Delicious and simple roll out sugar cookies

By A'Dell

Let's start with the truth: roll out sugar cookies are a huge pain in the ass to make. The sprinkling of the flour and the rolling pin and the cookie cutters and the scraping and AGHHH THEY ARE SUCH A PAIN TO MAKE. And yet, they certainly are pretty and make people smile, so we make them year after year. 

I landed on my favorite recipe after much trial and error. Originally, I was using a recipe of my mother's titled, "Aunt Cindy's Sugar Cookies." It lived on a blue index card in her recipe box. After many years I have decided that Aunt Cindy makes a not-so-great sugar cookie. (Sorry, Aunt Cindy.) They were sticky and impossible to roll out and had a really flat flavor profile. I tried a lot of others over the years, never really liking any of them all that much. I decided sugar cookies, that were not a ridiculous mess to make, were not possible at home.

And then I found this one from Bake at 350.

You guys. THIS is the recipe. It ridiculously quick to throw together in a mixer, produces pliable, workable dough and light, chewy, delicious cookies. It is perfect. Even after I use the dough a few times over again to roll and cut, the cookies aren't noticeably tougher or any different in both texture or flavor. It's a really forgiving recipe and the almond extract is what MAKES them. Granted, I have a thing for almond extract and I put it in my pancakes, but almondy-vanilla sugar cookies? How can you say no to that? YUM.

Here's the recipe, straight from the amazing and lovely Bridget. DO NOT SKIP the freezing part. You'll be tempted to, because you've already put so much time in and you want to be finished and eating cookies already, but don't skip it. It helps the cookies keep their shape somehow and not puff up or expand. At least, that was my experience. Freezing them prior to baking makes a HUGE difference.

Vanilla-Almond Sugar Cookies

3 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup sugar (original recipe uses sugar that vanilla beans have been stored in)
2 sticks (salted) butter, cold
1 egg
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine the flour and baking powder, set aside. Cream the sugar and butter. Add the egg and extracts and mix. Gradually add the flour mixture and beat just until combined, scraping down the bowl, especially the bottom or you'll end up with lots of crumbly, floury bits that aren't incorporated.

The dough will be crumbly, so knead it together with your hands as you scoop it out of the bowl for rolling

Roll onto a floured surface and cut into shapes. Place on parchment lined baking sheets (I recommend freezing the cut out shape on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before baking) and bake for 10-12 minutes. Let sit a few minutes on the sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack.

Comments

[Arina]

Oooooh, taking note! My recipe came from Real Simple (why do I keep going back to them for recipes? never has one been excellent!) and was a flop. I'll put this one in my binder for next time...

[Stephanie M]

I made this SAME recipe this weekend, and I second everything you said. Yummy and easier than a lot of them.

[Allison]

Oooh, I was planning to find a cookie recipe to undertake a "Christmas Cookie Baking and Decorating" activity with the kids this weekend. This one looks great! Do you have a frosting recipe you use?