stainless steel baking sheet you have. Are they black steel? Black steel is a good heat conductor but cookies can brown rather fast. I’d suggest lining your pan with parchment and lower the temp by 10F.
      2. You don’t need to place decorated cookies in the fridge. Keep them on a tray in one layer. You can cover them with a parchment paper.Then package them into bags.

      Reply

      1. Thank you so much for responding! No the rack is not black steel & I think I should just go the safe route & use a light colored baking sheet or silicone mat instead as you suggest on this blog then, see what a newbie I am! 🙂 Appreciate your guidance!!

    2. Hi Hani,
      I have to make 160 cookies for my friends wedding as favors. If I were to use this recipe how long should i bake them to get crunchy cookies?

      Reply

      1. Hi Vicky,
        depending on how thick you are making the cookies I’d start with 12-13 minutes to get golden edges. Hope it helps.

  29. Hi Hani, I have a question about the flour. You list 3 cups/450 g. I use King Arthur Flour brand, which is 120 g per cup. Do you recommend I use my measuring cups to come to 3 cups or should I weigh out 450 g? I can’t wait to try these!

    Reply

  30. Hi. I am Mariella. I love your website and YouTube chanel. I have a question: How to fix cookies in a box 10x7x1″ so they do not move during delivery and transportation preventing and eliminate breakage? Thank You.

    Reply

    1. Hi Mariella,
      are they being shipped via delivery carrier or just transported from one location to another, in the car ? I’d use crinkle paper or nest them into a tissue lined box.I’d use crinkle paper only if cookie are individually wrapped.

      Reply

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