Following are two basic sugar cookie recipes that are excellent. The cut-out sugar cookie recipe is a dream to work with.
After kneading the dough, it rolls out easily and holds different shapes very well. The other homemade sugar cookie recipe is for soft sugar cookies.
These cookies are great iced, yet they are still delicious when sprinkled with decorator colored sugar.
COOKIE TIPS:
I roll the cookie dough out on parchment paper only and then pull away the scraps from around the cutout cookies. This eliminates damaging the cookies while transferring them to a cookie sheet. Then, just slide the parchment paper onto the cookie sheet.
If you like a chewier cookie, roll thicker. If you want a hard crunchy cookie, roll out thinner.
When baking watch these CLOSELY, and remove from oven when edges just begin to brown. If you leave them in too long, get them off the cookie sheet FAST- they will cool faster. Make sure to cool the baking sheet between batches; just run cold water over and and dry. So now let’s tackle my basic sugar cookie recipes.
Basic Sugar Cookie Recipes
You are going to fall in love with the first one of my homemade sugar cookie recipes…
BASIC SUGAR COOKIE RECIPE for Cut Outs
1-1/2 cups butter, softened
1/3 cup cream cheese, softened
3 cups white sugar
4 eggs
1 TBS homemade pure vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
5 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder substitute
1 tsp salt
PREHEAT oven to 400 degrees. Line the cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together; set aside.
Cream the butter and sugar until smooth and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and mix well after each addition. Add the vanilla. In 1 cup measurements, add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture; mixing well after each addition. Cover and chill the dough for at least 1 hour.
Roll the dough out on a sugared surface (do not put flour down) to 1/2 inches thick. Cut into shapes and place carefully one inch apart, on the prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 6-8 minutes. This is a wonderful basic sugar cookie recipe.
More sugar cookie recipes…I love sugar cookies that are crisp on the outside and very chewy on the inside and this recipe fits the bill. These cookies are soft, and tender with a slight buttery flavor.
This recipe can easily be made into snicker doodle cookies by rolling the dough in cinnamon-sugar before baking. I also sometimes add almond extract for a different flavor.
For cut out sugar cookies, use the cut out sugar cookie recipe above. These are soft cookies, so I wouldn’t use this recipe for cutouts.
THE BEST SOFT SUGAR COOKIE RECIPE
1-1/4 cups butter
2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2-3/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp homemade pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup white sugar for garnish
PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees and line cookie sheets with parchment paper
Sift the dry ingredients together and set aside.
Cream the butter and sugar together until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs one at time, and beat after each addition. Add the vanilla and mix. Put the flour mixture in 1 cup at a time and mix thoroughly after each cup is added. Cover and place the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Roll the dough into walnut sized balls and roll the balls in remaining 1/4 cup of sugar. Place cookies 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets and flatten slightly.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until lightly browned at the edges. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
You can add almond extract, or lemon juice and then use vanilla frosting or glaze. Red hots are great also. Yummy.
LEBKUCHEN GERMAN COOKIES
1-1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup molasses
2 eggs
3/4 cup nut meats
1/2 cup citron, finely diced
4-3/4 cups sifted flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp cinnamon
Glaze
1 cup water
1 cup powdered sugar
Optional Toppings
nuts
cherries
Heat together sugar, shortening, honey and molasses. Stir in eggs, nuts and citron. Sift together remaining dry ingredients and stir into molasses mixture. Chill overnight.
Roll into 1/4 inch thick. Cut into squares. Bake on a greased tin at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes.
For the glaze, boil the water and powdered sugar together and brush onto warm cookies. Sprinkle with nuts and cherries (optional).