Best Basic Sugar Cookies Tried And True Since Recipes
CLASSIC SUGAR COOKIES
As you might expect from Betty Crocker, these are the classic version of a sugar cookie-the kind your grandma or even great-grandma would recognize. These cookies are the originals that provided a sweet, universally lovable starting point for generations of bakers to riff on, and we stand by them just as they are. With a tender, short texture that comes from a good buttery base, they break with just the right balance of bend and snap. And the taste? When we recently baked up a few batches for pre-Christmas testing, person after person in the Test Kitchens said, "Now THAT is a sugar cookie." While flavor and texture are arguably the key criteria on which cookies should be judged, when it comes to sugar cookies, there's another important factor: how easy they are to decorate. It's crucial that sugar cookie dough can be easily turned into cookies that are equal parts decorative and delicious. During our most recent testing of this recipe, we also noticed that there were no instructions for a glaze in this recipe. Not wanting to leave you-or your cookies-high and dry, we tested a few glazes. The one we landed on is simple and made with common pantry staples, but the magic is in the ratio of ingredients-we ensured that it results in a glaze that's easily tintable, covers smoothly and dries firmly so that you can stack the finished cookies without fear of smudging them. However you chose to decorate them, dress these classic sugar cookies up in holiday style and they'll be the star of every Christmas gathering.
Provided by Betty Crocker Kitchens
Categories Dessert
Time 7h50m
Yield 55
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- In large bowl, beat 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, the softened butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla, the almond extract and egg with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon, until well blended. Stir in flour, baking soda and cream of tartar. Divide dough in half; shape dough into 2 disks, and wrap in plastic wrap. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
- Heat oven to 375°F.
- Roll each disk on lightly floured surface until 1/4 inch thick. Cut with 2- to 2 1/2-inch cookie cutters into desired shapes. On ungreased cookie sheets, place cutouts at least 2 inches apart.
- Bake 7 to 8 minutes or until edges are light brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely.
- In medium bowl, beat 3 cups powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons milk and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla with spoon until smooth and spreadable. If frosting is too stiff to spread, add additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time. Tint with food color. Spread frosting on cooled cookies. Decorate as desired with colored sugar or candy sprinkles. Let stand about 4 hours or until frosting is set. Store covered in airtight container at room temperature with waxed paper between layers.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 90, Carbohydrate 14 g, Cholesterol 10 mg, Fat 1/2, Fiber 0 g, Protein 0 g, SaturatedFat 2 g, ServingSize 1 Cookie, Sodium 50 mg, Sugar 10 g, TransFat 0 g
THE BEST ROLLED SUGAR COOKIES
Whenever you make these cookies for someone, be sure to bring along several copies of the recipe! You will be asked for it, I promise! NOTE: I make icing with confectioners' sugar and milk. I make it fairly thin, as I 'paint' the icing on the cookies with a pastry brush. Thin enough to spread easily but not so thin that it just makes your cookies wet and runs off.
Provided by J. Saunders
Categories Desserts Cookies Sugar Cookies
Yield 60
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
- Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 109.5 calories, Carbohydrate 14.7 g, Cholesterol 24.6 mg, Fat 5 g, Fiber 0.3 g, Protein 1.5 g, SaturatedFat 3 g, Sodium 92.6 mg, Sugar 6.7 g
BASIC SUGAR COOKIES
Sugar cookies are a buttery classic that make a delicious anytime treat. Enjoy your sugar cookies plain, or decorate them with icing to make them festive. This recipe is a favorite of Martha's, who likes to add one tablespoon cognac alongside the egg and vanilla, after creaming together the butter and sugar.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Dessert & Treats Recipes Cookie Recipes
Time 2h
Yield Makes 32
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- In large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture; beat until combined. Divide dough in half; flatten into disks. Wrap each in plastic; freeze until firm, at least 20 minutes, or place in a resealable plastic bag, and freeze up to 3 months (thaw in refrigerator overnight).
