Looking for a fool-proof sugar cookie recipe (for sugar cookie cut outs)

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Permalink Reply by lisa yanoschak on July 6, 2010 at 4:27pm

hi faith!
i use wilton sugar cookie recipe. it works great but i've tweaked it slightly. first i do not use baking powder at all. i find that baking powder in any recipe makes the cookies rise too much and spread. also, i've learned to use only cool to the touch cookie sheets when baking. i made the mistake of putting the cutouts on warm pans. the heat from the pans makes the butter start to melt immediately, thus, making the cookies spread. the recipe consists of: 11/2 c. sugar, 2 sticks butter room temp., 1 egg, 1 tsp. vanilla, 1/4 tsp. almond extract, 1/4 tsp salt, 2 3/4 c flour. that's it! bake 7-9 minutes at 400 degrees...(i use 390 for my oven). hope this helps! lisa

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Permalink Reply by Jeanne on July 6, 2010 at 4:53pm

It could very well be your recipe. If you would be willing to share it maybe we can see if a tweak might help. The recipe I use has bain powder in it but it doesn't spread much. I also freeze the cut out cookies before I bake them.

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Permalink Reply by Faith Gealey-Brown on July 6, 2010 at 5:13pm

Lisa your recipe sounds simple and delicious. Jeanne I love the idea of freezing them before you bake them. I'm going to try the recipe out tonight to see how it comes out!

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Permalink Reply by Faith Gealey-Brown on July 6, 2010 at 5:15pm

Lisa - how far in advance can you make the cookies? I want to make them for an event for Saturday (a last minute change for some favours). I'm going to try them out tonight....

lisa yanoschak said:

hi faith!
i use wilton sugar cookie recipe. it works great but i've tweaked it slightly. first i do not use baking powder at all. i find that baking powder in any recipe makes the cookies rise too much and spread. also, i've learned to use only cool to the touch cookie sheets when baking. i made the mistake of putting the cutouts on warm pans. the heat from the pans makes the butter start to melt immediately, thus, making the cookies spread. the recipe consists of: 11/2 c. sugar, 2 sticks butter room temp., 1 egg, 1 tsp. vanilla, 1/4 tsp. almond extract, 1/4 tsp salt, 2 3/4 c flour. that's it! bake 7-9 minutes at 400 degrees...(i use 390 for my oven). hope this helps! lisa

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Permalink Reply by Kathy Kmonk on July 6, 2010 at 5:29pm

This is the recipe I use...I've never had trouble with it, except when my husband bought an off brand of flour for me. For some reason they spread all over the place then.

Basic Rolled Sugar Cookies
(From Karen's Cookies)

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup superfine sugar, or granulated sugar, processed in blender
or food processor for 30 seconds
½ tsp. Salt
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 tsp. Vanilla extract
½ tsp. Almond extract or emulsion, optional
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour. (I use Gold Medal Flour...had trouble when I used an off brand)

Cream butter, sugar and salt until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes with mixer set at medium speed (see Dough Preparation and Baking tutorial for more information on creaming times). Add yolk, beat well. Add whole egg, vanilla and optional almond extract and beat until well-incorporated. Add flour; beat at low speed just until flour is mixed in; do not over mix. Divide dough in halves or thirds and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, at least one hour and up to 2 days.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Dust work surface and rolling pin with flour. Roll dough to 1/4" thick, sprinkling with additional flour as needed to prevent sticking. Cut into desired shapes and place on parchment or silicone-lined pans. Bake in preheated oven until cookies appear dry on the surface and are light golden brown on the edges, about 10 minutes (very large cookies may take up to 12 or 13 minutes). Remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks and cool completely before decorating.

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Permalink Reply by Stampinsher on July 6, 2010 at 6:18pm

Faith,
There was a video placed up on this site and I found it again. I must say that this video and the other video put the Bug in me and I always wanted to do this. So I did! If you watch this video and go the website, there is the perfect recipe that you want to use.

http://www.cakeswebake.com/video/textured-fondant-covered

When you go to the website: http://www.karenscookies.net/ look under "recipes" and you will have the Perfect recipe!
Good Luck.
Have fun. I am!!!!
Smilin' Sher

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Permalink Reply by jeri c on July 6, 2010 at 8:05pm

Here is the recipe I use for all my sugar cookies. I give credit where I got the recipe is from "Simply Better a Small Cookie Book" put out by Better Homes and Gardens I tweaked it for my own likings so this is NOT exactly the same as it is in the book

1 cup salted butter ( I only use REAL sweet cream butter)
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
3 cups all purpose flour
A couple drops of Almond Extract (I use Wilton Almond... love it)

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees.

I cream the butter and the sugar together then add the egg and mix till well combined. Add just a couple drops of Almond Extract. Add one cup of flour and mix well. Add the second cup and mix well. Then I add a half cup and mix well then I add the remaining 1/2 cup a little at a time making sure the dough does not get too hard. If it looks like it is, don't add any more flour.

Divide the dough in half cover the bowl with a towel while you work with the other half. Roll out on a floured surface about 1/8" thick and cut your shapes. Try to not overwork the dough or the cookies are not as flaky. I roll mine with a soft hand. Meaning not to push real hard on the roller just quick soft motion.

