Soft Cut-Out Sugar Cookies – Perfectly Sweet & Easy Recipe
These Soft Cut-Out Sugar Cookies are perfectly sweet, tender, and easy to make. Featuring a rich buttery dough flavored with vanilla and almond extracts, these cookies are chilled, rolled out, cut into fun shapes, baked to golden perfection, and finished with a smooth, sweet royal icing for beautiful decoration. Ideal for holidays, celebrations, or anytime you crave a classic sugar cookie.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 40 minutes
- Yield: 36 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert, Snack
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup salted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 whole egg, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Royal Icing
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 3–4 tablespoons whole milk
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, cream together softened butter and granulated sugar until light, fluffy, and pale yellow, which takes about 3-5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure even mixing.
- Add Egg and Extracts: Beat in the room temperature egg until fully incorporated. Then mix in 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon almond extract until just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the dough tender.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour and baking powder. Gradually add these dry ingredients to the wet mixture in two or three additions, mixing on low speed until just combined and no streaks of flour remain. The dough should be soft and slightly sticky.
- Chill the Dough: Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide it into two discs, wrap tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, preferably 4 hours, until the dough is firm and easy to handle.
- Preheat Oven & Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and for easy cleanup.
- Roll and Cut Shapes: On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled dough to about 1/4-inch thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut out your desired shapes and place them on the prepared baking sheets, spaced slightly apart.
- Bake Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden and the centers appear set. Remove from oven and let cookies cool on the baking sheets for 2-3 minutes before transferring them to wire racks to cool completely.
- Prepare the Icing: While the cookies cool, combine powdered sugar, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1/8 teaspoon almond extract in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in whole milk starting with 3 tablespoons, adding more milk or powdered sugar as needed until the icing is smooth, pourable, and spreads easily.
- Decorate Cookies: Once the cookies are completely cool, decorate with the royal icing using piping bags for precision or a spatula for a more rustic look. Allow the icing to set at room temperature for a few hours until fully hardened.
Notes
- Ensure your butter and egg are at room temperature for smooth creaming and proper dough consistency.
- Do not overmix the dough after adding flour to keep cookies tender and soft.
- Chilling the dough is crucial for easy rolling and clean cut shapes that hold during baking.
- Use parchment paper-lined baking sheets to prevent sticking and promote even baking.
- Adjust icing consistency gradually; a thicker icing is better for detailed piping while thinner icing works well for flooding or spreading.
- Decorated cookies should be fully cooled before icing to prevent melting or sliding of the icing.
- Store decorated cookies in an airtight container at room temperature to maintain softness and freshness for up to a week.
Keywords: sugar cookies, cut-out cookies, soft sugar cookies, vanilla almond cookies, holiday cookies, decorated cookies, royal icing
