The Perfect Sugar Cookie Recipe

I’m happy to share with you the most PERFECT sugar cookie recipe that I have ever used for cut-out royal icing cookies. After struggling with cookies that don’t maintain their shape in the oven or are crumbly/uneven to ice, I find this recipe to be TOP-NOTCH.

The best thing about these cookies is how they keep their shape. You don’t have to worry about your unicorn cut-out turning into a blob-icorn while baking. They come out of the oven just the way you put them in! These cookies bake SO evenly and are the perfect blank canvas for any icing you choose. Not to mention.. they taste amazing!

Ingredients

1 cup powdered sugar

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 sticks salted butter – softened

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 large egg

1/2 tsp salt

Steps

1. Combine flour and salt in a bowl.
2. In mixer, blend softened butter and powdered sugar together at a medium speed until thoroughly combined. Add in egg and vanilla extract while continuing to blend.
3. Reduce mixing speed to low. Slowly pour in flour/salt mixture, a little at a time. Continue to mix until doughy consistency is reached.
4. Place dough in a covered container and allow it to chill in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours. If you don’t have 1-2 hours to spare, you can put your dough in the freezer for about 30 minutes.
5. When cutting out cookies, add flour as needed to the surface you’re working on to prevent the dough from sticking. You may also need to flour your rolling pin. Dough should be rolled into small sheets approx. 1/4″ thick for cutting out cookies.
6. Place cookie cut-outs on a non-stick baking sheet, spaced approx. 1-2″ from one another. Bake at 375 for 11-13 minutes.

Make sure to let your cookies cool off thoroughly before adding icing.

Want to learn tips and tricks for decorating these scrumptious cookies with royal icing? Check out Royal Icing Cookies: What I Wish I Had Known as a Beginner!