Put your cookies 1" apart. You can cook on parchment if you want.
I use both the mini cutters and the regular size cutters. ALWAYS have the same size on the pan. Never bake big and little cookies together. They bake differently.
the regular size cookie cutter I bake for 11 minutes. The mini cutter size I bake for 7 minutes.

Icing
2 cups powdered sugar
2 TBSP milk
1 tsp Almond Extract (again I use Wilton)
Add the milk to the powdered sugar mixing well if you need the icing thinner, just add a tad bit more milk. I love to ice my cookies and dip them into sanding sugar.

These stay fresh for about a month as long as you store them in a cool sealed container. I have baked them and stored them for a month and are as soft as the day I made them. This recipe DOES NOT get hard ever. Unless you over bake them. I always bake ALL of my cookies at 300 for a longer time. Most cookies I bake at 300 for 16 minutes. If you are using the small cutters only bake them for 6 to 7 minutes. They bake much quicker. Hope you enjoy this recipe!

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Permalink Reply by lisa yanoschak on July 6, 2010 at 8:34pm

hi faith,
i actually just finished icing cookies and delivered them today for a customers use on saturday. i use a thicker cut on the cookie like 3/8". i pull them out of the oven as soon as i start to see the slightest bit of brown on the cookie. i let them sit on the pan for 1 minute then with an offset spatula i slide it over the cookie top to flatten the cookie of any lumps. that makes it easier and neater to frost. today i had to use royal icing because of the heat here in the northeast. my glaze icing would have melted right off!

Faith Gealey-Brown said:

Lisa - how far in advance can you make the cookies? I want to make them for an event for Saturday (a last minute change for some favours). I'm going to try them out tonight....

lisa yanoschak said:

hi faith!
i use wilton sugar cookie recipe. it works great but i've tweaked it slightly. first i do not use baking powder at all. i find that baking powder in any recipe makes the cookies rise too much and spread. also, i've learned to use only cool to the touch cookie sheets when baking. i made the mistake of putting the cutouts on warm pans. the heat from the pans makes the butter start to melt immediately, thus, making the cookies spread. the recipe consists of: 11/2 c. sugar, 2 sticks butter room temp., 1 egg, 1 tsp. vanilla, 1/4 tsp. almond extract, 1/4 tsp salt, 2 3/4 c flour. that's it! bake 7-9 minutes at 400 degrees...(i use 390 for my oven). hope this helps! lisa

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Permalink Reply by Faith Gealey-Brown on July 6, 2010 at 9:28pm

Wow!! Thanks everyone! I'm so excited to try out these recipes! Sitting down with the mom to be right now discussing all of the possibilities!

Thanks a million for all of the tips!

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Permalink Reply by Faith Gealey-Brown on July 9, 2010 at 12:20pm

Jeri,

I decided to use your recipe, icing and all! They came out really great! No spreading, good consistency and not too sweet. Stayed up last night baking and icing them so each favour will contain 3 cookies - for the baby's initials. They are so wonderful - thank you everyone for the help!

jeri c said:

Here is the recipe I use for all my sugar cookies. I give credit where I got the recipe is from "Simply Better a Small Cookie Book" put out by Better Homes and Gardens I tweaked it for my own likings so this is NOT exactly the same as it is in the book

1 cup salted butter ( I only use REAL sweet cream butter)
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
3 cups all purpose flour
A couple drops of Almond Extract (I use Wilton Almond... love it)

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees.

I cream the butter and the sugar together then add the egg and mix till well combined. Add just a couple drops of Almond Extract. Add one cup of flour and mix well. Add the second cup and mix well. Then I add a half cup and mix well then I add the remaining 1/2 cup a little at a time making sure the dough does not get too hard. If it looks like it is, don't add any more flour.

Divide the dough in half cover the bowl with a towel while you work with the other half. Roll out on a floured surface about 1/8" thick and cut your shapes. Try to not overwork the dough or the cookies are not as flaky. I roll mine with a soft hand. Meaning not to push real hard on the roller just quick soft motion.

Put your cookies 1" apart. You can cook on parchment if you want.
I use both the mini cutters and the regular size cutters. ALWAYS have the same size on the pan. Never bake big and little cookies together. They bake differently.
the regular size cookie cutter I bake for 11 minutes. The mini cutter size I bake for 7 minutes.

Icing
2 cups powdered sugar
2 TBSP milk
1 tsp Almond Extract (again I use Wilton)
Add the milk to the powdered sugar mixing well if you need the icing thinner, just add a tad bit more milk. I love to ice my cookies and dip them into sanding sugar.

These stay fresh for about a month as long as you store them in a cool sealed container. I have baked them and stored them for a month and are as soft as the day I made them. This recipe DOES NOT get hard ever. Unless you over bake them. I always bake ALL of my cookies at 300 for a longer time. Most cookies I bake at 300 for 16 minutes. If you are using the small cutters only bake them for 6 to 7 minutes. They bake much quicker. Hope you enjoy this recipe!

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Permalink Reply by jeri c on July 9, 2010 at 2:12pm

So glad it worked for you... I love the simplicity of this recipe. And you do not have to cool it... you just mix the cookies and bake them. And like you said the flavor is wonderful. I think the almond gives it that nice taste.

I love it when something works well for someone!
Can't wait to see your pictures!

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