What are sugar cookie recipes ?
Sugar cookies are buttery, sticky, and iconic of the holidays. They're also not nearly as difficult to make as you would think. Since they're so popular and require only basic ingredients, there are plenty of sugar cookie recipe options to suit your taste and baking preferences. Try one of these five recipes to make your own perfect batch of holiday cookies.
5 Sugar Cookie Recipes That are Incredibly Easy and Unbelievably Delicious
What are Sugar Cookies?
If you've always considered baking a nightmare, sugar cookies can change the way you feel about the kitchen. Incredibly easy to prepare, these cookies are as pleasant and warm as they sound, and delicious to boot. You can whip up a batch of sugar cookies quicker than making a phone call to your mother.
The sugar cookie is essentially a confection made of sugar, flour, eggs, butter and vanilla extract. It is the most basic cookie recipe in existence, and yet tasty, thanks to its buttery core and warm flavors of sugar and vanilla. Sugar cookies, though plain, are sweet and unfussy, and quick to prepare, which is what has kept them alive in pantries and bakeries over generations.
Where did Sugar Cookies Originate?
Some trace the origins of this cookie to 7th century Persia. However, sugar cookies in their present form are believed to have originated in Pennsylvania in the 17th century, according to Food News sources. German Protestant settlers are thought to have brought the modern sugar cookie recipe back with them when they settled in Nazareth, Pennsylvania in the mid-1700s. They gave these buttery cookies the shape of their state symbol, the keystone.
During the 1930s, it became popular practice to keep sugar cookies out on Christmas Eve for Santa Claus as a token of thanks for his gifts. Highly versatile, this humble but wildly popular confection, is a hot favorite with both children and adults alike, making it an anytime, all-weather snack. In 2015, Pillsbury created a world record for most cookies iced in one hour when they decorated 1,169 cookies with the help volunteers.
There's no easier way to take your first step into the wold of baking than with the sweet old sugar cookie.
Cookies are so easy to make, right? Wrong! There are so many recipes out there and it can be hard to find the perfect one.
We’ve done the hard work for you and have found five different sugar cookie recipes that are not only easy to make, but also delicious.
The Classic Sugar Cookie Recipe
Produces-
48 cookies
Ingredients-
3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 cup butter, 1.5 cups sugar, 1 tsp baking soda, 0.5 tsp baking powder, 1 egg and 1 tsp vanilla extract.
Method-
- Take a small bowl and mix the flour, baking powder and baking soda.
- Take another large bowl and blend the butter and sugar into a smooth mix.
- Beat the egg and vanilla extract in a separate bowl, add it to the flour mix and keep blending until smooth.
- Preheat the oven to 375 F for about five minutes, when you are almost done with the cookie dough.
- Make round balls with the dough and place these on a baking sheet lined with greased parchment paper.
- Bake the sugar cookies for about 8-10 minutes in the preheated oven until slightly brown.
- Take them out and let the cookies cool on a cooling rack.
Chewy Sugar Cookies
Produces-
30 cookies
Ingredients-
3 cups flour, 2 cups sugar, 2 eggs, 2 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tsp baking soda, 1.5 cups margarine and 1/2 tsp salt. For decoration- 1/4th cup sugar.
Method-
- Take a medium-sized bowl and put the flour, salt and baking soda in it.
- Stir well and mix evenly.
- Take a large bowl and put the margarine and sugar in it. Start stirring till the mixture becomes fluffy.
- Beat the eggs and vanilla extract in a separate bowl.
- Add the flour mix to the second bowl slowly and keep mixing to prepare the cookie dough.
- Wrap the cookie dough in clingwrap and let it chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 175 F.
- Roll the cookie dough into small, even-sized balls and then roll them in sugar to coat them.
- Place the balls on a baking sheet lined with greased parchment paper.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes and let the tray cool down before serving.
Starry Sugar Cookies
Produce-
40 cookies
Ingredients-
1.5 cup butter, 1.5 cups sugar, 2 eggs, 2 tsp vanilla extract, 3.5 cups flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt. Star-shaped cookie cutter and 0.5 cup sugar for decoration.
Method-
- Make sure to preheat the oven to 375 F before starting to bake.
- Use a medium bowl to mix the butter and sugar.
- Use another bowl to beat the eggs and vanilla extract.
- Slowly pour the flour mix into the second bowl and start mixing well.
- Prepare a smooth cookie dough and use the cookie cutter to cut it into little stars.
- Once cut into shape, use the sugar kept aside to dust over the cookies for decoration.
- Place the stars on a baking sheet with greased parchment paper.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the cookies turn brown below.
- Let the tray cool down for 10 minutes after baking.
It’s the holiday season, and you’ve got a lot of cooking to do. You need something easy, but delicious.
The last thing you want is to spend your time in the kitchen when you could be spending it with friends and family.
Sugar Cookies with Frosting
Produces-
50-60 cookies
Ingredients-
1.5 cup butter, 1 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 3.5 cups flour, 0.5 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt, 0.5 tsp baking soda, 1 lb confectioner's sugar, and 1 cup water.
