Easy Rolled Sugar Cookies Recipe: Perfect for Any Occasion
Rolled sugar cookies are a classic cookie to make for any occasion. They are like the little black dress for cookies. You can dress them up for a special occasion, or you can keep them plain and simple. However you like them, these buttery sugar cookies are the perfect treat to make for the holidays, gifts, and bake sales.
Making Rolled Sugar Cookies
My kids and I love making sugar cookies. My daughter loves them loaded with sprinkles, frosting, or glaze. I on the other hand am partial to a plain jane sugar cookie. I enjoy the way a good sugar cookie melts in your mouth, and it has a buttery bite.
Sugar cookie recipes vary, but at the core are basic ingredients. Butter, sugar, flour, and sometimes added flavoring. Here are the ingredients for these rolled sugar cookies.
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Glaze
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 6-7 tablespoons powdered sugar
- food coloring
Step by Step Process
I like to get things prepped and ready to go, so I start by mixing the dry ingredients together in a bowl and setting it aside while working on the wet ingredients.
Mixing the Dough
Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix for two to three minutes until mixture is creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then add the egg and vanilla. Beat for another minute or so, until thoroughly mixed.
Add the dry ingredients to the bowl and mix on low, just until the flour mixture is combined with the wet ingredients. The cookie dough will be sticky.
Remove the cookie dough from the bowl and flatten it into a disc. You can also divide it into two separate discs to make it easier to bake the cookies in smaller batches. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Cutting Out Sugar Cookies
When you’re ready to cut out the cookies and bake them, start by removing the cookie dough from the refrigerator and preheating the oven to 350 degrees.
Roll out the cookie dough to about a 1/4 inch thickness. Use your favorite cookie cutter to cut out the cookies. Place the cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for about 7-8 minutes.
The edges of the cookie will get a little color, but overall the cookie will remain quite light in color. Do not overbake as they will continue to bake as they cool on the cookie sheet. Let the cookies cool for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Making Glaze and Decorating
These rolled sugar cookies use a simple glaze for the decorating. Whisk together lemon juice and confectionary sugar to make the glaze. You can always add lemon zest, or a little vanilla extract to the mixture if you want added flavor. But the simple lemon juice and sugar mixture is an easy way to add a bit of sweetness, and color, to the cookies.
Divide the glaze into separate bowls and decorate with food coloring. Transfer the glaze to a piping bag, or sandwich bag, and cut a small hole at the tip. Then have fun decorating the cookies however you’d like. Let the glaze set for an hour before packaging them up, or storing in an airtight container.
Rolled sugar cookies are such a classic cookie. They are perfect for afternoon tea, an after school snack, or as a sweet treat after dinner. But as nice as they are for your family to enjoy, they are just as nice to give as gifts. Or, to make for a holiday cookie swap, or holiday dinner.
I love the versatility of sugar cookies. You can decorate them to match the season, or occasion that you need them. So if you think that rolled sugar cookies are only good for Christmas, then you are definitely missing out. These are the perfect cookie to make anytime!
Sugar Cookies with Glaze
Equipment
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Cookie Sheet
- Parchment Paper
- Mixing Bowl
- Electric mixer
- Rolling Pin
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
Glaze
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 6 tablespoons powdered sugar
- food coloring
Instructions
- Mix baking powder, salt, and flour together in a bowl and set aside.
- In the large bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until creamy.
- Add egg and vanilla. Beat for a couple more minutes.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix on low just until combined. The cookie dough will be slightly sticky.
- Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. You can divide the dough into two parts and roll them out one at a time if you prefer.
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Roll out the cookie dough to a thickness of about 1/4 inch.
- Use cookie cutters to cut out desired shape.
- Place the cookies on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Bake the cookies for about 7-8 minutes. The edges will just starting to color.
- Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Glaze
- Mix lemon juice and 6-7 tablespoons of powdered sugar together with a whisk. Use more or less powdered sugar based on the consistency you'd like, but the glaze should not be runny.
- Divide the glaze into three bowls. Add a drop of food coloring to each bowl, or leave white.
- Decorate the cookies as desired and let them sit for 30-60 minutes.
Notes
- You can store the cookies in an airtight container.
Here are more sugar cookie recipes to try:
Copycat Lofthouse Sugar Cookies Recipe
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