Basic Sugar-Cookie Dough

205 Ratings
  • 5 36
  • 4 64
  • 3 61
  • 2 36
  • 1 8

Here's one of the best-kept secrets of professional bakers: It takes only one cookie dough to produce a beautiful assortment of holiday cookies. Use this dough to make Santa's Snowflakes, Orange Spritz, and Chocolate-Raspberry Thumbprints.

Martha Stewart Living, December 2003

Gallery

Credit: Antonis Achilleos

Recipe Summary

Yield:
Makes enough for our 4 varieties of cookies
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Ingredients

Directions

  • In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, vanilla, and salt; mix on medium speed until combined. With mixer on low speed, add flour in 2 batches, mixing just until incorporated.

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  • Divide dough into 4 equal portions. Place each on a piece of plastic wrap; flatten into disks. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate until firm, at least 2 hours or up to 1 week.

Cook's Notes

Use a kitchen scale to quarter the dough precisely, as called for in these recipes. Each piece should weigh just under 1 pound.

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Reviews (24)

205 Ratings
  • 5 36
  • 4 64
  • 3 61
  • 2 36
  • 1 8
Martha Stewart Member
07/04/2018
Horrible! Not sure if the proportions are incorrect or if something is just missing. Had to throw it away they smelled and tasted horrible! Followed the recipe exactly. I found this recipe using Microsoft Cortana... maybe a bad call? Use google! I'm sure the search results will be based on frequency of use or something other than matching the key words "sugar cookie". Do. Not. Waste. Your. Flour.
Martha Stewart Member
12/01/2014
Too crumbly, I couldn't use it at all. I'm not sure what happened I followed the directions exactly..
Martha Stewart Member
01/12/2014
Results are flavorful, rich and buttery. Good recipe and consistent results. I used the dough for standard holiday cookies and for jelly thumb prints. I baked both at 375. The rolled sugar cookies took less time overall to bake because they were thinner.
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Martha Stewart Member
08/01/2012
this makes awesome sugar cookies. i use this recipe A LOT, so trust me Everyone, you'll love it!!!after the dough has been refrigerated for at least an hour, the dough needs about an extra 1 cup flour for rolling out and cutting out into shapes. roll out about 1/2" thick (on your floured surface) and cut dough into shapes using cookie cutters. Bake cookies for apx 8 min at 350. remove cookies from cookie sheets immediately after cookies come out of the oven so that the bottoms don't brown.
Martha Stewart Member
06/21/2012
Made them for my two best kids in the whole wide world brook,and stinker man
Martha Stewart Member
02/10/2009
Why is the dough crumbly?
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Martha Stewart Member
12/22/2008
The recipe calls for 2 TABLEspoons of vanilla. Usually a cookie dough has 1 to 2 TEAspoons. I've made the recipe with 1 TABLEspoon and it seems to be a little too strong. I haven't baked it yet. Any comments on this?
Martha Stewart Member
12/22/2008
Here is a fantastic conversion site http://www.dianasdesserts.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/tools.measures/Measures.cfm 113.4g=1 stick
Martha Stewart Member
12/17/2008
one stick = 1/4 pound or 8 tablespoons. not sure what that would be in grams, but I am sure there is an online conversion tool somewhere.
Martha Stewart Member
12/17/2008
Can someone please let me know how much a 'stick' of butter weighs! I have some cup measures but in Uk we buy butter in 250g packs. Thanks!
Martha Stewart Member
12/17/2008
Can someone please let me know how much a 'stick' of butter weighs! I have some cup measures but in Uk we buy butter in 250g packs. Thanks!
Martha Stewart Member
12/17/2008
Can someone please let me know how much a 'stick' of butter weighs! I have some cup measures but in Uk we buy butter in 250g packs. Thanks!
Martha Stewart Member
12/14/2008
Warning- if you happen to use margarine instead of butter-decrease your salt to 1 tsp or even 1/2 tsp if preferred. This isn't a very sweet cookie, so you may want to add more sugar to taste.
Martha Stewart Member
12/13/2008
What is the difference between this cookies and the 'santa sugar cookie cutout' recipe? I see the cutout recipe has baking powder and this one doesn't. I'm confused. I planned on painting my cookies with royal icing, would either recipe be okay? Thanks to anyone who can help me. Happy Holidays!
Martha Stewart Member
12/12/2008
Yes, the dough can be frozen. I freeze extra rolls of many of Martha's cookie recipes - especially her citrus cookies. Wonderful. Easy to always have freshly baked cookies.
Martha Stewart Member
12/11/2008
It has been said that baking the baked cookies is okay. How about the dough? On some of the recipes it says it is okay to freeze but not others. Does anyone know if all cookie doughs can be frozen? Thanks
Martha Stewart Member
12/10/2008
How many cookies (dozens) does this recipe yeild? Thanks.
Martha Stewart Member
12/08/2008
The rest of the directions are back on the first page where the basic one is. Click on the cookie you want and it will take you to the rest of the directions for that one.
Martha Stewart Member
12/08/2008
The rest of the directions are back on the first page where the basic one is. Click on the cookie you want and it will take you to the rest of the directions for that one.
Martha Stewart Member
12/08/2008
Where are the rest of the (baking) directions ?
Martha Stewart Member
12/08/2008
Where are the rest of the (baking) directions ?
Martha Stewart Member
12/03/2008
Cookies freeze superbly well! I start mine months in advance and have no choice. If in doubt, freeze one overnight and thaw it to see how it reacts. I personally would freeze the snowball cookies unpowdered, and then powder them after thawing out. Go for it girl!
Martha Stewart Member
11/21/2008
I wonder if these cookies freeze well...?
Martha Stewart Member
11/21/2008
I wonder if these cookies are safe to freeze...?
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