Method-
- Take a large bowl, mix 1 cup of butter, sugar, eggs and half a portion of vanilla extract and blend until it becomes fluffy.
- Now add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt to the bowl and keep stirring.
- Make sure all the dry ingredients are evenly mixed into the butter mixture.
- Chill this cookie dough for two hours.
- Preheat the oven.
- Roll the dough on a flat surface.
- Use cookie cutters to get your desired shape and place the cutouts on a baking sheet.
- Bake for about 4-6 minutes. Remove from the heat once done.
- Cool the cookies.
As the cookies cool, you can prepare the buttercream frosting using another mixer. Beat the confectioner's sugar, 0.5 cup butter, water, vanilla extract and salt. Keep mixing till it becomes a fluffy, buttery paste. Apply a layer of this paste on each cookie. Your sugar cookies with frosting are done.
Cinnamon Sugar Cookies
Produces-
50 cookies
Ingredients-
0.5 cup butter, 1.5 cup flour, 0.5 tsp baking soda, 1 cup white sugar, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 1 egg, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 2.5 cup ground cinnamon, and salt.
Method-
- Evenly mix the flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl.
- Take another bowl, add the butter, 1/4 cup white sugar and the entire portion of brown sugar. Mix well and then add the egg and vanilla extract.
- Once this is done, add the flour mix to the butter mixture to prepare the cookie dough.
- Divide the dough into equal halves and roll them into 2-inch-diameter logs.
- Wrap these logs and chill for 3-4 hours.
- Mix the leftover sugar and ground cinnamon together and keep this on a flat plate.
- Take out the dough and roll it over the cinnamon and sugar mixture.
- Now cut the dough into quarter-inch rounds.
- Preheat the oven to 175 F.
- Place the cookies on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes or less (remove when they start to brown).
- Cool the cookies.
- Serve when cold.
Baking Tips and Tricks
Sugar cookies are so easy, you can make them in your sleep. Yet, if you want to make sure they turn out perfectly, here are a few tips to follow-
- If you want to give your cookies a richer flavor, always use butter instead of cooking oil, shortening or margarine (unless the recipe calls for it).
- You can also add almond extract for additional flavor.
- Always bake your cookies at the right Food Temperature to make sure they are nicely done.
- If you want crunchy cookies, cool them down on the hot baking sheet itself. The longer you leave them to cool at room temperature, the crunchier they become.
- Use a Food Thermometer to achieve the correct cooking temperature so that your cookies are not half-done.
Who doesn’t love sugar cookies? They’re perfect for the holidays and they’re a cinch to make.
But what if you want something more than just your average sugar cookie?
Must-Read Content
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you make sugar cookies taste better?
When it comes to holiday baking, we all have our own favorite recipe. Some people love rich, chocolatey cookies, others love fluffy sugar cookies. Still others crave the classic, perfect sugar cookie. No matter your preferences, everyone can appreciate a little extra something. The best sugar cookies have a rich, cake-y flavor that comes from the eggs, butter, and sugar. But, just like with any other baked good, the more sugar you add, the sweeter it becomes. Which means that the best sugar cookies have a balance of sweetness, moistness, and flavor. But, there is one other secret to making your sugar cookies taste better- moisture. The moisture comes from the amount of fat and eggs in the recipe. The more fat and eggs you use, the better the finished product. Experiment with different recipes and see what works best for your home.When it comes to holiday baking, we all have our own favorite recipe. Some people love rich, chocolatey cookies, others love fluffy sugar cookies. Still others crave the classic, perfect sugar cookie. No matter your preferences, everyone can appreciate a little extra something. The best sugar cookies have a rich, cake-y flavor that comes from the eggs, butter, and sugar. But, just like with any other baked good, the more sugar you add, the sweeter it becomes. Which means that the best sugar cookies have a balance of sweetness, moistness, and flavor. But, there is one other secret to making your sugar cookies taste better- moisture. The moisture comes from the amount of fat and eggs in the recipe. The more fat and eggs you use, the better the finished product. Experiment with different recipes and see what works best for your home.When it comes to holiday baking, we all have our own favorite recipe. Some people love rich, chocolatey cookies, others love fluffy sugar cookies. Still others crave the classic, perfect sugar cookie. No matter your preferences, everyone can appreciate a little extra something. The best sugar cookies have a rich, cake-y flavor that comes from the eggs, butter, and sugar. But, just like with any other baked good, the more sugar you add, the sweeter it becomes. Which means that the best sugar cookies have a balance of sweetness, moistness, and flavor. But, there is one other secret to making your sugar cookies taste better- moisture. The moisture comes from the amount of fat and eggs in the recipe. The more fat and eggs you use, the better the finished product. Experiment with different recipes and see what works best for your home.When it comes to holiday baking, we all have our own favorite recipe. Some people love rich, chocolatey cookies, others love fluffy sugar cookies. Still others crave the classic, perfect sugar cookie. No matter your preferences, everyone can appreciate a little extra something. The best sugar cookies have a rich, cake-y flavor that comes from the eggs, butter, and sugar. But, just like with any other baked good, the more sugar you add, the sweeter it becomes. Which means that the best sugar cookies have a balance of sweetness, moistness, and flavor. But, there is one other secret to making your sugar cookies taste better- moisture. The moisture comes from the amount of fat and eggs in the recipe. The more fat and eggs you use, the better the finished product. Experiment with different recipes and see what works best for your home.