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment. Remove one dough disk; let stand 5 to 10 minutes. Roll out 1/8 inch thick between two sheets of floured parchment, dusting dough with flour as needed. Cut shapes with cookie cutters. Using a spatula, transfer to prepared baking sheets. (If dough gets soft, chill 10 minutes.) Reroll scraps; cut shapes. Repeat with remaining dough.
- Bake, rotating halfway through, until edges are golden, 10 to 18 minutes (depending on size). Cool completely on wire racks. To ice cookies, spread with the back of a spoon. Let the icing harden, about 20 minutes. Decorate as desired.
- For the icing, sift confectioners' sugar into a small bowl. Whisk in milk, water, or lemon juice, 1 tablespoon at a time, until smooth and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. If too thin, whisk in more sugar; if too thick, add more liquid. Spread over cookies with back of a spoon. Add other decorations, if desired. Let the icing harden, about 20 minutes.
THE BEST OLD FASHIONED SUGAR COOKIES
This is a recipe for sugar cookies like they used to be! This recipe produces light fluffy cookies, that are slightly crisp on top & soft & tender in the centre. You can play around with the cooking times to get the texture you like. Eat them plain, with the frosting, the glaze or other icing. These cookies ae easy to make, just make balls & roll in sugar - no need for cutters! They also freeze well & the kids LOVE them! Our favourite way to make them is by rolling them in coloured sugar & cooking them on a foil lined tray for 8 minutes. If we decide to frost / ice them, we always skip the sugar rolling stage. If Time to make doesn't include chill time.
Provided by Um Safia
Categories Dessert
Time 30m
Yield 40 cookies approx.
Number Of Ingredients 20
Steps:
- Cookies:.
- Beat butter in large bowl with electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add 1 1/2 cups sugar, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Beat until well mixed, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.
- Beat in eggs and vanilla. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour. Cover & refrigerate 2 to 3 hours or until dough is easy to handle.
- Preheat oven to 375°F Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll balls in 1/4 to 1/3 cup sugar. Place balls about 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
- Bake for 5-10 minutes depending on how you like them. Cool on baking sheets 1 minute. Remove to wire racks; cool completely.
- Frosting:.
- Beat the butter, add sifted sugar & mix well. Add the vanilla, enough milk to reach the consistency you want & the tint to desired colour.
- Spread the frosting over the cookies using a pallet knife. Allow to sit for a few minutes then add sprinkles. Don't use the sprinkles right after frosting or they will absorb moisture & leach their colour!
- Glaze:.
- Stir confectioners' sugar, milk and extract in small bowl until smooth. Stir in corn syrup until glaze is smooth and glossy. (If glaze is too thick, stir in small amount of additional corn syrup.)
- Stir in 3 to 4 drops food color until evenly distributed and glaze is smooth. Add additional drops of food color until glaze is of desired color.
- To glaze cookies, place cooling rack on foil-lined baking sheet. Holding a cookie by its edge, dip the top of cookie into glaze. (Or spoon the glaze onto cookies using a teaspoon. Cookies can also be glazed using a new small paintbrush.) Place glazed cookies on cooling rack to dry. (The foil-covered baking sheet will catch any drips.)
- Use contrasting glaze colors to decorate glazed cookies, if desired. Place small amount of contrasting glaze in small resealable plastic bag. Snip off tiny piece of the corner of the plastic bag. Create design by squeezing contrasting glaze onto cookies. Allow glazed cookies to dry thoroughly before stacking.
- If you would like more than one color of glaze, divide untinted glaze among separate small bowls. Tint each one a different color by stirring in 1 to 2 drops food color until evenly distributed and glaze is smooth. Add additional drops food color until glaze is of desired color. (.
- If cookie is decorated with contrasting glaze before glazed cookie is allowed to dry, glaze colors will blend slightly, creating a softer, more muted design).
- Allow glaze to dry before storing cookies in airtight containers.
- Note: Use glaze soon after preparing. Do not refrigerate glaze, as it will begin to harden.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 196.5, Fat 7.3, SaturatedFat 4.5, Cholesterol 29.1, Sodium 75.7, Carbohydrate 32.1, Fiber 0.2, Sugar 24.7, Protein 1.3
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