Everyone loves festive Cut Out Sugar Cookies during the holidays! This recipe is super simple and produces delicious cookies every single time. The perfect cookies for Santa, with a bonus royal icing recipe!
cookies santa will love
I’ve been eating these cookies my. whole. life. They are fail proof and come out the exact same, every. single. time. When I think of sugar cookies, these are what I think of. Delicious, soft yet crunchy, and of course, decorated. My mom has made these my whole life, so I’ve seen pretty much every holiday portrayed on one of these cookies. Christmas, however, is always my favorite. I decided to try my hand at cookie decorating with some royal icing this year, and I loved it, so I threw in a bonus royal icing recipe down below!
why i love these cut out sugar cookies
This recipe is SUPER simple. I don’t know if you have noticed, but I am all about a super simple recipe. It’s kind of a theme here. Non-threatening, easy-peasy recipes. This one has very few ingredients and is tried and true. They have a pretty classic sugar cookie taste, so they are good for year round celebrations. Even a first-time cookie maker could make these, they are that simple. Not to mention a beautiful blank canvas for you to add flavored icings or endless toppings to. These are the PERFECT cookies to make with the little ones for Santa!
ingredients you’ll need
- All Purpose Flour
- Unsalted Butter
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla Extract
- Baking Powder
- Salt
how to make cut out sugar cookies
Make the dough. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside. In a stand mixer, cream butter. Gradually add sugar 1 1/2 cup at a time. Beat until light and fluffy. Add one egg at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture, stirring well. Cover dough in wax paper and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.
MAKE THE COOKIES: Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Work with only 1/4th of the dough at a time. This will prevent it from getting too warm while sitting out. Cover the rest and keep it in the refrigerator. On a floured surface (or in between wax paper) roll dough into an 1/8th inch thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut cookies out of the dough. Place on prepared baking sheet and bake for 8-9 minutes. Remove and let fully cool on a cooling rack, then decorate!
tips for making cut out sugar cookies
Save half for later! This is a great recipe for a big batch of sugar cookies for Christmas. You don’t have to bang them all out at once, so stick the other half in the fridge for a couple days or up to 2 weeks later!
I have never used royal icing before, but I found these videos by Julia Usher SUPER helpful.
Store in an airtight container on the counter for up to a week, or possibly a little longer!
Bonus royal icing recipe!
- 3 cups Powdered Sugar
- 2 Egg Whites
- 1/4 teaspoon Cream of Tartar
- 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract (optional)
Mix powdered sugar and cream of tartar in the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Pour in egg whites and gently mix in with a spatula. Using the whisk attachment, beat the mixture on high for 5-7 minutes, or until stiff peaks form. Add in vanilla at this point and fully incorporate. The icing will be bright white and glossy. At this point you can portion it out and add food coloring!
more cookie recipes you’ll love!
Cut Out Sugar Cookies
Equipment
- electric stand mixer
- baking sheet
- cooling rack
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Make the dough. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside. In a stand mixer, cream butter. Gradually add sugar 1 1/2 cup at a time. Beat until light and fluffy. Add one egg at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture, stirring well. Cover dough in wax paper and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.
- MAKE THE COOKIES: Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Work with only 1/4th of the dough at a time. This will prevent it from getting too warm while sitting out. Cover the rest and keep it in the refrigerator. On a floured surface (or in between wax paper) roll dough into an 1/8th inch thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut cookies out of the dough. Place on prepared baking sheet and bake for 8-9 minutes. Remove and let fully cool on a cooling rack, then decorate!
