Sugar Cookie Recipe



This is the recipe that I used for my home cookie business from 2014-2017. Warning: the cookies are addictive, or so I've been told. Measuring the ingredients by weight is recommended. I bake cookies until they have golden brown edges/bottom, because what is the point of having all that sugar without the caramelized sugar taste? IMHO.

Ingredients
  • 1 cup (2 sticks, 8 oz) unsalted butter*
  • 1 3/4 cups (12 oz, or 352 g) sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp almond extract (optional)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 480g or 17 oz (4 cups) all-purpose flour
Instructions - measure ingredients by weight whenever possible
  • In large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the butter and sugar until creamy.  Add salt and vanilla and mix. 
  • Add the eggs and beat until combined. 
  • Add the flour and baking powder.  With the mixer at medium-low speed, gradually beat in the flour mixture just until blended.
  • Gather the dough into a ball and divide it into thirds. Roll each portion to 3/8 inch thickness between sheets of plastic wrap or wax paper
  • Refrigerate until the dough is cold, can be overnight. 
  • Cookie dough can then also be tightly wrapped (I use Ziploc bags) and frozen for up to a few months.
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Get out the cookie cutters.
  • Remove chilled dough from refrigerator and cut the dough into as many shapes as possible. Arrange on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spacing about 1 inch apart.
  • Gather the scraps of dough together and re-roll and cut more cookies. The cookies can be decorated before baking with sprinkles, or you can wait to add frosting/icing after baking. Repeat with the remaining dough.
  • Bake for 14-15 minutes (depends on the size of the cookies) until the cookies are light golden brown at the edges on the bottom. Remove from pan with a spatula. I turn the pans back to front in the oven halfway through baking.
  • Frost with royal icing (below), cookie icing, or whatever frosting you like.
  • Store in a tightly covered container, separating and cushioning the layers with sheets of waxed paper.
The standard recipe makes about 30 cookies of approx. 3 inch diameter size.

*You can substitute below for the 2 sticks of butter:
1 stick (4 oz) butter and 4 oz vegetable shortening, at room temperature 

Large recipe (1.5 times batch):
  • 3 sticks butter (12 oz.)
  • 18 oz sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 720 g all purpose flour
Royal Icing Double Batch:
  • 2 Tbsp meringue powder (or 2 egg whites)
  • 1/4 cup water plus enough extra water for adjusting consistency
  • 1 tsp clear or regular vanilla extract
  • 455 g sifted powdered sugar (this is approximately 1 lb.)
  1. Mix the meringue powder with the water and beat with a power mixer until it foams up like beaten egg whites.  
  2. Add the extract. Add the powdered sugar and start beating with the power mixer.  Make sure there's no big lumps in the powdered sugar.  
  3. The mixture will be dry, so add water little by little until it is a stiff but not dry consistency.  I use a spray bottle to add the water.  
  4. Now beat it for at least 5 minutes, until the icing is white and has a fluffy consistency. 
  5. Store with plastic wrap over the top to prevent drying out, in a airtight container. Use food color gel to color, and only mix in food coloring by stirring (don't use mixer). 
  6. I use a spray water bottle to adjust consistency to piping or flood consistency.