Sugar-Cookie Cutouts

(464)
Prep Time:
1 hrs 10 mins
Total Time:
3 hrs
Yield:
1 dozen

Use our holiday cookie templates or your own cookie cutters to create a variety of festive shapes. Also see our step-by-step directions for decorating the Little Girl Cookies.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

  • ½ teaspoon baking powder

  • ¼ teaspoon salt

  • 1 stick unsalted butter, softened

  • 1 cup sugar

  • 1 large egg, room temperature

  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

  1. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Beat together butter and sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low and gradually add flour mixture until combined. Shape dough into a disk and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate until firm but still pliable, at least 30 minutes or up to 3 days.

  2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Transfer half of dough to a lightly floured piece of parchment; roll to just under 1/4-inch thick. Transfer dough on parchment to a baking sheet and freeze until firm, 30 minutes. Repeat with other half of dough.

  3. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Using a craft knife and the template (or a cookie cutter), cut out cookies and space 2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes.

  4. Bake until golden on edges, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks.

    handbook-opener-179-mld110693.jpg
    Bryan Gardner

Cook's Notes

The cookies can be stored at room temperature up to one week.

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