What does baking soda do to sugar cookies?
Baking soda has a very mild effect on cookies. In fact, most of us don't even realize that we're using baking soda when we mix up a batch of sugar cookies. But there are times when baking soda isn't a good idea. It doesn't change the flavor of sugar cookies, but it can change the texture, making sugar cookies puff up instead of staying flat. This is especially noticeable when you use more concentrated baking soda. Baking soda has a very mild effect on cookies. In fact, most of us don't even realize that we're using baking soda when we mix up a batch of sugar cookies. But there are times when baking soda isn't a good idea. It doesn't change the flavor of sugar cookies, but it can change the texture, making sugar cookies puff up instead of staying flat. This is especially noticeable when you use more concentrated baking soda. Baking soda has a very mild effect on cookies. In fact, most of us don't even realize that we're using baking soda when we mix up a batch of sugar cookies. But there are times when baking soda isn't a good idea. It doesn't change the flavor of sugar cookies, but it can change the texture, making sugar cookies puff up instead of staying flat. This is especially noticeable when you use more concentrated baking soda. Baking soda has a very mild effect on cookies. In fact, most of us don't even realize that we're using baking soda when we mix up a batch of sugar cookies. But there are times when baking soda isn't a good idea. It doesn't change the flavor of sugar cookies, but it can change the texture, making sugar cookies puff up instead of staying flat. This is especially noticeable when you use more concentrated baking soda.
How does Paula Deen make sugar cookies?
Paula Deen's recipes are famous for their rich ingredients and delicious baked goods. Her signature moist, tender sugar cookies are no exception. Paula Deen makes sugar cookies by mixing together melted butter, flour, sugar, salt, egg, and vanilla. Deen uses a unique combination of butter and shortening to create the right balance of buttery flavor and a tender crumb. Paula Deen's recipes are famous for their rich ingredients and delicious baked goods. Her signature moist, tender sugar cookies are no exception. Paula Deen makes sugar cookies by mixing together melted butter, flour, sugar, salt, egg, and vanilla. Deen uses a unique combination of butter and shortening to create the right balance of buttery flavor and a tender crumb. Paula Deen's recipes are famous for their rich ingredients and delicious baked goods. Her signature moist, tender sugar cookies are no exception. Paula Deen makes sugar cookies by mixing together melted butter, flour, sugar, salt, egg, and vanilla. Deen uses a unique combination of butter and shortening to create the right balance of buttery flavor and a tender crumb. Paula Deen's recipes are famous for their rich ingredients and delicious baked goods. Her signature moist, tender sugar cookies are no exception. Paula Deen makes sugar cookies by mixing together melted butter, flour, sugar, salt, egg, and vanilla. Deen uses a unique combination of butter and shortening to create the right balance of buttery flavor and a tender crumb.
Why is my sugar cookie hard?
When you take regular sugar cookie dough and bake it at a high temperature, the result is a hard, crackly sugar cookie. That's because the high heat destroys the gluten in flour, which is what makes the cookie dough elastic and allows it to expand as it bakes. This hard, crackly texture is what you get when you over-handle, over-bake, or over-handle and over-bake. Overhandling means you knead the dough too much, overbaking means you bake the cookie too much, and overhandling and overbaking together means you're overhandling and overbaking. That's why your sweets end up hard and crackly. When you take regular sugar cookie dough and bake it at a high temperature, the result is a hard, crackly sugar cookie. That's because the high heat destroys the gluten in flour, which is what makes the cookie dough elastic and allows it to expand as it bakes. This hard, crackly texture is what you get when you over-handle, over-bake, or over-handle and over-bake. Overhandling means you knead the dough too much, overbaking means you bake the cookie too much, and overhandling and overbaking together means you're overhandling and overbaking. That's why your sweets end up hard and crackly. When you take regular sugar cookie dough and bake it at a high temperature, the result is a hard, crackly sugar cookie. That's because the high heat destroys the gluten in flour, which is what makes the cookie dough elastic and allows it to expand as it bakes. This hard, crackly texture is what you get when you over-handle, over-bake, or over-handle and over-bake. Overhandling means you knead the dough too much, overbaking means you bake the cookie too much, and overhandling and overbaking together means you're overhandling and overbaking. That's why your sweets end up hard and crackly. When you take regular sugar cookie dough and bake it at a high temperature, the result is a hard, crackly sugar cookie. That's because the high heat destroys the gluten in flour, which is what makes the cookie dough elastic and allows it to expand as it bakes. This hard, crackly texture is what you get when you over-handle, over-bake, or over-handle and over-bake. Overhandling means you knead the dough too much, overbaking means you bake the cookie too much, and overhandling and overbaking together means you're overhandling and overbaking. That's why your sweets end up hard and crackly.