The Perfect Sugar Cookie Recipe

(Original: http://www.inkatrinaskitchen.com/2011/12/best-sugar-cookie-recipe-and-kitchenaid_28.html)

I have been using this recipe for over 10 years and it has never failed me. The texture is medium-soft but you can bake them longer if you prefer a crisp cookie. This Basic Sugar Cookie Dough recipe is my absolute favorite because:

It comes together quickly.
It does NOT need to be chilled.
It can be doubled, halved, etc easily.
It holds its shape with very little expanding when baked.

The recipe I am giving you makes a large batch of dough because I like to bake a lot of cookies. Also I like to roll and cut my cookies fairly thick…to hold a lot of frosting. Please feel free to halve it. Please note: Incorporating the last cup of flour may make you nervous. It will be dry and look crumbly. Turn out the dough and work with wet hands until the dough is smooth and ready to roll.

Best Sugar Cookie Recipe

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YIELD: 3 dozen large cookies

PREP TIME: 30 minutes

COOK TIME: 6-8 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 38 minutes

Soft cut out sugar cookie recipe that keeps its shape and dough does not need to be chilled before baking- perfect edges every time!

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups of butter, softened (1 cup = 226 g)
• 2 cups (402 g) of granulated white sugar (1 cup = 201 g)
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon of almond extract
• 2 eggs
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 6 cups (768 g) all purpose flour (1 cup = 128 g)

DIRECTIONS:9

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. ( +/-180º C)
2. In the bowl of your mixer cream butter and sugar until smooth.
3. Beat in extracts and eggs.
4. In a separate bowl combine baking powder with flour and add a little at a time to the wet ingredients. The dough will be very stiff. If it becomes too stiff for your mixer turn out the dough onto a countertop surface. Wet your hands and finish off kneading the dough by hand.
5. DO NOT CHILL THE DOUGH. Divide into workable batches, roll out onto a floured surface and cut. You want these cookies to be on the thicker side (closer to 1/4 inch rather than 1/8).
6. Bake at 350 for 6-8 minutes. Let cool on the cookie sheet until firm enough to transfer to a cooling rack.

NOTES:

• If you must chill the dough just leave it on the countertop for 10 minutes before rolling or work the dough with your hands for a few minutes.
• I hesitate to put a recipe yield on cut out cookie recipes because the yield varies with the size of cookie cutters being used. This recipe makes a LARGE amount of dough. It can easily be halved to meet your needs.
• You can omit the almond extract if you do not have it available, however the taste is really fantastic with the hint of almond.

Original recipe and images © In Katrina's Kitchen 

Click here for my favorite buttercream frosting recipe (use all crisco if you would like it to crust, all butter for frosting that stays soft).

Click here for my Small Batch Royal Icing recipe (it dries hard, and is perfect for holding together gingerbread houses too!).